Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-28
Yesterdays National League Gamer.

Philadelphia at Cincinnati
Yesterdays National League Cameo
New York 10; St. Louis. 5.
Philadelphia, A. Cincinnati. s.
The most asinine and at the same time
unwarranta.ble attack that has been made
on the Washington base ball club since 1t
has come under the local management ap
peared in the Post this morning. Assaults
of this sort can be looked for in country
towns where the representative team is ex-
pected to win every day, but for Wash
;ngton paper to hammer the Nationals in
this shameful manner is almost beyond
belief and incOmprehenstble. The article
would have been entirely ignored by The
Star. but for the fact that it is a mass OF
CnIsstatements and appears to be a direct
Knock at the success of the team.
The writer. a Mr.. Kelly OF st. Louis,
has but lately arrived In Washington and
from the way he has handled things 1t
IS a foregone conclusion thai he has been
close student of the bug base ball
writer Lanigan of the Mound city Mr..
Kelly's past experience in base ball is rot
known accurately, but, from the way he
writes and scores. IL is doubtful whether
ne has been in the business over two years.
fet experience counts for little in his eyes,
esS AS mas not Dten a Dill backward IN tell
ing Mr.. McAleer how to run the Browns
or Mr.. Stahl the Nationals. Newspaper
managers % have been the ban of losing
teams Tor years and st. Louis especially
has probably suffered more than any other
city. the weakness OF both teams there
being directly charged to continual knock
ing from the papers but Washington is
now confronted with its first experience In
this line.
In the first place 1t should be remem-
bered that the season is but six weeks old
and that there is a long. hard road in
front or the clubs before the wind-up in
october. During the past winter the own
ers OF the club were continually hustling
Tor players to strengthen the team and
when the gong rang for the first game, it
was the opinion OF many that the Nationals
were fully ~ per cent stronger than last
year. The aggregation Is made up most
" of veterans. and these are the men who
will be playing their best when the young
STEERS Will be longing for the shady spots
around July and August.
Only Disappointing
Mr.. Kelly starts off by saying that the
recent exhibitions OF the Nationals have
been pathetic, deplorable and disappointing
The latter word is the only one allowable
I'm the Nationals case There has been
nothing pathetic or deplorable about the
battles OF the locals. but only disappeint-
ment Many expected the Nationals to get
a fine start like last season and then hold
on better, but luck has beea a big factor
In the Nationals game. and they are once
more down around the bottom rungs OF the
ladder The games played at home have
been interesting and well contested. when
Il is taken into consideration that one of
the most valuable men on the team has
been out OF the game with broken finger
The players knew the value of George Nil
and the weakness of his substitute. and felt
that they were working under big ham
dicap. Take Monte Cross, George Davis
rod D. Ih..~f oil H.
and O'Leary out OF the different teams with
which they are playing and then mark the
difference IL would make in the respective
teams. Shortstop has become the most i'm
pOrtant position On the inheld. and the
slightest weakness there reflects upon the
entire team.
Mil had been playing so well as to al
tract the attention of the newspaper men
all over the eastern circuit and 1t was the
general comment that the Washington CLUB
was lucky In finding such good mar to
replace poor Joe Cassidy. Williams had
been doing we'll In practice, and II was
thought he would hll the bill completely
"a a substitute. His weakness has deyeI-
oped since Nil has been laid off although
II took several days trial to show It olear.y
Ali this took time but lust as soon az II
local club Immediately put out scouts to
strape mp new shortshop. but as yet
nothing has developed along that line.
Another source of the loss II games by
the pitchers. and this can be a-sc.-ibed solely
I" the weather. Patten, Hughes. Ki;son
and Wolfe can be placed IN The veteran
class. although young Ia years and men
or their sort need the hot weather TO get
into their full stride. Falkenoerg and Smith
have both pitched well and nave demon
strated their fitness for regular member
ship In the STAFF. The same applies to the
batting Of the other members Of tire team.
they are In slump at present and Will
assurediy go better with hot v eathe. back
OF them.
To Lead Second Division.
The most liberal-minded fan" In WASH
iugton has never placed the Nationals in
the first division permanently, but OF course
everybody had hopes. and to lead the sec
ond division is where the ardent admirers
OF the club expect to see the BOYS finish
This will be an advance over last season
and that is all the management is striving
fora better club each year At the pres
ent time tho Detroits are In the first dfyi-
sion. yet they have won only three games
more than the Nationals and lost four less
THIS latter situation is DUST cited TO dem
oustrate the earliness OF the season and
what a few victories would do for the
locals.
The reports about trades and sales have
come from Mr.. Kelly alone and have
played their part In helping to demoralize
the team. No trades OF any sort have
been under consideration, but when a
player is tod that his work has been such
that he is liable TO transfer to a minor
league, does any sane man imagine that
such reports VIII help that mans playing?
President Noyes did ask for waivers OF
Wolfe and Stanley. but when this fact wa
made public he lost little time in notifying
the press that the waivers were asked SO
that the men could be used quickly IN
case good trade did turn up Mr. Kelly
was quick 10 publish the waiver story but
forgot all about President Noyes' denial.
Manager Griffith OF New York never Of
fered Laporte for Patten and Kittredge,
neither did Manager Collins ask for a trade
In which Bill Dinneen was concerned Mr.
Kelly Is solely responsible for these reports