Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-17
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Unless there is an unexpected and i'm
mediate brace-up on the part Of the Ma
tionals there is a good chance for them
to make the present trip one Of the most
disa strous in their history. OF the ten
games played in the west, but one has
been a victory, and the prospects for
adding to this number seems decidedly
slim. Judged on their showing i'm St
Louis. the last trip, when they lost four
straight, the Nationals cannot be counted
on making up any of their losses at the
expense of the tailenders, so that the
chances are that of the six remaining
games of the trip majority will be lost,
which would make the trip one Of the
worst of recent years.
What is particularly discouragin about
the failure of the team is the fact that
it is hitting fairly we'll and scoring more
runs than it has in years. But its pitch
ers are a miserable lot and not one of
the entire corps can be relied upon to
do good work. even in a single game
Then. too. there is a tendency among the
twirlers to go only half the route and
then blow up. Every one Of them seems
capable of pitching four or five innings
in brilliant form and then allow enough
runs in the closing innings to give the
other team the victory.
Though any one of the five first teams
in the National League race stands a
chance to win the pennant. public opin-
ion seems to favor the New York Giants
For some reason or other. the fact that
the McGraw team will have a harder
row to hoe than any of its western rivals
appears to be entirely overlooked.
This is for reasons of the schedule.
FIR Of
the Giants are just as strong as the
Pirates, Cubs or Cardinals, the chances.
so far as the schedule Is concerned, would
be against their winning the pennant,
the Phillies. who are now leading, are in
the same boat. Much, of course, will de-
pend on what success the three western
teams have in their remaining games
with Boston. To lesser degree this is
true of coming games with BROOKLYN
though the Dodgers have been much more
troublesome to the western teams than
have the Bostons. The point is. how
ever, that the Giants have played a ma
jority Of their games with Boston and
Brooklyn. two of the weakest teams in
the circuit. whereas the Clubs, Pirates and
Cardinals have not. Unless Boston should
take an unexpected brace against these
three teams. it gives them an advantage
over the Giants by winning lot of
games from the tailenders which have
already been credited to the Giants. The
Giants have only seven more games
with the Bostons, and the Phillies the
same number PittsOurg has FIFTEEN more
with the Bostons, the Cubs sixteen and the
Cardinals eleven. The playing of these
games is likely to make considerable diff
ference in favor of the Cubs, Pirates and
Cardinals, unless, of course, the unex-
pected happens.
II the report that John l. Taylor is ne
sotiating for the sale of the Boston club
is confirmed it will prove one of the big
eest surprises in base ball. The Boston
property has been one of the most profit
a Bile in base ball Even losing clue
has made money in the Hub. and the
present aggregation could be made win ,
ner with a very few changes.
Since John l. Taylor has been in base
bal he has been in the center of the
stage most of the time. His determine
ton not to have player on his team
whom he did not like personally, regard /,
less of his ability, has caused him 10
make some surprising deals. and as a
discoverer OF young talent to take the |
place of old stars he has never had an |
equal There is nc doubt that but for
his deals Taylor would have had pen |
nant winne. in Boston by this time. for |
he developed winning team from |
loser in less time than il has ever been |
done before.
There is nothing particularly surprising !
a bout Jack Johnson hesitancy about ar /
ranging a match with Sam Langford.