The Washington times., 1909-05-06
GOOD BASE RUNNING
PRODUCES RESULTS
THAT PLEASE FANS
Clever Steals of Conroy and Ganey Keynote to Beat
ing Athlehcs-Pinch Shifts in Lineup
Do Not Weaken Team.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

The shrinking violet and the wood
tick are In our midst. and the Wash
ington BAH team. by beating the Ath-
letics in Philadelphia yesterday 4 to 3
made Il two wins in succession. BY
these signs we know that spring is
really at hand. But don't take EN-
of yet. The violets we can do without
ana the woodtick we can avoid by
hearkcning not to the voice Of the back
to-nature cranks, but we certainly did
need that game in Philadelphia. 1t was
just absolutely necessary that our bail
team be up and doing, like the iceman
and the jack-in-pulpit.
The racing associations can't be
blamed for cutting of the passes Of
politicians.
Conroy singled and stole. GanIey walk
ed and stole. The first happened in tho
second inning. and the second in the
ninth inning. Both maneuvers were re-
sponsible for runs. and both were mace
with two out That is real baseball.
and II was successful McBride's time
" tap in the ninth that brought In Can
ley with the all-important tally was
highly commendable. and he has a glad
hand coming to him. but it was an or
dinary play. The real point 10 the game
was the fact that Conroy and Ganley
stole. especially Ganley. All spring we
have harped on the fact that Washing
ton had a fast aggregation, and when
the season opened it promised to fulfill
our prophecies by losing faster than any
outat we have had since Patsy DOno-
vans picked nine dropped thirteen
straight. Now it is there with the
proper thing. 1t Is a fast team. taking
1t man for man, with as clever a lot
of Individual basestealers and sprinters
as there is in the American League, de-
spite what the knockers may say. The
team WIN never be conspicuous for slug
ging, but, we will make little bet thar
that the ability Of Ganley, Conroy. ely
mer, Unglaub, Milan, Mcbride, and
BIankenship to get away fast and steal
in emergencies is going to account for
a large proportion OF Washington's
gains this year
Have you noticed the pace Pittsburg
is setting in the National League?
Conroy is known as the man in the
American League who gets the longest
lead of a base. Ganley is known as one
business anywhere. When they happen
TO be on together. or either Is on with
Clymer. you can nearly always count
on doings They not only work well
themselves, but their abilities when
coupled on the lines are a by-word, and
have a tendency to rattle the other side.
The opposing players are kept so busy
wondering what will be pulled on that
they cannot pay absolutely strict at
tention TO the batter Hence sometimes
a lit is sandwiched in or boot Is
made that would not otherwise have
appeared. had there been less redoubt-
able thieves TO contend with. All OF
this Is going to be a big help this sea-
son, and is going TO save our spring
boosts from looking foolish.
Don't worry. The Boston Americans
are not going to set the world on fire
IN 1903.
When Blankenship batted for Milan
center field and Shipke went on third.
Conroy then promptly made a star
catch that saved the game. That
what Cantillon paid 5000 for Conroy for
The awkward sentence preceding car
Ties the idea we wish to express, even
if II is not Bostonese. Conroy IS as
much Of an outhelder as he is an in
fielder, and the object in paying a fan
cy price for him was 10 have his on
hand IN case OF such an emergency.
When he was lifted from third, Bill
Enipke was sent 10 that station and il
was cinch II was going to get master
D. treatment on the defensive In
Blankenshlp and Gray the club has two
pinch hitters Of merit. Blankenship
can bat for any fielder and when the
supplanted man IS necessarily retired 20
the bench the team can be readjusted
so that II is almost as strong as before.
Gray can swat for a pitcher and then
do tWirling Of major league caliber on
his own account Washington has
about the easiest team IN the league 10
manipulate without serious damage 10
the defense, and this is an important
factor when your pinch hitters have
tied up the game for you or put you a
run ahead.
The St Louis Browns are at the bot
tom now. but they will not stay there.
Nor is It likely they will win the pen
nanL
One swallow doesn't make summer
although we have seen one swallow of
Alexandria booze produce an indiffer-
ence TO either summer or Winter-and
two games In a row do not land you at
the top Of the first division or the bot
tom of the second, but they indicate
that Washington is not as weak as the
grumpy fans imagined when the series
OF early disasters was IN full swing
The grouchers were complaining that
winnings were going TO be as scarce
with the club this year as the three r s
TTklall0 TnnnnEIE