The Washington herald., 1907-07-21
NATIONALS AT HOME
Start Series with Western
Club on Wednesday.
INJURIES A BIG HANDICAP
Club Has Been in Poor shape Since
leaving Home, but with Jones and
Team should Furnish First-cIass
Bali During Remainder of Season.

The Nationals return Wednesday from
a swing around the circuit which has
lasted just one month.
While there has been nothing wonderful
about the work of the team while on the
road the showing has been rather good,
considering the great disadvantages un-
der which the club labored since leaving
here On June p
The team was away from Washington a
little more than a week when, at Boston
Charley Jones was injured in sliding into
third base. and since then has been un-
able TO resume his position in center
field. He remained with the club for sew
eral days and went in as a relief hitter
but he was practically useless, and finally
Cantiilon sent him home to take rest
and be in shape TO resume work when the
Nationals meet ST. Louis Wednesday. Up
to the time he was injured Jones was one
Of the most reliable hitters on the team.
and as soon as he was forced out Of the
lineup the team had to be shifted.
This makeshift outfit tackled the strong
Western teams. and the players were
hardly becoming accustomed TO the new
makeup when Clymer twisted his ankle
and was completely out of it. Clymer
was leading the American League I'm hit
ting, so the team at once showed evi-
dence Of his absence. With the outfield
completely broken up matter became
worse when Charley Smith and Jack
Warner We're injured.
However. the worse has passed. and
by the time the club starts in the home
series it is expected that every player
will be in shape 20 do his best.
With Capt. Bob Ganley. Charley Jones,
and Otis Clymer in shape. Washington
has easily the best trio of outfelders
! that Ras ever represented this city in the
American League.
Ganley and Jones are both phenomenal
fielders and throwers. while Clymer is
considerably better than the average left
/ fielder. However, II is in hitting that the
three men are real stars. At the time of
the accident which put him out of the
game CIymer was hitting over the 400
mark, while GanIey and Jones each have
batting records close to the 300 mark
When he assumed charge of the local
club Joe CantillOn made no bones of the
fact that he intended to make radical
changes in the team rather than develop
the material at hand. and although the
season Is little more than half gone he
has succeeded in getting an Outdeld that
has come up 10 his fondest expectations.
With Blankenship in shape and Warner
continuing at the same clip that he has
held In the West, and Heydon for emer-
gency purposes. the catching department
viii do so CGntillon has turned his atten-
tiOn toward the inffeld and the pitching
staff. II he succeeds in corraling as ca
pable corps of pitchers and inielders
e5 he has outfleldeTs, Washington VIII
no longer be considered the real cellar
champions.
With the regular team intact from now
on the Nationals should be able to do bet
ter work. The club is pretty solidly in
| trenchcd in last place. and may remain
there, but If the club delivers the article
| Of ball Of which it is capable. local fans
VIII see some interesting battles at Ma
tional Park before October 6.