Evening star., 1909-06-21
WASHINGTON OUT
OF LAST PLACE
Plays Double Header Today
With New York and May
Slip Back Tonight.

Although the Nationals did not play
Yesterday. the st. Louis Browns d1d, ana
as a result the locals arc once more out
O. last place. as the Tigers simply d'-
voured til. McAleeritcs in both battles
of the doubIe-header. The difference be
tween Washington and st. Louis IS a
small one. only two points. but every
little bit helps. and in the double round
at New York today III" Nationals may
resume their old position.
Outside of getting away from the tali-
end position. tho best development dur
ing the past week has been the splendid
batting Of the locals. When nine men
on a team advance in q body In the
batting percentages It shows there must
be something doing also in the winning
line. and a continuation of the same will
wake up this city to a realization that
Washington has "a ball team 1T last
George Browne has been the most con-
sistent performer with the bat. and then
comes Bob UnGlaub. If Milan aud Dele
hantv could only fall on to the ball as
they did last year il would be KITTY
bar the door for Il half dozen teams
now in front of the Nationals
The Nationals and Ilghanders hook
Up today in another double-nesdef. anu
and Hughes. Walter Johnson certainly
demonstrated Saturday that he needs
work and Marse Joe may take II In MS
head to send the speedy boy back again
TODAY. The games Will be Watched Win
a great deal of interest
President Moves and Manager Cantillon
have been securing the two Dig leagues
i'm an effort to get first class outfielder
Altrock and B.Ankenship are 100 Dig
handicap to carry feders in first
class league the former on account OF
his weak hitting and the latter on ac-
count of p.or fielding. The American
League race has become so close that the
managers are afraid to give up any one
who looks at all good. but at that trade
NAV he pulled off very shortly In which
,he Nationals and the other club concern
ed will be benefited. If Jesse Tannehill
could only get permanently well. there
would be no need of looking further for
an outfielder. but the clever southpaw
no sooner gets through with one ill than
another springs up. Jesse was pressed
into Saturdays struggle and responded
with a double which shows that he hasn't
lost his batting eye.
The Nationals move on to Philadelphia
tomorrow for a two-day visit and the
games with the Athletics will be watched
with more than usual anxiety as the
Quakers have 1t on the locals ABOUT
as bad as Washington over Cleveland. If
johnson doesn't work against the High
landers today, he will surely go in tomor-
row and with Walter on the rubber the
Nationals always have more than an even
chance of winning.
The base ball season is wearing on. One
third of the championship schedule has
been played in the major leagues. and a
fair test has been given all the sixteen
competitors Every indication points to
the American League race being neck
and neck drive right down to the finish.
with the Detroit champions the favorites.
hut by no means sure of capturing their
third consecutive pennant. BY so doing
Detroit would establish a record for win
ming successive championships in the
American League. which has never wit
messed a three time champioh in as many
years. Chicago which eyon the first
American League penant in 1900. the Or
ganization's inaugural year in the major
class, also captured the championship in
1anl In l9Hi and 1904 Boston won the
flag Every race in the American League
has been remarkably close, the margin OF
one game only separating first and sec
ond clubs in two of the eight years of
its existence. There is no reason to be-
lieve from the evenly balanced strength
of the teams up to date that this year 8
struggle will be an exception from the
eight proceeding seasons. Cleveland has
come back with splendid winning spurf,
while Chicago is playing better ball than
when the Sox left home for their first
eastern trip. The Athletics are picked
to be contender for the flag right up to
the finish while New York is expected to
play better ball when the personnel OF
the team is determined. ST. Louis has
suffered an unfortunate losing streak. but
is sure to make trouble for the other
clubs when Hoffman and Stone. two OF
the leading batsmen in the league. return