The Washington times., 1905-12-31
Youthful Manager of Washington Base.
ball Club, Who Made Good Last
Season.
Season.

Never did a baseball team create a
ington team in the American League
last season when it finished seventh.
with an average of .474. which was %
points better than ST Louis. Considered
a hopeless tailender and made the sub
ject of innumerable jokes and sarcastic
filings after its disastrous experience in
1904, there was little TO lead the fans to
hope that they would see more than
monotonous succession of defeats, with
a possibility of breaking the worlds
losing record. which il came within an
ace of doing In 1s0i. The first few games
bore out these pessimistic predictions.
but the fans turned out cheerfUlly and
encouraged the boys in every possible
manner.
Then came a sudden change which as
tonishcd the baseball critics and caused
the name OF Washington to be sur
rounded by exclamation points in every
baseball story. On the Eastern trip
away from home, Boston. New York,
and Philadelphia were taken into camp
in a most startling manner Game after
game was won, and sometimes the
string of victories became so long that
hearers of the news thought there must
be some mistake, and would not oelieVe
it until they saw it in the papers the
next day. There was an element OF
1rck ;n these games, but. by far. the
greater portion of the victories were
due TO timely hitting. Over and over
again the Nationals were outbatted by
their opponents. but got single at just
the right moment with men on the
t,.sas ana chalked up another on the
winning side. A., q .bo
Washington team was leading the Amer
ican League. and had accomplished such
great things in the East that all along
lifeline II sent cold shiyers through the
other fellows when its name was men
toned. Unfortunately. the team strucA
The toboggan in the wild ana wooily-
Luck turned and instead of winning
games by lucky hit its rivals developed
that trick Cold, disagreeable weather
took the wire edge off the enthusiastic
youngsters who had started so promis-
ingly. while the old campaigners were
striking their stride and getting better
all the time. At that. only one other
Eastern team did better in the West
than the Nationals.
Upon reaching home In fifth place
j.
creased their shoes all over again and
continued on the toboSgan. finally ar
rsyfng at the bottom with a crash by
dropuiug two games on July 4. Things
we're In a desperate state when the team
was braced by the acquisition of Charley
Hickman to play second. and John An
derson for right field. Their arrival put
more spirit in the work, and their stick
ing. although it was not brilliant, and
Otter left much TO be desired. was a
big help. and in August the Nationals
began 10 win more games than they
lest. The slump came TO an end, the
players took heart, and for the last
month and q half of the season the
average of the team was over 800 IN
games won II finished IN seventh place,
but In view of the terrific crash with
which Il fen from the top to the bottom
in a few weeks, and the one-time APP
parently hopeless outlook the Washing
ton team did exceedingly well. and its
members and officers deserve credit and
congratulations for the showing.
In discussing the past season. credit
must be given Jake Stahl as a manager.
He is as yet by no means the best in
the country. and he could not attain
that position for several years. but
despite his extreme youthfulness and
lack of experience. he accomplished
wonders with the material he had at
hand. He was absolutely devoted to
the duties of his position. and no mat
ter how frequently his men lost he
meyer. once showed signs OF discourage
ment y The aggregation with which he
went pennant-chasing was wofully
weak 81 hitting. and the fielding was
errafic, III at times brilliant. and when
one carefully weighs the batting and
fielding averages Of the team. and the
great pitching in the American League
last season. even those who first op-
posed his appointment must admit that