The Washington times., 1906-04-29
STOP KNOCKING,
BOOST EN- ALONG
Washington Team Deserves
Fair Chance.
COMING TRIP WILL TELL
Fans Should Wait Until Nationals Get
Through Tryout-0ld Men
Will Improve.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

By THOMAS S. RICE.
Tomorrow morning the Washington
bail club starts on it's first real trip
away from home.
1t viii return to play Detroit here
on May II, the beginning of the long
series with the Western clubs which
will last until May IS, the last game
with Cleveland on that exchange of
courtesies between East and West.
After the Cleveland series the club
goes TO New York for May 29 and the
dOuble-header on Decoration Day. then
jumps to Boston for May 81 and June
! and .. The first Western series
opens with Detroit in Detroit on June
l.
Will Be Real Test.
The itinerary Of the trip beginning
tomorrow will be Philadelphia tomor-
row and next day Boston on Wednes-
day. Thursday. Friday. and Saturday.
and New York on May : s. Q. and 10
This first Eastern trip should be a
real test for the Washington club. but
you never can tell. Baseball has so
many queer angles that he who pre-
diets positively needs a guardian Last
wear Washington went OF the road on
mis- same Eastern trip. cleaned up
everything in sight. came back home
and did some more prize winning
stunts, then went West only to strike
a creased tObOggan that landed il at
the bottom on July with a sickening
thud
This erratic course Of the club last
year is partially explainabIe. so that
no matter what past performances have
been the fans viii be largely guided
by what happens between tomorrow and
Friday Of next week, when the club
will return 10 its own bailiwick
Looks Pretty Good.
While only the most hectic and ex-
citable Of rooters has anticipated that
Washington would finish better than a
low berth in the first division and pre-
dictions Of that rare fortune have been
attributed to a too free drawing on the
pipe still, IL is not a bad guess 20 say
that with an even run of luck Wash
ington will surprise some OF the wise
ones who are born pessimIsts. It is
not a world-beating team. and il is not
a major league pennant winner. but it
is a good ball team. and so far this
season has always given a run for the
money.
Last year the team started out with
so many youngsters that when it got to
a strange city it had to get a guide TO
show ii the way to the ball park With
all these minor Ieaguers and so much
untried material il started with a whoop
and for awhile led the American
League-to the great astonishment of
certain misguided local knockers who
expected TO see the club duplicate the
remarkable performance Of the year be-
VIII 2
Sames.
Youngsters Exploded.
It was prOphesied. and with good rea-
son. as subsequent events proved, that
the Washington team was more or less
OF a false alarm. and that when the sea-
son advanced and the Old-timers on the
other clubs struck their stride Wash
ington weUld descend. That was ex-
actly what happened The youngsters
couldn't stand the pace. and they col
lapsed in mosI alarming fashion
Then came a change. Hickman and
Anderson We're obtained. the pitchers
took new lease on life. and for the last
two months Of the season the club won
more games than it lost.
This year Washington should also pro-
fit by that pace-getting lapse OF time.
On the team are such veterans as Hick-
man, Anderson. Lave Cross. and Kit
redgc. Also, every pitcher whom II will
really rely upon in emergency is a
major Lacquer of many years standing
vino frankly confesses that il will be
some weeks before he rounds into shape.
Give EN- a Chance.
IL the club has obtained slightly fc-
titious flying start at present: is there
any reason to believe that as the days 20
by il should blow MP as badly as IL did
last year? Is it not better prepared to
stand the grueling grind than the out
fit or 1905. which was composed of men
lucky to be in the major league at all.
much less hold a position well UP in
the pennant race? The answer would
Seem TO be yes. and while the whole
argument may go to pot because of a
slump setting in at any moment, the
? team is certainly entitled to the benefit
OF the doubt as long as il furnishes the
class Of ball It has for the past ten days
Washington has had tail-end team
so long that IL the slightest streak of
il-luck comes along the family of l.
told-you-sO brothers becomes so large
that the District has 10 annex A part
of Virginia and Maryland to hold them
The defeat yesterday started another
bunch of the acknowledgement t-last
hammersmiths, but wait until something
serious happens before making yourself
muscle holind by too much exercise Or
the anvil.