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

There is no doubt that when luck has
| figured in any games in which the Ma
| tionals have been engaged 1t has gone
against them Numerous games have
/ been lost in this way. but a whole lot OF
other defeats have been annexed, not
| because of bad luck, but because the
| team played the worst kind of base ball.
Not that the fielding was poor or the
hitting weak but the system employed
was absolutely contrary to every rule of
base ball. 1t is then no wonder that the
team is rapidly on its way to last place.
There has never been a more glaring
exhibition. of stupid base ball on the
local grounds than that put up by the
Nationals yesterday. The result was
that a game which should have been won
with a large margin TO spare went to
the visitors by the score of 3 to 2
The laundering started in the very OPEN
ing inning. Milan and Lelivelt had sin
gled. and while Elberfeld was striking out
they pulled off double steal. This put a
man on second and third. one out and
Gessler up. There were two strikes on
Gessler, when Milan suddenly tore for the
plate. the squeeze play evidently being
intended. The ball was wide and Gessler
did not offer at il. Milan. of course. was
out Now, it may have been GesSlers
fault that the play missed, but intelligent
base ball men will ask why. was it tried
The very idea of a team trying the
squeeze play under the conditions which
prevailed in the first inning yesterday is
the height of senseless base ball
Morgan walked Gessler and would have
filled the sacks but for this play. Evil
IDENTIFY neither Gessler nor Mcbride. the
next man up. was given credit for being
able to make base hit, and SO other
plays were resorted to to get run over
the plate.
Followingt the attempt at the squeeze play
came an effort to work the double steal.
with the result that Lelivelt was nailed
at the plate. and thus two clean hits
and base on balls netted nothing, SIM
ply because instead of trying for a bunch
Of runs which could have been had by
continuing at Morgan. he was allowed
to get away while the locals concentrated
their efforts and ingenuity to get single
run across the plate. in which, however,
they failed.
But that was not the only inning in
which runs were tossed off. On several
other occasions failure to take advantage
of opportunities proved costly. and doing
the wrong thing at the wrong time was
disastrous.
1t was. of course, a luck game for the
Athletics to win. and they had many
good breaks but these breaks would not
have effected the result had the Ma
tionals played the game as team should.
There is certainly grand chance for
.
race if the present system of tossing
off runs is continued.
The judgment of the local players on
the bases is costing dearly. Runners are
not advancing when they should. and
doing il when there is chance TO get
away with the play. There have been
many games lost this season by reason of
players once they get on the bags are
at sea what TO do. and there have been
very few occasions this year when a
member of the local team has shown
both judgment and daring on the bases
As the team is now going IL is the weak
est from standpoint of base ball in
teIligence on the bases that has ever
represented Washington in any company.
Now IL may seem that when team
makes twelve base hits and is presented
with five bases on balls that Ii is in
desperately poor luck when IL can get but
two runs across the plate. That old hard
luck excuse is about worn out. A bali
stupidity and does not take advantage
of opportunities it will always appear as
having the worst of the breaks Luck
in base ball should break even during a
season. This thing of pounding it into
| the PLAYERS heads that they are unfor-
tunate. and making them feel satisfied
with themselves when they lose. SO long
as the score is close, Is never going to
II is of course discouraging to be on a
/ ball team which loses every day, or near
| it, but that Is no excuse for ignoring
every system of base ball and having a
| lot of players who are credited with being
| intelligent perform as il the game was
entirely new TO them
| John Henry. the Amherst College
| youth may break into the game with
/ the Nationals this afternoon.
/ Injuries to several Of the regulars
will recessitate a change in the infield
1t is very doubtful IL Elberfeld. who
/ was hit on the hand by a pitched ball
during yesterdays game, will be able
| to play. Schaefer is out with bruised
shoulder and ConrOy cannot throw 1t
may be necessary for McAleer to move
| Unglaub over to third base and play
Henry at first. This combination will
be in the field today unless Elberfeld
or Gonroy- cap break into the game.
| II was rather tough game for Bob