Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-23
BY J. ED. GR1LLO.

When the Nationals finish the series
with Detroit here Friday they will start
o. one of their longest trips of the
season, playing in every city of the cir
cult. barring Philadelphia. before re-
turning to the1 own grounds. Saturday
they open lr-game series in New
York after Which they jump to the
west. opening at Detroit After swing
around the western circuit they go to
Boston for four games. and then return
for a stay at home In all, twanty-four
games are scheduled away from home
on this trip. and it will be a severe test
OF the teams strength.
AS road team the Nationals have
not been very successful in recent years.
Under Cantillon the team never made
a creditable showing away from home,
and the only trip it has taken under Nc
Aeer was also disastrous. OF course.
the team was not going then as 1t is
now The pitchers We're all off their
stride and with the Improvement that
has been shown against the western
clubs here the prospects for better
trip are at least promising.
McAleer does not think his team Will
be materially handicapped bX reason of
being away from home. He4hinks that
if the team will go along as it has mere
recently it SHOULD at least get an even
break on the trip. which would be
very credita BILE showing.
of course, we may miss our morn
ing practice while on the road, for we
have devoted that time to batting most
iy since the season opened, but we are
AL in good shape now, and IT may not
affect us very much, said McAleer;
We will do our best to have a good
trip, for there is no doubt that our
standing in the race depends largely
hoy. o W. on
The Nationals are showing a gain OF
eighty-three points over their slahoins
at this time II year ago. TINS is mos
encouraging. in view of the fact tnat
the team after the first series with
the Athletics had hard time winning
game until recently when II began
There is a great difference In the
standing of the clubs this year COM
pared with a year ago Ihen tle mrs
and head, only twenty-three points
separating the Athletics, then leading
The race. from Boston ana Ne" 1orA'
which were tied for third place
The standing this year SHOWS Jle
Athletics leading with the remafkapie
percentage of 500. just IA points III
front of Detroit, running forth. lheEe
are only two clubs IN the same sam porl
Athletics and Boston. But four OF tle
teams show Improvement IN the per-
centage. g IN
and the Cleyelands. Notwithstanding their
disastrous trip, are ar the present Tune
1o1 points better off than they We're at
this time last year. McAleer Ola teain'
the Browns has taken an aW1ul stump,
having fallen off 229 points IfoiT rb mna,
il had on this day year ago 1housh
Boston holds the same position In the
race as last year the team is 1l points
shy CT its percentage: HuSh Jennings
Tigers are minus 90 points compared Win
last year. while the 'Highlanders nave
gained s, points At this stage OF the
race last wear the SoX were in hfth pldce
but they are a hundred points snort oi
their percentage and this mas orolpeo
them into the seventh hole
lust at present the teams are paulS
strung out. but when the coming western
trip is over they are sure to be louno
more closely together, for some OF .ile
teams which have been winning win
great consistency at home are not apt ~
do so well on the road.
In deciding to play killifer regularly
ct second base, a least until such tinie
es he demonstrates that he Is unnt 10 HI
the position McAleer has MADE very
popl,Iar move In the eyes of other man
ayers killifer is a mighty good .-bali
p;aver. The fact that he hits we'll and
is fast on his feet makes him player
who will help most any team if played
SHOWN that he is finished infelder
1t is sa id of him that ne fights" ground
balls. a fault which no doubt can be cor
rected with practice. McAleer figures
that KiIifer may have few chances IN
the field, while he is assured of at least
three or four times at bat and that he
will make UP for any shortcomings ne
may have at the outset playing the posi-
ton by his help on the inside. McAleer
has never been satisfied with having KILL
fer on the bench. Red" has shown his
manager TOO much ability in practice and
In the gam mes he has taken part in to
a low him 10 remain on the bench. The
assigning of second base To killifer will
either make him one of the most val
taSle men in the league or absolutely de-
termine the fact that he was never in
tended to play the infield.
Umpire Tommy Connolly. who. previous
to coming here. umpired several series In
Philadelphia gives ii as his opinion that
Connie Macks right-handed pitchers are
In the best form they have ever enjoyed
Bender. Coombs and Morgan are pitch
ing wonderful ball. The Indian is simply
ir!vincible. | never saw better pitching
and then the team is hitting hard too
The way they are going it is a hard mat
ter to beat them
Jack O'Connor. who in his day had g
lot OF run-ins with urnpres, noticed the
other day that Connolly and Dineen came
through the grandstand onto the field
There is something you did no,
see a few years back" remarked the
veteran. 1T would have been worth ar
Unpire's life TO go through the crowds il
the old days. Some fan would have beer