Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-15
SPORTING COMMENT.
BY J. ED GRILLo.

Though 1t is generally supposed that
the Nationals are strong In pitchers, vet
glance over the list OF McAleers twirl-
ers will convince that this department,
too, is badly in need OF Strengthening.
Johnson, Groom and Walker are the only
three twirlers who show big league form
most of the time. and around them the
pitching STAFF must be built Neither
Gray nor Reisling can be counted on to
neip team to good position In the
race McAleer needs three more pitchers
for In these days no team can 20 through
campaign with less than six twirlers,
Tor there always comes a time when
double-headers follow one another. and
unless a team is well fortified with pitch
ers IT becomes demoralized az q result of
these bargain matinees.
johnson, Walker and Groom are a good
nucleus. Groom and Walker are sure to
improve. Groom, while far from con-
SiStent, promises much. Just as soon az
he gets over his nervousness he will be a
winner. Walker has shown enough to
warrant the prediction that he has the
making of one OF the best pitchers in
the league.
For many years Washington has had
the reputation OF having a strong Pitch
ing STAN, and 1t is undoubtedly a fact
that the team has always been blessed
with pitcher or two Of high class. but
a pitching staff cannot be conside ed
strong unless il Is well balanced, some
thing that McAleer's stafY lacks at pres
ent.
Perhaps there is no better illustration
of the uncertainty of base ball than the
performance Of the Pittsburg and Detroit
teams In the present campaigns.
Last season the Pirates won the Ma
tional League pennant with comparative
ed much. Then came the hard-fought
worlds series between these two teams.
which Pittsburg won. Without any
changes worth mentioning in the line
ups this year these two teams are wab-
bling about In their respective leagues.
the Pirates being third and Detroit IN
fourth place.
Both teams are suffering from the
same thing-lack OF pitching. Had the
Detroit pitchers shown anything like last
years form the Tigers would now be
leading the race with much TO spare. and
the same Is true Of the Pirates. But Tor
some reason or another the pitchers OF
these teams have fallen in a heap.
worlds series made him the most-talked-
of ball player last fall, has failed ALSO
lutely to deliver the goods this season.
Only on one or two occasions has he
shown good form. but most OF the time
he had to be relieved.
But 1t is these unexpected things that
make base ball so interesting.
incidentally, it is a fact that the
great pitching STAFF which landed pen
nants for the Cubs is no longer as for
midable as 1t used to be. Mordecat
Brown, for instance. seems to have lost
casions when he had to get out OF the
game.
The Cubs are still leading In the Ma
tional League race, but their margin Is
short. 1ne team which. next to the
Cubs. appears to have the best chance
is Pittsburg. Though but third in the
race, that team is showing better as
the season progresses, and should It's
pitchers get into form Ii would not be
a difficult matter to make up the lost
ground and clinch the flag once more.
McGraw deserves great credit for
having kept his team in the race. for II
is not a team which deserves TO be
there. Nothing but his clever mana
eerial ability has made the Giants con-
tenders.
Joe cantillon is getting even for all the
bad luck he had while in charge OF the
Nationals. His Minneapolis team Is sail
ing out In front in the American Associa.
ton race and there is not much chance OF
II being caught. With one or two excep-
tons all of cantillon's players are former
Hobe Ferris, Barry Mccormick. Claude
Rossman and others are in the lineup.
not to forget Tom Hughes. Otis Clymer
and Jesse Tannehill. Not only IL this
team Playing STcdt JAIL out IL 10 uoFiis
its share of good luck. as all winning
teams do Managing is easy this year for
Cantilion, and though he is on the lines
in every game things are coming so easily
that he does not have to exert himself
very much.
So good has been the work Of a majority
of his veterans that ii would not be at all
surprising to find several OF them back in
fast company next spring. There are any
number of major league clubs anxious to
get Jimmy Williams right now for no one
seems able to figure out just why ST.
Louis let Jimmy slip through it's fingers.
He is leading the league in hitting and his
fielding Is sensational. Last year Will
liams suffered with rheumatism. but, hav-
ing rid himself Of this all nent. he seems
to be as good as ever he was, and Will
liams was some ball player In his day.