The Washington times., 1910-05-30
CRITICAL PERIOD
FOR WASHINGTON
Two Games All Around the
Circuit Today Will Decide
It's Status.
FIGURES AGREE
WITH STANDING
McAleer'S Men Fifth In Nearly All
Deparhments-Boston
Fielding Badly.
By THOMAS S. RICE.


It used to be the racket TO open a
Washington baseball story with prayer
for better luck the next day. Now it is
becoming the custom 70 burst into song
as an opener. We burst into song once
in three places, and were so long get
ting over it we haven't done il since,
but we feel symptoms that way again
With two games III New York today.
those naughty Nationals I'VE haven't
called them that since the day Jake
Stahl took The team to the front for a
minute) have a swell chance to plant
themselves firmly in the leadership Of
the second division. Cleveland can hard
ly hope to take two games from Chi-
cagO today, and. in fact. il would be
more natural for Chicago TO take both.
COmiskey may be supposed TO have re-
served one Of his very best pitchers for
this morning. with the idea Of winning
that game and stirring up the fans 10
see the afternoon exhibition. As two
games in a row from Cleveland would
do much TO cheer up those who have
become disguised with the poor show
ing OF the Sox, We would suppose. that
Comiskey would come right back with
another special and desperate effort to
win the second battle Then, glory be.
If Washington splits even in New York
today and Cleveland loses two. this
blessed town will have a margin Of
about two games at the front Of the
second division, instead Of the paItry
half game that now stands between II
and fall to sixth place.
This may sound like a loose and dis
connected argument, but. on the level,
a Washington baseball writer has 10
learn all over again when 1t comes TO
writing about victories. spUrts, first
divisions, passing Detroit, etc, etc.
The words have a strange sound and
II takes time to become accustomed to
handling them with impunity-
1t is interesting to note that Wash
ington occupies exactly the same place
in the race that IT occupies I'm team
batting, distance hitting, and deldiuR.
II is fifth in all, and showing q ten
dency to go up. The sWatting aver
ages sometimes are completely at
variance with the standing of the
clubs, In the year that the White
SoX won the worlds championship
they used to be at the bottom in hit
ting and Washington occasionally
would bat Itself into the first division.
This season there is more consistency.
Philadelphia, first in the race. is bat
ting .263, five points better than BOs-
ton. which is fourth in the real pro-
cesSiOn. Detroit and New York are
batting after Boston, then comes
Washington with .225. The miserable
showing Of Cleveland is accounted for
by the fact that il is hating 200. The
contention in this column that St.
Louis has the markings Of a better
ball team than II is putting on the
field now is shown by the fact that il
is batting POS. which is better than
both Cleveland and Chicago.
But look at the lead Of those Ath-
letics. They have Ia points on New
York.
In fact, the agreement between the
various averages and the standing Of
the teams is most remarkable IN near
" all kinds Of hating the first division
clubs are the first four, and the same
Is true Of the fielding. Washington IS
fifth IN fielding followed by St Louis.
Chicago, and Boston, the last being the
only diScOrdant note IN the harmony of
the figures Boston is IT the bottom in
fielding, while Cleveland is second from
the top The record Of errors gives
some idea Of why Boston is fourth in
the race. although Il is second in bat
ting. but the Red SoN pitchers have
been going rather badly and have been
g more important factor than the mis-
plays.
Old DOC Gessler is right there as sixth
in the list of individual sluggers- Five
doubles, six triplets, and a homer for
the physician.
Packey Mcfarland and Freddie Welsh
are 20 fight in London tonight for the
lightweight championship Of Great Bri-
tain, Welsh already having won that
title and the LOnsdale belt They are
10 battle at the new English IiCht-
weight limit. which is 1@5 pounds, weigh
IN six hours before entering the ring.
The winner W. almost certainly meet
WOlgast for the worlds title Neither
Mcfarland no. Welsh IS remarkable for
his punch. and by the same token. |
WOlgast Is not the hardest hitter of his
generation by any means WOlgaSJ viii
probably insist that the winner tonight
meet him at the American lightweight
limit. which is 1873 pounds. ringside, and
SAere are possibilities of a long, windy,
news paper quarrel between tonight
victor and Wolgast- II Wolgast refuses I
TO accept the 135 pounds, and Welsh or
Mcfarland refuses. to do 133 which
would be especially hard for Mcfarland, /
the Britishers viii simply recognize to-
nights winner as champion Of the world
and let Il go at that. policy that viii
give them much satisfaction but settle
no disputes.