The Washington herald., 1907-07-29


are hanging onto first place in the Ameri-
can League by the narrow margin Of five
points, viii be the attraction at National !
Park this afternoon in a double-header,
the first game starting at o'clock The
Champions remain here until Thursday
night. when Detroit comes to open q four
game series. commencing Friday.
The series which begins this afternoon
viii be one Of the most important of the |
season, for II the Nationals are able to /
win the majority of the games. or
break even. the victories Of the locals will |
pull Chicago off the top rung, providing. /
of course, that the Clevelands and De. /
troits continue at their present clip. which /
has kept them close 10 the heels of |
ComislIey's club for the past few weeks. /
The Washington club is at present the
strongest aggregation that has repre-
sented this city since the entrance of |
the American League. 1t is true that /
the Nationals are at the foot OF the lad
der. more than fifty points behind the /
next team but it was not the men who
played in the series with St Louis which
put the club in its present humble po-
sition.
Nothing to work On.
\ manager who has not had the say
in the selection Of the men who are 20
make up his team should not be held en-
tirely. responsible for results. Last win
ter. when Cantillon was signed TO lead |
the Nationals, he was presented with the
poorest. class OF ballplayers in the AmeTi-
can League. Washington did succeed in
keeping ahead of Boston, but it was the /
thoroughly unexpected slump Of the BOs-
ton team. rather than any particularly |
good work on the part Of the locals that
relegated Washington to seventh place ]
last season
Since attixing his signature to the con-
tract Joe Cantillon has not missed a
single opportunity 70 root out the weak /
men on the club and dlI the positions with
promising players. In n,idwinter, when
faudom was giving little thought to base
ball. the scTappy little leader went 20
Pittsburg and landed Bob Gaaley who
has been one Of the sensations Of the
league ever since the season opened. |
However. there were few opportunities
TO talk business at that stage. so when I
the Nationals took the field on April Il |
the lineup was as follows: Ganley, right /
field Schlafly. second base: Cross. third |
base: Hickman. first base: Altizer. center .
field; Anderson, left field; Perrine, short
stop; Blankenship. catcher, and Hughes, /
pitcher.
Even before the season opened Can /
tlllOn realized that the team could not /
hope 10 be a real factor, but a few games /
showed beyond a doubt that something /
radical would have TO be done Ganley I
delivered the goods from the start, but /
SehlaAy was e failure. The manager |
had Schlahy on his clubs in previous /
years and thought that the player would /
be able 10 make good. so the second base
man was appointed captain. He could /
not hit, so then the first big change was |
made when Schlafy was benched. Perrine /
shifted TO second. and Altizer brought in /
from center field. Even this arrange /
ment did not give satisfaction, so Mi /
was placed on second.
Lave Cross Released.
While all Of these changes We're being
made Lave Cross was falling down on /.
his job at third. The fans were so well /
satisfied with the veterans work last year /
that they gave him little attention. With /
out any warning it was exclusively an /
nounced in these columns that Jim Dele /
hanty had been purchased from St Louis /
and few days later came the news that /
Lave Cross had been unconditionally re- /
leased Delehanty jumped into Cross /
shoes, and since then has been playing |
the best ball of his career.
Cantillon, in the meantime, was on a 4
still hunt for a hard-hitting outfielder |
He searched the American League. but /
as there was nothing available he finally /
threw a bomb into the camp Of National /
League boosters by purchasing Otis Cly- /
mer, Of P1ttsburg. who is now leading /
Ban Johnson's league in batting.
Delehanty was playing great ball at 4
third. but second was still weak. 81 Can |
tllon hurried word to Des AIoines for 4
Shipke. Any doubt as 70 ShIpke's abiI- /
ity 10 play great fielding game around /
third base was dispelled during the ST /
Louis series. The little fellow did not
DO much hitting in the Western League /
and it was not expected that he would be /
a wonder with the stick in faster COM
pany, but if he can cover ground every
day IS he did during the series Just /
closed. he viii be a most valuable man. /
even though he gets only a couple of /
hits month.
Altzer's greatest drawback is his me- /
diocre work while on the road. He is /
one or the greatest in the business when
II comes 10 wonderful stops but he falls /
DOWN on easy chances. While Cross was /
here AltiZer was helpless, as he was 4
forced TO cover d territory which be- /
ionged 10 the third baseman. but since /
the new arrangement of the team. with
Delehanty on second and Shipke on third /
the ex-outlaw has taken a decided brace
in his work. Anderson is putting I'D 1
fairly good fielding game al first, and /
IS hitting with the best Of them
A Great OutReId.
The outdeld to-day is one Of the very
best in the American League. both in
hitting and fielding, while old Jack War
ner is catching better ball than at anv
time since he donned Washington uni /
form.
The pitching staff Is the weakest de- /
partment OF the team. At their best the /
tWlrlers can pitch winning ball. but tbev
are inclined 10 be unsteady and incon- /
sistent. so Cantillon has turned bis at 1
tention 10 bis pitchers, and IS making 4
an effort 70 land couple who have
earned trial in fast company
Wilson and Goodwin, who have been 4
doing great work in the Western League. /
are slated for the Nationals next sea
son, but in the meantime Cantillon has \
his eve on couple of twirlers in faster
company.
All OF the members of the team have
practically recovered from the Injuries 1
which had so much TO 90 with the poor
showing on the last trip. and CantiIlon /