Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-23
SPORTING COMMENT.
ny J. ED GRILLo.

Perhaps no man in base ball has TO
stand for more severe. and incidentally
unjust, criticism than has been handed
lin McAleer by the st. Louis scribes
ever since that team failed to win the
pennant in 1905 The downfall of the
Browns was placed at McAleer's door.
and since he took charge OF the locals
sympathy has been expressed for the
washington public by McAleer's ST.
Louis friends
But McAleer has made good here ana
Jim wray OF the Post Dispatch Is one
of the st.. Louis scribes to acknowledge
this IN the following:
AS the base ball year rolls on nearer
to its close 1t becomes more and more
difiicult for one James McAleer to restrain
his smile. James is too good sport to
laugh at the discontinue OF his detrac-
tors, but the thought of what has hap
nened since his departure from St. Louis
to take charge of the Washington CLUB
must cheer him through the dreary hours
when he has nothing else to do tnan
count up his 10000 ducats of salary. or
clothing mint at Youngstown, Ohio.
AT this stage of the base ball races II
appears that James Is about TO iano
his club in NTH place, Cleveland seem.
ingiy have reached the don't care
stage. while McAleer's club is improving
daily in eflcieney. At the same time,
the team which he left behind here in
st. Louis has. not prospered-why, is no
concern of McAleer's. All he cares to
remember Is that he took disorganized
race, while he left a bunch that has
dropped back, not risen.
HuGhey Jennings has written a maya
zine article on the American League race.
I'M which he picks the Tigers to win. the
Athletics second, Boston third, New York
fourth, Chicago fifth. Cleveland sixth
and WASHINGTON and St. Louis nearest the
bottom But In sizing up the various
teams in the race and after laying mucn
stress on the Tigers gameness TO wnicn
he attributes his teams success he does
pay q compliment to the Nationals. The
story is written for the Metropolitan ana
the reference to the Washingtons follows:
Until this year the Washington cup
has been looked upon merely as step
ping-stone for the other teams. Many are
the foxes that were founded on that team
and the record IT made year in and year
out.
which ran like this:
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in war. first In
peace and last in the American League
but things have changed this year In
Washington. The addition OF Elberfeid.
whom Washington secured from New
York, and the much-improved playing OF
Milan have made the team on to be
feared around the American League cir
cult
That farming OF ball players. legaiized
by the existence of a recall option. Is car
rfed on extensively by all the major
league clubs il shown by the length OF
the list just promulgated by the nauonai
commission.
Base ball under existing conditions
makes It necessary for every club to en-
gage In the farming business. A player.
who may not now be ready for fast com
pany must be given chance to deveiop
and yet be retained by the club wnlcn
first secures him. This system may AT
times work a hardship on some player,
but on the whole 1t Is beneficial for play
ers and clubs alike.
Take the number of players that have
been purchased by the major leagues. ana
add IL to the number OF players recaiied
bv these same clubs because OF the ex-
istence OF an option, and there would not
appear to be much material left w1icn
stands a chance TO make good in fast
company. And yet. when the list OF
found to contain the names Of many more
PLAYERS So great is the competition for
playing material that a major league club
these days Will take almost any kind OF
a Cn0nCf
player who will strengthen its team. and
for this reason many players are drafted
and purchase every year who really have
not a chance to make good.
That old howl of one team favoring
another to win the pennant Is going up
again and the charge Is made against
Jim Mcguire because he allowed raik-
enberg to stay In game In which the
Athletics scored fourteen runs in two
innings II seems absurd to suspect Nc
CURE az having done this to benefit the
Athletics. The game was lost to Cleve-
land the moment two runs came over the
plate. for 1t was then late In the game.
and Mcclure. like many another manager
weuld do, decided to leave Falkenberg
In and get his bumps. which has fire.
quentiy been prescribed as tn. best kind
wanted the Athletics to win the game he
did not have to leave FaIkenberg i'm for
the entire Slaughter. q fact which proba-
hIv shows that MCGUIRE was not giving q
thought to the Athletics at that time.