Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-26
BY j. ED. GR1LLO.

TY Cobb picks the Athletics 10 win the
American League pennant this year Inc
Tigers. star player has come to the con-
cldsion that this is not gong TO be
lucky year for Detroit
Il pick the Athletics to win the PEN
nant this wear" said Cob5. Every
thing points that way, but | still believe
tha, We have the better ball team. Fate
seems 20 have decreed that no team
shall win four pennants in row. Things
are not breaking for us as they should.
oar misfortunes started when Tom Jones
had his nose broken in St. Louis That
accident cost us several games. Then
Wilett who was pitching great ball was
taken i'll and he did not come east with
Us II we had had him On this trip sew
eral more games would have teen won.
But II is the way things break for us
in the games that convinces me that we
are not to repeat When we make an error
it costs us the game, and when any OF us
meets the bail fairly with men on the
bases il usually goes right at some one
or one OF the opposing fieldels makes
circus catch out of il. Any time that
team wins a pennant IL must have the
breaks besides playing consistent ball.
and we have not had any this year
Now II may be that better things are
&c, stump and we a winning streak. but
we are shouldering an immense handicap
already and it will he hard to get BACK
on top, though. Of course. there Is sun
a chance. / believe that our team as
whole is stronger than it has ever been
and that we will play as good ball as
ever, but, as | said before, unless you
get the best of the breaks YOU can
win pennants. Connie Mack's team is
getting them, and it is a good team too,
and | locke for it 10 finish on top this
year.
For the first time in many days Mar
ager Jennings will make shift in hts
batting order today. He proposes 10 sep
arate Cobb and Crawford, moving Dele
hanty up behind Cobb and dropping
Crawford INTO Del's place. Nahoo sam
has not been delivering to suit the occa-
sion. and a change is expected to help
matters.
A victory for the Nationals today and
a defeat for Cleveland means that the
locals will be at the top of the second dl-
vision. The string of victories is BEGIN
ming to show its effect in the standing.
To date the Nationals have Won one-third
as many games in the six WEEKS OF the
season as they did all of last season,
when the team captured but forty-two
games.
AS matters now stand in the case of
Catcher Beckendorf. he will not remain
here when the Tigers leave, but Will re-
main with that team until such time as
McAleer finds he needs him. An agree
ment between Jennings and McAleer has
been reached whereby Beckendorf Will
come here whenever he is needed. Jen-
nings does not want to part with the
young catcher outright. He wants to
keep a string on him. and if he came to
the Nationals it would only be loan
for the season, a condition which is not
the best from a local standpoint. But
McAleer sees no reason for carrying
Beckendorf on his list so long as he can
secure him any time he wants him.
Bob Groom has developed into finish
ed pitcher. The improvement of the
ianky twirler since last season is SO
marked that IT is hard TO believe that it
is the same man. Groom now has almost
perfect control of the ball, his only fail
Ing last season. and the result is that
he in leading McAleer's pitchers in the
number Of games won His performance
yesterday was one of the best seen on
the local grounds this season. True, he
had perfect support, but his pitching.
too was gilt-edged His best inning was
the fifth. in which Delehanty. the first
man 20 face him. walked and Moriarity
walked before a man was retired. Fiber
field turned Jones grounder into a double
play and Groom then famed Stanage.
Ir, no game that the Nationals have
played this season was their fielding as
brilliant as yesterday. The Tigers offer
ed many difficult chances. all OF which
were artistically accepted by the local
feeders
E,berfeld at third. Mcbride at short and
Killfer at second all figured in sensational
pays, while a running catch by Milan Of a
line drive from Delehanty's bat in the
second inning, was one of the c!everest
plays of the day. No team in the league
Is playing better ball now than the Ma
tionals. Their work is clean cut in
every department, and the players spirit
is of the kind which goes with winning.
Every man is on his toes from the sound
Of the gong until TIE last man is retired.
Tire team is putting up intelligent base
bali and every man on il is playing the
hest ball OF his career.
Incidentally, the pitchers are proving
that their recent good showing was not
Q fash in the pan. for they continue to
improve with every game The last trip
OF the team was a disastrous one. Bos-
ton. New York ard Philadelphia scoring
many victories over II, but there is very
apt to be a different story to tell of the
next trip. for al the pace the team IS go
ing Ii is apt to beat any team il tackles
Fridays game will be called at ::