Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-16
BY j. ED GRILLO.

Changes in the lineup of the Nationals
are apt to occur ut any time manager
McAIeer shifted Lelivelt to left in place
OF Killifer Saturday because a right
hand pitcher was working for the Maps
When left-hander works killifer is
SIRE 10 he found i'm left field, for Lelivelt
has not shown ability to do much with
the southpaws.
In that way McA leer always expects TO
have strong batting team in the field.
Opposing clubs are going to use left
handlers against us as much as possible.
because the Nationals have the reputation
of being weak against the sidewheelers,
and for that reason shall always have
as many ght-handed hitters in the field
as possible when southpaw is working
against us remarked McAleer this
morning.
'Lelivelt may eventually master ieft-
handed pitching. but it Will take LOT OF
Practice and while | am not believer
in shifting a team about vet l will not
handicap il by leaving Il man in the game
who is almost certain not TO 90 much
with the stick on certain occasions
We have plenty of material to make
such changes as may be deemed neces-
sary from time to time, and we can SO
arrange the team that a left-hander VIII
not have much of an advantage over US.
Every now and then the claim is made
that base ball is suffering because OF
lack of hitting. There are those who In
SiSt that the rules should be so changed
as to give the batters a better chance
against the pitcher. To this end it has
been suggested that the foul-strike rule
he abrOgated or that the pitcher be handl-
capped in some way SO as to increase the
hitting That the foul-strike rule has
done much to keep the batting averages
down there is not the slightest doubt, but
II is questionable indeed If the game has
suffered as a result
The best reason for believing tina. it
has not lies in the fact that never in its
history has the game been as prosper
Gus as at the present time. The lovers OF
hitting are usually only satisfied when
ne home team does the greater share of
/. The o,d-fashioned smuggling matches
90 not attract crowds any more. Close
games in which a single run may decide
Il contest, hold the public interest. Nova
days when two cams play a game In
which large scores are made il is not
considered high-ciass contest.
Il will be well for the men who have
the control of the game in hand TO leave
well enough alone. 1t is n success as it is
now played, so why make a change?
Figured strictly from a standpoint of
natural ability. base ball men conceGe that
Walter Johnson is the greatest pitcher be-
fore the public today. True Johnson has
yet to win majority of his games in the
american League. but there is no other
pitchers VINO score as many StrikeoutS dur
ing a season. averaged on the number of
innings he works. What other pitcher
strikes out some of the best batters after
being in a hoe with three fast balls
which cut the center of the plate? john
son does this repea tcdly, showing that he
possesses more speed than any OF his
rivals. That Johnson has not been among
the leading pitchers. figured on games
won. has been to an extent due to the
fact that he has been with a losing team.
While it has not been the case this
spring. yet in former seasons Johnson
lost most of his games because his team
could not score any runs for him, and no
pitcher can win without runs.
Until Johnson gained fame, Amos Rusie
was believed to have been the speediest
pitcher in the history of the game. but
Eow it is conceded that Johnson has more
smoke than the famous pitcher of the
Giants ever had. But Rusie's curve was
ss fast his straight ball, and in this he
C--Ceiled ali others.
Jim McAleer was blamed for the failure
CT the ST. Louis team last season, and
the shafts of some OF the critics in the
Mound city are still aimed at him, and
yet the Browns, with a new manager.
are making a worse showing this year
than they did last.
McAleer failed at St. Louis because he
did not have the team necessary to make
2 good showing The team has not been
materially changed. and O'Connor is hav-
ing the same proposition to contend with.
But out in st. Louis they place the
blame for the teams poor showing this
year Oh McAleers shoulders on the
theory that he caused it to slump last
year and that il has not recovered from
his acknowledgement, could anything be
more absurd:
Winning games in the spring gives
team big advantage, and it is by. ac-
comprising this that Connie Mack's team
has created the impression that it stands
the best chance 20 win the flag this
year
u was because OF sts good lead last
S;'-ing that Pittsburg finished at the top
q the National League race. IL was so
With Detroit.
Nj teams have their s!umps, hut when
toy come after Il good lead has been Sc
c.trCd they are not nearly harmful a
when they are encountered early in the
rSce, thus forcing team 10 overcome an
enormous handicap TO get within whis-
ring iii: lance OF the leaders.
The Athletics have Won tea straight
games ard taCir victories have been dec