Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-09
SPORTING COMMENT.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

considering the crippled cOnQltl0n the
Nationals have been in ever since they
| left home on their present trip the team 8
| showing is most satisfactory. OF the
twelve games played to date, five have
| been won, which under most any cendi-
tions is considered a fair showing on the
road. There is every reason to believe
that had the team been intact on this
trip that it would have come back with a
| majority Of the games played. There is
Of course still chance to accomplish
. this, for there are six games to be played
| in Cleveland and the Maps have ever
been rather soft picking for the Ma
tionals. There is, of course, apt to be q
| reversal of form on this occasion, but
| II that should occur it would be the first
time in three or four years.
McAleer is better fortified now than he
was few days ago. Milan is back in
| the game and LeliveIt is about ready to
take up his work again, while Becken-
dorf can be expected to catch occasional
~. Ainsmith, the new catcher, will also
be ready to take his turn, SO that the
cripples are gradually getting back into
the game.
Rube Waddell has passed out of the big
show. In the future he will be found
occasionally. at least-in the lineup of
the Newark Eastern League team.
The passing down of Waddell marks
the exit OF one of the queerest characters
that ever broke into the game. Undoubt-
eddy one of the most wonderful pitchers
Of his time, whose ability should have
made him independently rich, RUDE never
drew very large salary for his work.
Contracts calling for big figures did
that he could draw a few dollars every
day 1t has been asserted that in the
year 1902, when Waddell won the PEN
nant for Connie Mack. he drew 81 200 less
than any player in the league. But there
really was no use of paying Waddell
big salary. It-made- no difference to him
how much salary he got, he was always
broke. But the RUDE was some pitcher.
In the days when he was at his best it
was next to impossible to hit him. His
terrific speed and fast curves were such
that most of the men who faced him in a
game frequently struck out. But Of late
years Rubess arm seems to have lost its
cunning. He, no longer possesses the speed
of which he could formerly boast. Wad-
dell without his speed Is, of course. not
apt to be successful, for he does not pitch
heady ball.
For the Eastern League Rube will be a
great attraction No better advertised
player has ever been produced. He is
known from coast to coast.
If the Nationals win one of the two
games scheduled at Cleveland today they
will have brought their total number of
victories up to the mark acquired during
the entire season last year. Just forty
two games were won by the luckleSs Ma
tionals of 1909. and with still over fifty
games to be played before the end of the
season this mark has already virtually
been reached. SO that the chances are that
the team will win almost half again as
many games as it did last year.
There has been a marked Improvement
vii
Unglaub and Gessler, its supposed best
hitters. both slumping and doing nothing
to help the team along.
has been in the American League has
there been so strenuous and honest an
effort made to build UP a winning
team here as is now under way. The
chances are that by the time the present
season is over the Washington club will
have expended as much money for new
material as any club in either major
league McAleer does not propose to
stand still in trying to get winner here
and he is not overlooking single chance
to get players who give promise.
1t may be. of course, that the team, in
stead of being strengthened. will be weak
ened. even after all that McAleer is try
ing to do. but the effort that is being
made must be admired.
The team. as now made up. is such that
with change or two it might make
most remarkable showing. III McAleer
can be fortunate enough to pick up iris
Speaker or an Eddie Collins he will have
firstadivision team. Now there is only
one way to get players of that type, and
that is to keep on trying, and that is eX-
| actly what McAeer is doing Before the
season was six weeks old McAleer de-
clared that he proposed to start out
strengthening on the theory that he need
| ed man for every position and that he
would secure one If it was possible to do
so. He is proceeding along these lines
not that he is anxious to displace every
man on the present team, but in the hope
of getting good bali player or two out
of the bunch. AS rule but a small per-
centage of the youngsters that come up
from the minors make good in fast COM
pany. and the more of them that are Sc
cured the better is the chance to get a
real ball player or two