Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-22

has a better and at the same time less
expensive team than the one which won
its pennants. All this has been accom-
plished in three or four years.
Perhaps the hardest struggle a man
ager has with himself is wnen he con-
templates letting out some ball player
who has been most useful in years gone
by. There is always that hope that the
player may come back and play as he
did in former years, and on this hope
many player is carried for several
seasons, though his usefulness is long
since over.
1t looks like taking a long chance to
cut team to pieces and rid it of its
veterans and take raw recruits to. MI
their places. and yet while it takes time
to develop such team it is the only
way to get a winner. There are few
instances in base ball where winning
teams have been made from material
which other major league clubs wanted
to get rid Of.
Every one of the contending teams in
the American League race today owes its
position to the young blood which was
added during the past few years. Connie
Mack made his team by the acquisition OF
Collins. Baker, Barry and few others
he picked up in the bushes. The New
York team, with very few exceptions, is
made up of players who had not had a
peek into fast company few years ago
Boston is a young team and Detroit,
which is carrying more seasoned material
perhaps than any of its rivals, is in
fourth place in the race.
Jim McAleer is not going to have an
easy time wedding out the old players
on his team. They are very apt to show
season which will promise much for next
year, and under such conditions there has
been hesitancy here before about cutting
players loose.
On their showing in the fall the Ma
tionals have been picked to do great
things the following year on more than
one occasion only to prove dismal fall
ures. These fall spurts are deceptive
and the manager who allows himself to
be Influenced by them is apt to make
serious mistake
Three out of four from Cleveland was
a good showing, but it should have been
four straight. The one defeat was the
result of rather i'll luck and then some
poor pitching after the game had been
tied UP.
But there never a time when
Washington couldn't beat Cleveland. The
Nationals have been the Maps jonah
for. 10. these many years, and it is SO
how that victories over Cleveland are
taken a. matter of fact.
But the team showed good form never
theless, and if it plays the same kind
OF ball against Chicago it is sure to
Strengthen It's hOiQ on SlXtn place.
Now, in most cities no one would ell
thuse about a team which was just
hanging on to sixth place. That would
hardly be considered good showing in
a base ball race, but here. where tail
enders have made their home for so
long, anything above eighth place is con-
sidered an achievement.
The persistency with which Sam Lang
ford keeps after Jack Johnson for
match creates the impression that the
Boston Tar Baby really possesses the
that he can beat the cham
pion, and in view of the fact that John
son has on numerous occasions sidestep-
ped Langford it may be that the col
ored champion does not disagree with
his rival.
But a fight between this pair would
not create much furore, for the reason
that johnson seems to have SO much
natural advantage that it is hard to fig
ure how Langford could get to him.
There is about forty pounds difference in
weight, not to speak of reach and height.
But Langford believes that he can win
even under SO great a handicap. because
he Just figures that. he can get Johnson
goat.