Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-09
WASHINGTON TEAM
HAS BEEN IMPROVED
Good Players Here, and Fall
ure to Win Is Sole
Trouble.


sion that has been going on in the city
about a new manager for the WASH
ington club Cantillon has been entirely
ignored as the leader for next year.
The directors for the club have not
considered who shall be at the head OF
the club next year. at their special
meetings of late. their sole OBJECT
with Manager Cantillon. being the ad-
vancement of the present team
At the present time Manager Canttl-
Ions sole object is to make good team
out of the present outfit and then turn
over a good club to the directors in the
fall. Whether Cantillon comes back or
not cuts very little ice with the present
leader. His Minneapolis club this sea-
son will make four times the salary he
receives in Washington, and when Sir
Joseph came here he was not poor
man. CantiIlon's reputation as man
ager has been at stake. and desire 20
show the Washington people that he
can turn out a winner is possibly the
one incentive to make him return next
year
The directors of the club and Cantil-
lon recently went over the names and
ability of the players on the Washing
ton club when lie took hold and, auc-
tioning them off, man for man. the en-
tire outfit would not have brought over
$4,000. Placing the present players or
the team on the block and under com
petition. the outfit would bring $500
600 and for other owners to make
their own bids 1t would bring at least
$4,000. This surely shows that Can
tillon has much better club in Wash
ington than was here three years ago.
Pair the present Nationals off with any
club in the American League for
series of five games and the locals
would have lighting chance of win
ming out. Every fan" knows this, and
it certainly shows that Marse Joe has
improved things around these diggings.
Last winter when Delehanty and Burns
we're holding up the club for big increases
in salaries the, directors wanted to hold
out but Cantilon said the men must be
signed on account of the clubs possible
fall-down with the pair out of the team.
The men were signed at their own terms
and still the team slumped Surely Can
tilion cannot be blamed in this instance.
The players who were expected 10
strengthen the team In the batting line
having fallen down, coupled with injuries
and sickness TO players at critical points
in the race, have made the Nationals look
bad in the pennant race. When the play
ers fail to play winning ball. the manager
has to stand the blame. but there is no
known remedy to be applied
Take the case of Ned Hanlon. He has
never done anything to set the world
afire in the managerial line since the dis
solution of the great team he had in Bal
timore. McGraw has lost valuable play
ers this year. and Is fighting for his life
10 keep up In the race. Fred Clarke has
been made to look foolish while Wagner
has been on the sick list, and so on down
the line.
without speaking officially. it seems as
though chaos would rule here next spring
with new manager at the helm Can
tillon has certainly given Washington
good ball club: the only thing left for him
to do is to make IL win games more regu-
larly. That proposition is something like
peaches and cream in comparison with
selecting a new leader, and of necessity
new players.
The ST. Louis Browns resume their
struggle this afternoon, big Jack Powell
being on the rubber for the visitors.
with hCarley Smith or Oberlin doing the
pitching for the locals. The team has
improved in it's work of late, and a con-
1inuation Of the same will help things
along.
Good news has been received from Min
neapolis concerning our old Washington
friend, Bill Rapp. He has been catching
addition. hitting the ball. Cincinnati.
New York and Chicago scouts have been
casting hungry eyes at Bill and have
asked Mike Cantillon to place a price on
Washington club, as he will probably be
here next year.
Bob Unglaub was very wrothy over be-
ing suspended. but after he had cooled
down decided to take matters easy. He
left yesterday for his cottage on
Chesapeake bay and will remain there
until his suspension is lifted. Bob is an
earnest worker and always trying his
best, but Is somewhat hot-headed He
has nowhere to 60 but home: nothing to
eat but pie; the outlaws on the coast
are no more. and Bob will drift back TO
the Nationals In the natural course of
events.
Recent changes prove that Jennings and
Clarke are not satisfied with the person.
mel of their teams. Both have made shifts
i'll the hope of introducing more batting
strength In their teams. Jennings had
Crawford on first, Jones in center and
killifer at second as an experiment but
results did not seem to justify the wis
dom of the move, and Rossman Is now
playing first, Crawford is back in center
and OLeary at second. II killifer could
cover second in the artistic manner that
O'Leary plays any infield position there
is little doubt that he would get the po-
sition permanently. He Is stronger hit
ter than the brilliant OLeary, but lacks
the fielding consistency that the keystone
position demands In such a strenuous
crisis as the champions now face The
primary reason for Detroit's recent slump
Is the reversal OF form shown by their
pitchers. Summers being about the only
man on whom the champions can place
any reliance. Mullin, who pitched such
remarkable ball earlier in the season has
shown none OF the superior form that en-
abled him TO win eleven straight before
ne lost his first contest of the year to the
Athletics when the Tigers were making
their first eastern tour.
His detection is a sad blow to Jen-
nings. Speer. Works and killian are not
above the average. and none can be de-
pended on In close tight game. The
only ray OF hope that Jennings can see
az present is the prospect that Donovan
has struck his normal stride. Wild Bill
- the only great pitcher of the Detroit
team, and to his peerless work is MAIN
~ responsible the two pennants captured
by the Tigers. AT this time last year
Donovan was invincible. This season he
has been practically useless His best
performance was in Boston. when he
held his opponents TO three hits and lost
his game. But his ability to hold the
fast, hard-htting Reds TO such a small
number OF hits indicates that he has
about regained his form. and IL such is
fact he VIII prove the mainstay Of
the champions for the remainder of the
season
Collectively. the western representa-
tives OF the American League got a good
deal the worst of IL in their games dur
ing the week the eastern delegates cop
ping seventeen out OF the fwenty-ei O hi