Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-06
NATIONALS SHOWING Is
SAME AS LAST SEASON
Improved in Several Positions Added
Strength Has Been Offset by Failure of
Pitchers-"Dixie" Walkers Case.

did shape this spring and would have
won several games but for his misfor-
tune in being i'll most of the time lately.
He is working out every day at the
park and is rapidly rounding into form.
Il may not have the speed 1 once had
remarked Doc today. but know how to
use what / have and can pitch winning
ball. When a fellow uses the spitball
as much as / do speed seems to leave
him. and find that a spitball thrown at
full speed is not near as effective as
enc thrown with medium speed. 1 will
be ready when the team comes back, and
I am anxious to get into the game. 1
was in better shape this spring than /
have been in years, and it was hard luck
to be taken i'll just about the time the
season opened"
In a majority of games the Nationals
have played to date they have plainly
shown by the number Of runs scored
that the team needs alright pitching
to win its games. 1t is not a good run
getting club IL 1t has mediocre pitching,
though it would win a lot of games If
the pitchers were able to hold their Op-
ponents down to a few runs. In many
OF the games the team has lost this
spring 1t has been SO far behind after a
certain stage Of the contests that it's
only hope was to generate a smuggling
rally and drive in runs in punches. and
he batting strength to do this is hardly
there. especially when Unglaub and Cess
Ter are not batting up to their standard.
Big Ed Walsh is not the pitcher these
days that he was season before last,
when every time he went into a game he
won if his team could score a run or two
for him. Nowadays Walsh is good only
occasionally. and it really begins to look
as If the spitball, on which he relied
almost exclusively, has made inroads on
his effectiveness. Legislation against the
spitball will not be necessary after a time
fnr fE<n lice
its harmful effect, and will not resort
to this delivery until it is the only hope
to get away with their games.
Fred Tenney. undoubtedly one of the
best first basemen the game has ever
known. and the man who revolutionized
the work in that position. seems to be at
the end of his major league string. New
York has asked for waivers, and it is
not unlikely that all the clubs will give
their consent for Tenney to pass out Of
fast company.
Tenney was a catcher when he broke
into fast company, but. being a left
handed thrOwer, he found himself under
too much of handicap to hold his own.
Frank Selee, than whom there is not a
better judge of ball players. saw a chance
to make first baseman out of the
youngster. and after time he supplanted
Tom Tucker on the Boston first sack. He
played the position different from any
man of his time. First base in those
days was considered the last stopping
place for player on the decline. When
he was unfit for anything else he was
put on first, for it was figured that all
he had to do there was to catch thrown
balls and take his turn at the bat Ten
ney, however, showed the possibilities of
the position. He made plays which 9TH
ers did not attempt. and 1t was not long
before rival managers began to realize
that it required live ball player to play
first. In his day. Tenney was perhaps a
greater fielder than is Hal Chase today