The Washington times., 1902-07-07
Local Players Hitting Hard
Enough to Be Among
the Leaders.
THE PITCHERS WORKING WELL
Size Up Strongly When
Compared With Other
Clubs.
TEAM WORK AND RUNNERS
THE PITCHERS WORKING WELL
TEAM WORK AND RUNNERS
If Head of Senatorial Outfit VIII Rem
edy These Two Great Weaknesses
Club Has Good Chance to Land in
the First Division.

The season of the American Baseball
League is practically half over, and the
different teams have done enough work
TO demonstrate their real playing
strength.
At present to the unbiased outsider.
it looks quite certain that Boston and
Chicago will have a fine fight for the
silken pennant before the 2Sth day OF
September, when the American season
will come to al end.
So far the White Sox people have had
clear lead. but with the reported i'll
ness Of Clarke Griffith and the improv-
ed playing of the Bostons. one may look
for move up in the percentage column
by the Beaneaters.
To local followers of the game the
Senators have been 4 source of great
disappointment. At the beginning of the
season the Washington men were look
ed upon as about as strong an aggrc-
cation as any in the Ban Johnson col
,lection of clubs, but Lotus men have
showed up in anything but champion
ship or even first division form.
The team is undoubtedly the best ag-
gregation of hitters in the league. and
plays well at times in the field. but
there has thus far been a total lack of
team work. so vitality necessary TO the
winning of games.
Time and again has this weakness Of
the Senators been pointed out. but Man
ager Lotus is apparently satisfied with
the many stupid plays of his men. for
nothing seems to be done to better this
department of the clubs work.
Amateur Base Runners.
On the bases the Senators are verita-
bic amateurs. many games having been
thrown away by the most stupid sort
Of base running imaginable.
The team was weakened early in the
season by the absence of BIZ Clarke.
who spent some time after he had been
ordered 10 report for duty in the more
remunerative and congenial task OF
coaching the Annapolis ball team. But
wher Clarke did finally join the team he
succeeded in infusing z good deal of
spirit into the players. and many OF the
games accredited 10 the locals were the
direct result of his excellent work on
the coaching lines.
The recent acquisition of Jack Doyle
promises to bear good results. for Doyle
is krown as en- aggressive, gingeIy sort
OF player. just the kind of man that
is needed to stir things up on the Sen
atorial bench The Washington men
have. of late, been saving between
fifth and sixth positions. with an occa
sional glide into seventh place. There
does not seem to be any reason, when
one considers the batting ability of the
team and the all-around good work OF
The pitching corps, why the Senators
should not take a decided brace in their
work and do away with the foolishness
that has characterized their base work
heretofore and play the game as they
can If they will simply get down to busi
ness.
Lotus Knows Clubs Weakness.
Manager LOTUS is well aware OF the
weakness OF his team. and ii is up to
him TO make the men play ball and dis |
card their ping pong tactics that have
teen 50 much In evidence Ia the past. |
With team hitting the way the locals
are, and with such individually GOOD |
players. there is something radically |
wrong 10 have them gracing the sixth 4
or seventh positions WHEN they actually |
belong well up il the first division
The Athletics appear TO be one OF the |
most evenly balanced clubs in the |
league. They have no particularly bril- /
liant stars. but there are thirteen or
fourteen ball players who know the
game from the ground up. and who play
il for all they are worth.
They hit the ball, too. almost as hard |
as the Senatorial bunch. and as for team |
work they are not excelled by any club |
in the league. This Philadelphia end |
Of the American League has been put
ting up q fiTst-class article OF ball
throughout the season. and apparently |
is apt 70 continue pegging away for first
place hoDors until the end OF the {
achedule. They have a good infeld, and
as for their outfielders they have no
superiorg in The league. while their bat
terles are weIl I'd with the cracks.
Baltimore's Hard Luck.
Baltimore has suffered from having
HcGraw and other players out of the
game either from accident or by reason
of punishment by the umpircg, so much |
80 the team has not been able to give
an accurate idea Of its real strength
McGraw has been put out OF tho game
time and again. sometimes. no doubt. for
good and sufficient reasons. but from a
rather long-distance view Of the situa-
tioR II appears that the Johnson force
Of umpires are laying for Mr.. Nc h
Graw. and the very first time that he
makcg an objection 10 their work he
is either put on the bench by the UNI
pire or susDe nded by Mr. Ban Johnson,