Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-02
McALEER INSISTS NATIONALS
MUST PLAY SNAPPY CONTESTS
Doesn't Mind Losing as Long as Team Is
Trying Elberfeld's Hand in Bad Way.
Batting Order Again Shifted.

such tremendous speed. All there was to
it was his motion and the spat when the
ball landed in Streets glove. scarcely
saw the ball.
II have decided that there is only one
way to hit Johnson's offerings effective
! ly,' said the great Cobb. Il intend to
start my swing with the bat when john
son starts his motion to pitch. Probably
then I will be fortunate enough to con-
meet now and then"
Greater tribute could not be paid John
son.
What gives the Nationals hope of land
ing In the first division is that McAleer's
men had a higher percentage June this
year than did the Nationals under Can
tillon in 1907 and last season, while they
are almost on the same footing as the
Washington team Of 1908 under the same
conditions at this time Of the year-that
is, following a long stay at home. To
date the Nationals have won IL and lost
% games. mark Of .421. In 1907 the
Nationals had won 10 and lost q games
by June I, a percentage Of only .313. In
1905 their figures were II victories and
20 defeats, a percentage Of .459, while
at the same time last year they had won
but 10 of 81 games, a .294 mark.
Wild Conroy points to the Nationals
string Of victories at home against the
play the opposition had to offer, and
says: IF we could trim the western
teams nine out of thirteen games after
we had been counted out OF the race. you
will surely find us in the fight to the fin
ish While it is true that we lost three
of four games at New York, we are not
discouraged. for We were up against air
tight pitching: the best we have had to
stack up against this season. l never
saw men work better than Vaughan,
Quinn and Ford
cit tickled us immensely to learn the
great respect the Highanders had for us,
Notwithstanding that they are close be-
hind the pacemaking Athletics. while we
are in sixth place. Although they had
won two OF three games from us. Mana
ger Stallings did not decide to play the
final game OF the series until two
minutes before it was time to start play.
McAleer had informed the umpire that
Johnson would pitch for us. and when
Stallings learned of Jim's program to
work Johnson instead of saving him
for Cleveland, he commenced to feel the
clouds grow darker and darker. Nc
Aleer went to the New York bench three
times to see Stallings. but never got much
satisfaction. The last time Jim came back
he was smiling all over and said: 1 guess
they are afraid of US, boys; We will have
the respect Of all Of them before long"
Conroy had just finished his little talk
when the man who gave Wild his oppor-
tunity in base ball walked up-no less
was back in 1895 that Egan managed the
ball team at Chester, Pa. In addition to
Conroy. Egan also had Danny Green, one
of the best Outfielders of his day. on
and Jack held a lengthy tanning bee
and recalled many of their trials and
tribulations when they bumped elbows as
player and manager at that dear Chester.
Althoughiit is hard to believe. still Con-
roy vouches for the yarn that player
who adorns the bench for brief period
will lose on an average or two pounds
day for the first six or seven days that
he plays as q regular again. Wild broke
into the game at third base for the Ma
tionals in the first game at New York.
He played in all of the four games there
and after the final show he tipped the
scales at 151 pounds compared to 100 be-
fore the first contest.
Manager McAleer did not linger long in
Cleveland after Wednesdays game had
been called off. Instead he went to
tives. An off day in Cleveland never gets
on the nerves, of the Nationals leader,
as his home town is but sixty-seven miles
distant from here and he likes nothing
better than to hObnob with his bOyhood
friends.
There is q big surprise in store for Nc
Aleer when he goes to New League Park
tOLlUTTOW MCAIetF START HIS ulS lcdSue
career in this city. He played his first
major league game at the old Payne ave-
nue. grounds. Later he jumped to the
Brotherhood and took part in the games
at the Wilson Avenue Park. Still later
McAleer cavorted around center field in
the present grounds at the corner OF
Durham and Lexington avenues.
Jim remembers the little wooden Shacks
they called grandstands at the Payne and
Wilson avenue grounds. and often COM
mented on the advancement Of the ma
tional game in Cleveland when the pre-
tentious wooden stands and pavilions
were erected on the site the Maps now
call home.
Never in his widest dreams could he
foresee the immense steel and concrete
stands which are Eow used to house
Cleveland's fans. True. McAleer has
seen the big plants in st. Louis, Phila-
delphia and Pittsburg, but it is only nat
ural that he should manifest more inter-
est in the town where he started on his
famous career as a big Lacquer. Then.
too. Washington will probably have a
new plant next year, and as Owner Tom
NOyes likes the Cleveland park it is prob
able that McAleers 1911 Nationals Will
be entertaining Washington fandom in
a plant built along the same lines as the
local one.