Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-28
BY J. ED GRILLO.

are doomed not TO better their position
in the race. Johnson and Walker nave
pitched the better ball to date, but even
they have not shown the form expected
1t was figured that Groom and tray
would show Improvement by reason OF
their seasons experience in the American
League. Yet they have shown but little
this spring. McAleer hopes for a sudden
reversal of form among his pitchers. lie
has looked for it with every game, only
TO be disappointed.
During the training season there seem
ed every reason to believe that McAleer
was wei fortified with twirIers. In the
batting practice they were puzzles to the
batsmen, and McAleer came out of his
training carnp under the impression that
he had staff of pitchers strong enough
20 hold its ow nwth any in the league.
But pitching for fun and with something
at stake seem to he entirely ulliereh'
prOpesitions 50 far as the local tWlrlerS
are concerned Since the season has
opened there have been only two OF
three we'll pitched games, and not one OF
the twirlerS has worked consistently. ms
is attributed by McAleer not 10 lack Oh
ability, but of FORM and he is still hope
full that eventually his pitchers Will round
to and deliver.
But there is no denying the fact that
This change for the better must come
soon There is nothing more demoralizing
to a ball team than repeated deIeats as
the result of weak pitching. II makes the
PLAYERS feel that they haven't a chahce
even before the game begins, and II IL
easy to figure what happens under such
conditions.
To date there is no complaint to make
about the spirit shown by the Nat1ohals
They fought hard in every game, no mat
ter what the conditions but it is ques-
tionable If this will continue much LONGER.
Neither is there a complaint 10 MAKE
about the team. excepting the WORK ol
the pitchers. McAleer has a well Dali
anced. good fielding and hitting team
which with good pitching would De
factor in the race.
There is. of course not much chance for
n team to win when 1t scores but one
run as was the case yesterday, yet that
was largely due TO the aoomlnaole iuCh
of tn game. which made 1t Impossible
to get hit when there was chance
to get runs. But surely ii is pretty so!t
pitching when twenty-one hits are made
off two pitchers in single game.
GRAY came in for the worst wallop1ng
On the theory that left-handed hitters
are handicapped when facing left-hano-
ed pitcher Gray was selected to perform.
but the theory was exploded For Re"
innings Gray did Wei enough. put soot,
he was the east ST kind of a mark. and
the left-handed hitters of the Red Sox
took running jump at his pitching ana
hit the ball 10 all corners of the lot. ltmaoe
high or low, over or inside, or outside, the
ball was always hit into some safe spot
Gray had no, hing. that explains his down.
fall but just why he should not DE at
his best after a weeks rest, Is one or
those mysteries which cannot be ex-
planned.
That the Nationals secured but single
run can be attributed to nothing but the
hardest kind of luck. They had numer-
Gus enough opportunities when base MT
would have driven in several.
Arellanes had no more when he was
1t was his good fortune always to escape
with a sound hide when the average
pitcher would have been trounced
Had he been against team of young
STEERS one might believe that il was stage
fright that prevented the productive hit
to materialize, but that does not fit the
Nationals, for they are most tried Veter-
.
In the first inning things broke well
for the Mexican. With run over and
LeliveIt on second. Elberfeld hit sharp
grounder right over the third base bag.
1t did not seem possible for Lord TO reach
the ball. and it looked as If the Kid had
made two-bagger But Lord stuck OUT
his hand and came up with the ball ana
then ran Leliyelt down
In the fifth Street doubled and Gray
singled. yet neither Milan nor Schaefer
could bring either home. In the sixth
the bases were full with two out, and
again Arellanes excaped. The best
chance came in the seventh. when Gray
and Milan. the first men to face him, hit
safely and Schaefer moved both up
with neat sacrifice, putting runner on
second and third and one out But the
next two batters could do nothing but
offer easy chances
Arelanes should not be discredited for
his performance, but there is no deny
ing that there was a spell of the horse
shoe variety lowering over him.
Schaefer ma, play In the seventh
which If it wa mpted more frequent
He was up 10 unit. but his first two
attempts resulted in fouls. The average
player would have taken a swing at the
next bali over and either have hit safely.
q into a double play offered an easy
chance. Schaefer. however. went through
with his original intention, he pushed the
ball down the first base line and moved
the runners up. 1t seems that there is
just as good a chance to hunt the third
: time as the first and the chances of get
ting a hit and not hitting into double
pIay are Just as great on the final ball as
3 on the first
It was a gala day for iris Speaker He
got four hits. one triple. another a home
run and two singles Incidentally he
PLAYED some game in center.
What a wonderful outf1eld IL would be
II jennings had Speaker to help out Cobb
and Crawford
Walter Johnson will do the pitching to-
6ay and either Collins or Wood will be
pitted against the Nationals.
Eight hits in inning, including a
home run and a triple. Is some hitting:
Speaker got his homer and single IN
the eighth
Hovlfk was not an Improvement over
Gray but once a team gets to hitting, as
Aid the Red Sox yesterday. il is a diff
fcult matter for any pitcher to stop 1t.
II Harry Lord has superior as a
fielder and all-around ball player he has
NOT appeared on the local grounds in
recent years. The captain Of the Bos-
tons is undoubtedly one of the greatest
plavers In the league. Not only has he
ability and grit but he displays judgment
most of the time.
Ball players frequently take long
chances of injuring themselves when
there is nothing to be gained Speaker
and Lord were both guilty Of attempts
10 steal yesterday when their team was
so far in front that IL seemed foolish to
take a chance on turning an axle or
twisting leg.
Lord. after seven runs had been scored
in the eighth. tried to steal home and
SID into Street. He did not injure him.
self but it was taking chance. In this
Same inning Sneaker stole second and he