Evening star., 1945-09-24
Gd Officially Protests Loss Of First Game to As Yesterday
Disputes Ump' sRu|ing
On Error by Lewis
That Led 10 Defeat
By JOHN B. KELLER.

That Led 10 Defeat
By JOHN B. KELLER.
Clark Grifith Is carrying his Mats
pennant f1ght right to the front
ofice Of the American League, as
though the Mats themselves. had not
just about ended their chances on
the field yesterday as they did moth
ing more than break even in q dou-
ble-header with the Athletics in
Philadelphia.
The Washington club president
has protested the decision by 'Um-
pire Ed Rommel in the first game
that opened the way to tie by
the AS, who went on to the 18th
inning for 4-3 triumph.
Griffith telephoned Will Harridge,
league president, this morning and
insisted that Rommel had misap-
piled rule in declaring Right
fielder Buddy Lewis had not made
a clean catch of Mayo Smiths fly
at the beginning Of the eighth in
ming, ruling that put Smith on
second base and cost Lewis an er-
ror. Harridge promised a decision
Immediately after discussing the in
cident with his umpires.
Following this error was another
by Third Baseman Cece Travis,
then came three hits OF Dutch
Leonard and the AS were back in
a game that appeared in the bag
for the Mats who had picked up a
3-run lead off Bobo Newsom.
Should Grif1lths protest be up
held by Harridge, the game will
be replayed probably tomorrow or
Wednesday at Philadelphia and a
victory for the Mats would make 1t
necessary for the leading Detroit
Tigers to take three of their re-
naming four games to beat out the
Washington club for the flag.
Rule Misapplied, Griff Says.
Os Bluege, Nat manager, pro-
tested Rommers decision vigorously
on the field, only to be banished for
the remainder Of the day by the
irate arbiter. No formal protest was
lodged. however. until today when
Griffith based his on the letter of
the baseball rule.
There was misapplication of
the rule" Griffith insisted at his
office today. THE rule says that If
a player firmly catches the ball, but
drops it in the act of throwing it
back to the infield. it is a catch.
That's precisely what Lewis did"
Here is what happened. Lewis
made a perfect catch of Smiths
loft, getting the ball above his
head. Then he brought his hands
down and started an underhand toss
to Second Baseman George Myatt,
who had run into right field. But
Lewis throwing hand struck his.
gloved hand and the ball fell to the
ground.
Baseball rule 40 in section 2 pro-
vides that base runner is out IF,
having made a fair hit while bats
man. such fair hit ball be caught
by fielder before touching the
ground ."
League Rulings Hazy.
American League regulations ap-
pended to the rule provide that the
ball must be held by the fielder"
They also provide with less than
two out and a runner on base, If
the fielder has a chance to make a
play and the ball be dropped, the
umpire must decide whether 1t was
dropped In the act of making the
catch or attempting to make the
throw"
But a notation says the regula-
tions were designed to prevent in
territorial muf1s of flies, although
there is nothing to cover such an
incident as that of yesterday when
no runner was on base
The regulations do provide.
though. that the ball is Caught, if
catch is completed and ball dropped
In act Of attempting to throw"
After making the kick that got
him sent from the field, Bluege
appealed to Head Umpire Bill Nc
Gowan for ruling, but MCGOWAN
said he had not seen the play as
Myatt was between him and Lewis.
Binks Forgets Glasses.
After the AS pulled up to a tie,
Walter Masterson went to the pitch
ing hill to become loser through
George Binks' neglect to take his
sun glasses to the outfield in the
18th. The sun had broken through
the clouds in the inning for the
first time in the afternoon and
Outf1elder Sam Chapman of the AS
had called time to pick up his dark
specs. But Binks blithely went to
his post in center without optical
protection.
With two gone, Ernie Kish lofted
to center and the inning appeared
over. But Banks lost the ball in the
sun and it fell in front Of him for
a two-base hit. The dangerous Dick
Siebcrt was passed purposely to get
at George Kell and Kell singled
over the winning run.
In the 4-3 second game, Marino
Pieretti celebrated his Oath birthday
with his 18th win of the year, but
he got it the hard way. The Mats
got three-run lead off Dick Fow-
lee of no-hit fame, then blew 1t by
erratic play. But after two were
out in the eighth, George Case and
Myatt doubled for the big run of
Don Black, who had succeeded Fow-
Ter. After the AS went out in order,
darkness ended play.
So the Mats finished their season
with 81 victories and 81 defeats
and now must wait to see what the
Tigers can do this week.
Temple Loses Steve Buscu