Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-21
NATIONALS TAKE LONG TRIP
AFTER SERIES WITH WHITE SOX
Team Hopes to Retain Sixth Place While
Away-Moyer's Debut Did Not
Give Line on His Ability.
BY j. ED GRILLO.

|
Sixth place. which the Nationals
gained with their victory over the
Maps yesterday, is not the teams only
ambition. Every member of the Ma
| tionals wants to get one position high
er. and with this end in view they
will work hard to win a majority of
the games to be played on the home
grounds before they start on their next
trip
Manager McAieer is undecided who
! he will pitch against the Maps this
afternoon. He may send Groom right
back, for he believes that IL his tall
! twirler gets started right he will make
/ easy work of the visitors. Then, too,
he may decide to let Meyer start a
game and if Dixie Walker feels that
he can go the route he will be pitched.
But IL it is found that the four innings
Walter Johnson pitched yesterday have
not affected him he may be sent in to
cinch a victory over the Maps for the
Cleveland batters have always been at
! the Idaho wonders mercy.
| There are but seven more games to
! be played on the local grounds before
| the Nationals start on another long
! trip-one this afternoon with Cleve-
land and six with Chicago. Then come
four games in Philadelphia, after
which the team swings around the
| western circuit, returning here August
Is. 1t will require good work to hold
sixth place during that long stay away
from home.
DOC" Meyers debut was not aus
| piciOuS and yet it proved absolutely
nothing. He pitched to Turner. Lajoie
lr ,fc 81 ri
safely. That in itself is an unusual
! performance, which would not be GER
| tainty even with boy pitching. 1t
Just happened that every ball the
withstanding the fact that he was
taken out after these hits were made
| off of him. he crea tedne very good i'm
| preston with the crowd. His delivery
is snappy and he, seemed to have some
thing on the ball. and he moves about
and handles himself as if he knew what
| he was out there for. Meyer is sure to
give much better account of him
self the next time out.
| To which of the three pitchers that
McAleer used in yesterdays game
should the victory be credited? When
Schaefer batted for Groom in the fifth
inning the score stood to in favor
of Cleveland, so that the Nationals were
behind when Groom was eliminated.
When Meyer came in the score stood
I to in favor of Washington and
when he went out it stood to in
favor Of Washington and it was under
these conditions that johnson came
into the game and stopped the scoring.
OF course. the public would agree to
give johnson credit for the victory be-
cause his pitching was of the winning
kind, but he had a three-run lead when
he came into the game. Groom certainly
is not entitled to the victory, because his
team was run behind when he got out
of Sr1l, n
serve any credit for the part he played
in 1t.
Inasmuch as there is no set rule gov
erning the crediting of victories to pitch
ers. the game may be given to Groom on
the theory that there was no other
pitcher in the game when Washington
took the lead i'm the fifth. Schaefer merely
performing at the plate for Groom. But
inasmuch as Groom had been eliminated
from the game when the Nationals took
the lead, and Meyer retired under fire,
the game was really saved by Johnson,
and he deserves the credit, though it is
questionable whether he will get it.
Clyde AIilan's catch in the fifth inning
yesterday. which undoubtedly saved the
day for the Nationals. was one of the
greatest fielding feats ever witnessed on
the local grounds. The catch itself was
not SO remarkable the amount of
ground Milan covered. He was playing
little to the left of direct center when
the ball was hit in the direction OF the
clubhouse, and il seems difficult to figure
how he ever got within reach of it. for it
was not high fly, but line drive.
Milan is playing really wonderful ball
! these days. He is not only keeping up
his usual pace in the outfeld, but he is
doing wonderful inside work.
In the three games against Cleveland
Milan has reached first base twelve times,
has made six hits and scored five runs
1t is questionable whether there Is an
other player in the country who is more
valuable to lead off a batting order than
Milan. He is always getting on the bases
by some means or other, and once on 1t
There is no doubt that aside from Cobb
and Speaker. Milan is the best outneider
in the American League. and he is young
and still improving.
If there was any doubt as to Becken-
DORIS ability to handle Walter Johnson's
delivery it eliminated during the
closing innings of Yesterdays game.
Beckendorf did not seem to be bothered
in the least by Johnaon's terrific speed.
, In fact. he caught him in mastery fash
ion. and Johnson pitched with all his
confidence. Now that it has been proven
that Beck can catch Johnson the team is
not badly handicapped was sup
! posed by reason of Streets injury.
Just as soon as Walter Johnson walked
on the rubber. after three consecutive
hits had been made off Meyer. the Maps
were through They were in a rather
iubiIant mood when the hits were ring
ing off Meyer. but they were as quiet
as lambs when Johnson made his appear
Mint r. /