Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-20
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Jim McAleer has given up coaching
! from the lines. He no longer dons uni
| form. but directs his team from the
| bench, fact which has caused con-
siderable comment among the patrons OF
! the game here.
| There 10 perhaps no doubt that McAleer
/ can be of just as much benefit to his
! team on the bench az on the coaching
| lines, hut the fans here have always
taken kindly to the manager who got
out and hustled on the lines. They have
never displayed a liking for the leader
out of uniform. Cantillon was on the
lines most OF last season. but gave UP his
uniform late in the campaign and came
in fo- much criticism as a result.
McAleer did not get on the lines during
the series in Detroit and 1t Is understood
that hehas about decided to turn the
coaching over to some of his players
while he does the directing from the
bench
Sixth place Is but an inch away and
even fifth place is not out Of the Ques-
ton II the locals can make one Of their
spuTts. \ victory over cleveland this
afternoon and a defeat for Chicago at
Philadelphia would place the Nationals
up one notch and incidentally bring them
closer to Cleveland.
The Cleveland players. however, are
also ambitious. They want to beat De-
troit out 1t Is the one thing left for the
Maps which would make them popular at
home. for there is the greatest rivalry be-
tween the fans of the two cities. Man
ager Mcguire believes that his team will
be able to turn the trick, and from this
out it is to be hustle after the Tigers.
One would naturally suppose that when
a pitcher found that he had habit which
was handicappfng his earning capacity as
a ball player, that he would take some
steps to rid himself of it. Bob GroOms
failing is his insistent watching of base
runners while in the act of delivering the
ball, with the result that he loses con-
troll and usually his games. 1t matters
not whether the bases are full or some OF
the slowest runners are on them, Groom
always looks toward the runner and then
walks a few batters. So much has been
written about his failing in this respect
that improvement might be looked for,
but Tuesday Bob was worse than ever.
and his giving of three bases on balls in
the eleventh was the direct result of this
bad habit.
Not until Groom realizes that he is
standing in his own light by reason of
his giving too much attention to the base
runners will he be a pitcher who can
be relied upon, and he should devote some
of his time in trying to correct this fault,
eN0li IL he ndu 10 lnSlSI tndL manager
McAleer fine him whenever he did it,
Cy Young was elated that he won his
game yesterday, his 5O0th victory of his
career. Not because he had accomplished
a great feat, but because he had grown
tired or hearing nothing else every time
he pitched Attention has been called
every time Young was carded TO pitch
that he would try to win his 50Oth game,
and Cy has been losing. He figured that
IL a hnodnn fo I'M, oily toll IL, oh
It, and when he won his game yesterday
and ended the, matter he was much
pleased.
| cause he held Lelivelt on third base in
the ninth when Conroy singled to right
scoring Milan with the tying run.
Lelivelt was on second when the ball was
Lord on the first bound. The ball was
on the way to the plate before Lelivelt
had reached third. and it would have
been suicide to send him there. Elberfeld
properly stopped him, and by 50 doing
ualif1ed as a good coacher.
Considering the fact that John Henry
has just broken into fast company and
up to that time had never played first
base before, he fills the position ad-
mirably. True he got tangled up with
couple of hunts in that ninth inning, but
players OF years of experience have been
known to do the same thing. 1t is ex-
pecting a whole lot from a mere boy
whose only experience has been with
college team to make star plays right
from the outset. Henry has all the ear
marks of making good ball player. He
will hit whole lot better after he be-
comes used TO his surroundings too, for
at the plate. Just now he is handicapped
by the fact that McAleer is trying to get
him to hit harder at the balls than he
formerly did Henry .had a habit Of
merely pokEng at the balls, and McAleer
has him swinging hard, and he is not
yet accustomed to this. and consequently
he is not hitting as he will later
II the club Is to develop young pla yers
the spectators have to be patient, for
there ane sure to be some raw plays
made now and then.
For several years 1t has been consider
ed foolhardy to pitch a left-hander against
the Cleveland team. II was considered
next to impossible for a southpaw to
beat the Maps. and in fact it was con-
sidered an effort to fatten their batting
averages to pitch one against them. .out
times seem to have changed or Dolly
Gray Is different sort than the other
southpaws. Gray had the Cleveland bat
tiers completely at his mercy yesterday
and he deserved the shutout which he
secured. He was in his very best form,
however. In fact, 1t is doubtful il he
has ever performed better since wearing
a Washington uniform.
1t was not a very good day for Larry
Lajoie The leader of the American
League batters and Public choice for the
automobile to be given the leading batter
did not fatten his average Yesterday.
getting but two4h hits in nine trips to the
plate. and these bingles were none too
clean cut.
Though Of course the home crowd wants
to see the home team win, yet it is pull
ing for Lajoie to win the automobile. The
public generally recognizes him as the
greatest straightaway hitter and would
not be pleased to see him beaten out by
Cobb or some other fast left handler who
makes a lot of hits by reason Of his
speed.
Doc Reisling deserved to win his game
He pitched splendidly. and with a break
in the ninth should have walked in. 1t
was tough enough to have the Maps score
two runs on scratch hits In the ninth in
ming, but it was hard luck not to have
won the game in the Nationals half.
With the score tied and second and third
occupied. with but one out. it required
only fly to the outfeld to win the game
and yet this was not to be had.
Young was wise enough to walk Cess
| Ter, filing the bases, and then was lucky
enough to have Mcbride pop one up,
which made Killifer's fly to left worth
less. Had Mcbride and Killifer gone out