Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-25
SPORTING COMMENT.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

| In deciding to have only Ralston re-
port to the Nationals this fall Mana ger
McAleer has made il plain that he does
not intend to do any experimenting during
the remainder of the season. Ralston is
brought on because ii seems to be the
general opinion that he will strengthen
the locals outfield, so that the team will
be better fortified to make a fight for
fifth place. In cities where they have
had ball teams in the pennant race,
even IL they have failed to land one. 1t
would perhaps make little or no difference
whether the team finished fifth or sixth,
the honor attached to the head of the
second division compared with one notch
below il being largely imaginary under or
binary conditions, but not here i'm Wash
ington. To finish fifth is TO bring the
team higher in the race than it has ever
been since its advent into the American
League. 1t would be an achievement for
not only McAleer, but the players and
the club, and for this reason every effort
will be made to finish in that position.
To experiment with youngsters would
put the chances for fifth place in jeop-
ardv-sop'ething that McAleer does not
want to do
he h,ures that he will have plenty of
opportunity in the spring to look his
youngsters over and he is willing to take
chance of having more work on his
hands next spring rather than lessen the
teams chances for finishing at the head
of the second division.
Though there may be other instances
where an outfielder has had four or more
| assists. yet these were never made under
normal conditions. and that is why Fred
| Clarkes record stands out in a class BY
itself.
There was a player named Dusty Miller,
| in right field for the Cincinnati team.
| who had five assists from right field in a
| game played in Philadelphia some years
ago, but the game was played on a
| crowded field, which virtually placed Miller
/ In a position where he was playing a deep
second base. The second baseman played
| near the bag. and Miller took everything
that went between first and second. and In
| this way threw out five men at first base. II
/ was nothing unusual for the right fielder
| on the old st. Paul grounds to have -four
or five assists several times a week. The
| right field was so short on those grounds
| that the right fielder virtually played Sec
| ond base and ii was not a difficult task
| for him to throw batters out on base hits
! to right field.
1t is surprising the amount of interest
the public is displaying in the batting
contest which has an automobile for a
| prize. The box scores showing what
Cobb, Lajoie. Snodgrass and Wagner
/ have done the day previous are closely
| watched by the fans who seem to be al
most as much interested in the outcome
of this contest as in the pennant race, and
| with the latter virtually decided the
automobile Ia attracting more attention
/ than either the Cubs or Athletics. Yester-
day was not a good day for any of the
i contestants, excepting Wagner. who go,
/ two hits out OF four. but he also has the
most ground to make up. Lajoie go,
one In four. while Snodgrass and Cobt
\ faced the pitcher four times without get.
ting a hit.
though still far out Of the running and
with lots of ground to make up Hans
wagner cannot be figured out Of II b,
any means. The Flying Dutchman /.