The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-04
WASHINGTON NEEDS
VETERAN PLAYERS
TO HELP INFLELD
700 Many Youngsters Causes Team to Go to
Pieces at Critical Moments Concerning
Appreciation Among Diamond Stars.
By THOMAS S. RICE.


II is an old joke among lawyers that /
there are two things nobody knows.
How a civil magistrate Will decide a
ease and whom a woman will marry.
TO this should be added: How the
Washington ball team VIII play.
After an exhibition IN The first game
on Thursday that froze the blood of the I
Philadelphia fans and an almost equally /
good exhibition in the second, which 4
was lost because of the ineXperience OF /
a naturally great pitcher. tie Canul- /
lonites yesterday put UP what must |
have been the worst article of b. b. |
seen in Quakertown this year, Today |
they are likely TO come back and make /
Boston look foolish. only TO have the
hide hammered on them tomorrow.
That Washington has not a winning
team In the company II Is now travel |
ing with is perfectly obvious but why
when IL does win game once IN q
while IL should play such really hlgh |
class ball as II exhibited in the series
here with Boston, and then turn infc
z backlOt outfit acting Ike brewery ]
nine at a Fourth OF July picnic is q
mystery that has Why IS a mouse
backed of the boards.
The real reason probably lies in the
number of new men, and this uncer-
tainty and errancy OF performance Is
UkGlE 10 continue LDL only eAAA l44L7 1Nt-7
son but well into next Inc team Is
one which must get a good start or lose
out, for the fans feel in their bones
that II things break badly at toe 60 on
that entire combination OF o Brlen,
Tony Smith, Delehanty, ard Aluser, Is
pretty sure 70 go wrong
There is. little confidence in the team
among the fans when the team is in
tight place. You never know when
somebody is going TO slip up and make
a foolish error that Will nullify ali the
good work that may nave gone DeIofe,
No ball player is perfect and any OF
them may go wrong at a critical mo-
ment, but the Washington team IS more
likely to do il than not, and when II
makes one misplay the entire team mas
a tendency to 60 to pieces. Inc lnneld
is especially afflicted with this WObbii-
ness, and the pitcher knows IN the bot
tom Of his heart that even II ne dellVeEs
the goods and pitches so that the batter
hits the ball on the ground, a Wild
heave or a bit of juggling is about the
next number on the program.
CantiHon has good material ana It
works well at times With Jerry Free
man on first, and possibly Elber1eld at
short, the inHeld may become STEADY.
but II IS almost SAFE Oct lnaI "
present lineup would be as unreuaDte
three years from now as IL IS today
New men have to break into the majors
some time, and a tailend team Is the
most reasonable route Of entry, but an
all-kid or all-subStituIe collection with
out a few old-umers as balances ana
rallying points is labOring under hand
leap too heavy 10 bear in this day or
merciless competition.
CantiIlen has the EIberfeld deal for
PdJten still under consideration, and IS
also dickering Tor another star Inheld-
er, who has made a great reputation in
the fastest kind, and whose name mas
not vet been mentioned in the Washing
ton papers. Let us hope he gets them.
Wonders never cease ana the pTOspec-
tive Nationals OF 1905 may deliver the
goods, but II they do. II VIII be one OF
the greatest surprises in the history or
any sport
An excited individual with desire 10
say something real mean and signing
himself a Reader writes a screed 10
The Times IN which he calls this paper
and Others 10 account for what he con
sideTs our unfair treatment of Aluzer.
He takes for granted that the papers
have IL in for the eX-soldler and are
willing to 90 70 the length Of not only
robning him of credit when que, hut OF
accusing him Of errors he did not COM
That anybody could read The Times
and then be such a fathead as TO be-
lieVe this paper inclined TO knock the
Washington ball team or any Of its in
dividual players is sufficient evidence OF
the fact that abundant free schools are
not In themselves enough TO make some
people think like human beings. If you
are not there with the gray matter at
the start the ability TO read viii never
furnish IL.
The truth is all the Washington papers
have been entirely too lenient with the
Washington ball team and many. Of its
individual members. Any fan who has
ever Travelled further than Laurel OF
Upper Marlboro and read any other pa
per than the Ladies' Home Journal
MI
tract 70 the American League club In
this city receive less blame for bad
breaks and more credit for good per
fornlances than they viii ever get after
they leave here OF got before they
arrived.
Almost without exception professional
athletes are absolutely ungTateful
toward the newspapers that make them.
A newspaperman digs ur an unknown
and Introduces him 10 right people gets
him his job, helps him along with the
public BY pleasant stoTis and kindly
treatment when he is stil green, makes
every possible allowance when he falls
down and in many other ways gives
him a start in life that is accorded per-
sons of no other business or profession,
all without charging him cent or ask
ing any other return, and frequently
with only slight personal acquaintance
with the beneficiary Of the helping hand,
yet If that same writer, in the ordinary
course of business, happens 10 mention
that a biz of dumb work by that same
player happened TO lose a close game,
the story is never forgiven and rankles
IN the heart of the professional ball
player long after il is supposed to have
been wiped out by subsequent boosts.
This is so Well known to professional
sporting writer's that they regard enmi-
ties gained in that way with cynical in
difference, and simply charge il I'D 10
the mental deficiencies Of the class OF
men in the business. They are also very
well aware OF the fact that the better
the treatment you give a ball player in
ss-s-@-s-a-s-s-s~s-s-s-s-
| Mems Pants +!