Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-30
BY J. ED GRILLO.

in the matter of having reached first base
This season. Fourteen games have been
/ played to date and in that number ne
has been on bag one thirty-three times
His best record is i'm the last seven games
IL which he has been on the bags exactly
tuenty-one times, an average or three
timeS to game.
Put the most peculiar thing about II all
is that Milan has reached first base the
first time up in every game the Natlonals
( have played this season. either by means
of hit, base on balls, being hit or an
error.
This not only proves that the Nonngster
from Tennessee is n good man to lead on
. the batting order, but IT SHOWS MIN 10 oe
playing splendid ball.
Judged on his work this season Milan
r. PLAYING the best ball of his career IN
the American League. and yet at the
close of last season he was on the verge
Of being sent to some minor league cluo.
Numerous offers for him were received
from clubs all over the country. but Man
seer McAleer could not be convinced tnat
Milan did not have a lot of good base
BALL in him and he decided that he was
ro have another chance
In following this course McAleer mas
Endoubtedlv saved e team one OF ltS
most valuable players. and there are rea-
sons for believing tnat his good work TO
date is not a fash in the pan. for he
seems to ne steadily improving with every
game.
To say that a ball game III which the
winning team makes nine runs and the
losers but three should have been shut
out for e losing team SOUNDS strange,
snd Vet without much stretch of the
Imagination there is way OF showing
that Oberlin might have won yesterdays
game without allowing the hish-cuitured
gentlemen from the Hub q single run
in there would
scores i'm the first inning had not Street
allowed the third strike on Lord to get
through him. which gave the Boston
captain a life. and eventually resulted
ms two runs being scored in this inning,
a4d the third inning. in which the visi-
fors scored six times, would, with Sood
support have been blank Tor them.
With Lord on second and Hooper on
first and one out in this inning Stahl hit
a. sharp grounder 10 Schaefer which
would probably have resulted in a dou-
10 play and retired the side had not
Sehaefer fumbled the ball and then lad
to hustle to get Stahl at first. But the
chance was missed. and Oberlin walked
Wagner filling the bases. Lewis 1ol-
lowed with single, which brought Lord
horne and Carrgan cleaned the sacHs
with a double to deep left Then Hall
was walked, and French cleaned up with
another double, netting SIX TALES When
there might have been none.
The visitors --Ial run was the result o.
an error by Mcbride. sacrifice and
poor throw TO third by Street
Now. of course, just as many runs
might have been scored in some other
inning If things had turned out as he
figured. but the fact remains, If the
game had been played as 1T was, only
The misplays eliminated. Oberlin might
have gotten away with il.
But errors are a part OF base BAH
Without them there would be very little
TO the sport. and il is the pitcher who
san master a situation after his team
Mo I'M hnJ
tius majority of his games
Today it is TO be Dixie Walker pit
led against one of Patsy Donovan
fwirlers yet to be selected
In his time Jim McAleer consid-
cred the greatest outfielder in the land
and TO this day there are those that in
slst the game has never produced his
equal. but McAleer thinks he has dis
covered the player who. in his opinion, Is
the greatest fielder in the history of the
game. and he is none other than iris
Speaker of the Bostons.
1sGive McAIeer credit for knowing an
outfielder when he sees one. He was
master at the art and still knows how
ge rdener should conduct himself under all
circumstances. so that praise for Speaker
coming from the man vino was undoubt-
eEy the star of them all in his day is
Iraise indeed.
Speaker has no equal and proba bly,
never has had one said McAleer be-
fore yesterdays game. He is one OF the
few outflelders who start with the crack
OF the bat and make all chances look
easy I don't think I ever saw fielder
who equal him. He can can come in.
go To either side or turn around and
catch difficult flies. and yet none OF them
over seems to force him TO exert himself.
he is surely a great ball player. per-
haps no better hitter than Cobb, but
surely much better fielder
H.,
and been charged with more passed balls
this season than all last season, and all
because his old glove is worn out and
he is trying TO make 4 do. because break
ing new glove IS never relished by a
catcher.
Spit ball pitchers make hard work for
cafchers There is not much chance TO
rauge the shoots Of the moistened de-
livery and catcher simply has to take
chance and grab in the hope of having
the bali land IN his NIT.
Whenever a pitcher is hit he the con-
Sitions what they may. the manager is al
ways blamed for not having taken him
ont. 1t war so yesterday after the Bos-
tons had scored six runs. But before a
single was scored Oberlin had two
men ont. and surely a pitcher cannot be
removed every time ne gets few men
on the bases and has two out.
Even after the first run was scored 1t
looked ike better policy 10 take a chance
on OberIin than to get q fresh man on
the slab aud take chance on him. Fur
thermore the pitching staff OF the Ma
iienals is in such poor shape right al
present that two pitchers cannot he wasted
IN a single game unless it is to it.
Strange to say, The Detroit critics at
trfbuted Hugh Jennings success with the
Tigers to the fact that he seldom takes a
pitcher out. regardless of what the con-
ditions may be. Last season he did no,
change pitchers three times. and some OF
them were hit decidedly hard at times
Jennings goes on the theory that 1t ruins
q pitching staff to be constantly dragging
pitchers out. 1t makes them lose conf
dence in themselves. and incidentally
makes il inposs BILE TO work the twirlers
In regular rotation. for when two ar,
sed iii one day ali plans are upset. and i
makes one of the other regulars wort
out OF turn, which does not help then
any
Speaking of Jennings pitchers, II seem,
ttat he has added better talent than hi!
staff last season possessed. Already three
Youngsters have been shown by hin
this spring and every one of them is
winner Their victories have not beer
the result of great batting streaks by thu
Tigers but by the inability of the oppos
ing team to connect with their delivery
Sowing that they have ability
as3rowning. Pernoil and Stroud ali seen
to nave the goods so IL matters little &
Jennings whether Summers aud Donovan