Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-28
BY j., ED GRILLo.

Dolly Gray has pitched good enough
ball this season to have more victories
than defeats to his credit. But Gray,
like many pitchers, is having more than
his shore of ill-luck. and while there have
been but few occasions that he has been
hit hard, he has failed to win many
games. though he lns usually held his
opponents down to few base hits.
On the face of yesterdays defeat Gray
lost the game because of a series OF
wild pitches, and Yet the best he could
have hoped for in nine innings was a
scoreless tie with Scott whom the Ma
tionals did not hit at all Had his team
been able to score a few runs. Gray s
wildness would not have been fatal. IL
has been SO on numerous occasions this
season. when Gray has lost his games be-
cause of the inability of his teammates
to score against his opponent.
But Gray gives promise of being one OF
the most valuable left-handers in the
league. His work this year has shown
a wonderful improvement over his per-
Torrance last season, and while there is
still room for improvement. there are also
indications that this is taking place. and
teams mainstays on the rubber.
There would probably be few tears shed
by the local patrons of the game If Man
ager McAleer would dispose of Bot
Groom, and yet while such move nigh,
be temporarily popular. 1t might prove
serious mistake.
Groom is not a consistent performer
and vet there are occasions when he
pitches splendid ball. He shows enough
every once in a while to force his man
ager to live in hope, and rightly so, FOL
one of these days Groom should be a:
good a pitcher - sny on the local stan
barring. perhaps, johnson. Just what Is
wrong with Groom is hard to say, but II
is q pretty good guess that his ailmen'
is physical. He seems to lack stamina
and this has serious effect on his ner-
vous system, which when unstrung makes
him useless as pitcher
Groom was to have taken advantage OF
the trip to Hot Springs last spring, bu'
was too sick to go. He reported at Nor
doubtful il he has been a we'll man a,
any time this season.
A trip to the springs next year may dc
much to bring the tall twtrler around
Groom has enough natural ability tt
make him a successful pitcher, but ht
must build himself up physically before
he will be able to do consistent work fol
the Nationals.
In giving it as his opinion that the
Athletics Ed Walsh has done something
that no player in either major league ha:
dared, predict victory for the team from
the opposition league.
There are undoubtedly many players
who share Walsh's opinion, but they have
not expressed it publicly as has the Soa
star twirler
But there is. nothing particularly new
in the reasons Walsh gives for Cub vic
tory. Like most of the admirers of the
National League champions Walsh figures
that the much-tafked Of and remarkable
amount of gray matter that is prevalent
on the Chicago team will give it great
advantage over the Athletics. And. il
may. but that Will depend on conditions
If Mack's twirlers are successful and the
Cub pitchers do not show better form
than they have in their recent games all
the brains that have been cornered by
the peerless leader and his crew won't
have much effect on the result. Figur.
ing that the vast experience of the Cubs
10 going to give them the series is very
apt to cause lot of upsets, for It must
always be remembered that while there i.
a lot Of science In base ball the pitching
and hitting ability of a team also cut q
decided figure.
One week from today the Nationals re-
turn to their own grounds to play five
games before the close of the season
Three games with Boston and a double
header with the Athletics, which winds
up the season.
II there is nothing to prevent thu
final clash between the Nationals ant
White Sox at Chicago today, one OF
the other team will be the sole occu-
pant OF sixth place unless it should
happen that the battle is to be a tie
Walter Johnson Is slated to face thu
Nationals hoodoo, Doc White. and II
Walter displays the same form he did
at St. Louis on Sunday, Doc may have
the exerience OF being beaten by the
Nationals.
While the national commission has
made no official announcement on the
subject, yet 1t is fairly well under
stood that in the future no prize fol
the leading batsman will be accepted
batting race for the automobile is
starting lot of rumors that do no,
tend to help the sport, and incidentally
it is charged that in their efforts tc
get base hits there has been entirely
too much record playing by some OF
the players.
Ball players are only human. an6
they all have their likes and dislikes
Cobb. for the reason that he is always
troublesome, Is not well liked by op-
posing pitchers. Most ball players are
jealous of him, and from the time the
present season started players have ex-
pressed themselves as hoping that La
joie would beat Cobb out for the au.
tomobile.
Under such circumstances it is not a,
all unlikely that pitchers on teams
which have little or nothing at stake
would favor Lajoie by dishing him ur
something that he would not have