Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-05
BY J. ED GRILLo.

az the seven games the Nationals have
played away from home this spring ou'
two victories have been scored. one in
Boston and the other I'm New YORK To-
day the team begins a four-ganle series
In Philadelphia, and judged on the form
the Athletics have shown, there would
not apoear to be much hope for Nc
Aleer's men to improve their standing
1t the expense Of Connie Macks team.
True, the Athletics are the only team
from whom the locals have won a series.
They beat them two out of three here in
the first series of the season On oope
the four games look decldedly easy Tor
the Nrackmen. and the followers of that
team have already counted them as VIC
tories. but it should not be forgotten that
these games will have to be played before
they can be counted. 1t often happens In
base ball that the team which looks
easiest is often the hardest to beat, anu
it may be SO with the Nationals during
their stay in Philadelphia.
According to the Quakertown critics
the only game which Is to be feared ~
the one Johnson will pitch, and Mack VIII
20 arrange his pitchers as to nave ms
most effective one in against tne "a
tionals the day that Johnson works. lie
figures on his teams strength 10 peat
johnson if his pitcher can hold the Ma
tionalS down.
After the series in Philadelphia the
Nationals will return here for long
stay at home, during which they Will
play all the western teams BY that
time the pitchers should be In 1alriy
good form and victories should not be so
scarce and far between.
The usefulness OF utility men was
shown yesterday. when Elberfeld and
UDglaub were both out of the game and
GcAleer had Conroy and Crooks TO take
their places. A pitched ball which landed
on Elberfeld's shoulder the day before
put him out of it. while Unglaub is suf-
fering from severe cold. Conroy and
Crooks played splendid ball, considering
the fact that it was their first appear
ance in a championship game this sea-
son.
Jack Kleinow was offered to McAleer
during the stay of the New York team in
this city last week, but the proffer was
turned down. McAleer cannot use Klei-
now, whose throwing arm is none too
strong. So long as Street is not injured
he will do all the catching, and Mac fig
ures that either Hardy or Rapp can fill
his shoes in case of emergency.
The question is asked whether or not
Il would be benefit to base ball to have
the rules so changed as to make it posi-
BILE to have another player bat for the
pitcher without putting the twirler out OF
the game.
1t is hard to see how the game would
be helped by such rule. Pitchers as a
whole are poor batters, but that makes
Il even for one team as another. The
1Act that pitchers do not hit as a rule
adds to the game. for it often happens
that he comes up in pinch and does the
unexpected. The rule makers have on
several occasions had suggestions to allow
a substitute batter for the pitcher, but
this change has always been turned
down, for it would really make the
game farce.
To date the Nationals have not had the
experience of winning two games in
row Their few victories have been sand
WICKED between defeats. A brace of win
nings would make a lot of difference in
the team and also in its standing.
There are great many disappointmentS
In the major lea CUES this spring. but none
greater than Clarke Griffith's Cincin-
natl team Griffiths team has been going
poorly for the reason that its pitchers
have shown no form and there are lot
Of blue fans i'm the Ohio metropolis.
In the American League Boston, while
by no means out of the running, has not
come up to expectations, though there is
q good chance for that team to show its
class when it starts long series Of
games at home. Cleveland and Chicago.
too. are down father in the race than
was looked for. st. Louis and Washing
lions of a majority of the fans.
sensational catch by HemphilI in yes
terday's game robbed the Nationals of a
victory, a New York writer tells us. There
were two men on in the third when