The Washington herald., 1911-03-05
By j. l.. RODIER.

Near-riot at the last winter meeting of
the Garrison Stove League. Joe Miles
precipitated it; said he would admit with
everybody else that Walter johnson was
the one best bet in the pitching line in
professional baseball to-day but that
there were ways in which johnson could
be traded to the great benefit OF Wash
inSton.
Charges were Immediately filed against
Miles, but that hereto impudently dc
Tended his postulate. claiming that Wash
ington was always long on defense; that
johnson was not lucky pitcher for the
Nationals, in that the latter invariably
did their ClOuting with some pitcher in
the box other than their star, and that a
Speaker and a Cobb would overcome any
handicap the loss of johnson would
cause. 1t makes no difference that Cobbs
and Speakers are rare, as rare as John
sons, for the matter of that; the propo-
sition is there to look at, for all it is
hercsy.
Mr.. Miles attempted to justify himself
by parading certain averages, to the fol-
lowing effect: johnson won 3 games and
lost II, an average OF .595 The other
working pitchers were Walker. II won, II
lost; Reisling, won, 10 lost: Groom, Is
won, II lost: Gray. S won. 10 lost, max
ing a total of II won and 81 lost. per-
centage of AS. Reduce Johnson q
games to the same approximate percent
age-lS won and q lost, or .429, the near
est possible. and the Nationals would
have won fewer and lost more games,
which would have not lowered our posi-
tion and not hurt the percentage much.
with these figures in mind, don't you
think a Johnson-Cobb or a Johnson
Speaker trade last spring would have
bettered the position of the local lads?
Sure, everybody would like to have
Cobb, a Speaker and a johnson, but
that's too much even for the winter
dream of a Washington fan. \ strong
defensive club is a bully good thing, but
il does not create the enthusiasm that
strong offensive club does" concluded
the iConoClaSt.
II one of those managers who are
worrying about first basemen would go
through Cornelius McGilicuddy's trunk
they would find a contract binding some
handy fellow for Harry Davis job when
that worthy fails to come up to the Con-
ME Mack standard. Indeed, Jimmy Burke
is authority for the statement that Con-
pie is a bigger trust than Standard Oil.
There was a report to the effect that
Strunk, the lad with the wallop, was go
ing TO be tried out in the spring on the
initial sack.
Speaking of Strunk reminded Bill Whal-
ley that Bob Unglaub urged the local
management to sign the Williamsport
boy, but Cantillon couldn't see it through
telescope.
And please do not forget" said Bill,
that Bob Unglaub was, and is, prime
favorite with the most OF the fans in
this mans town. Sure he had a ready
wit and a line OF sarcastic repartee
which made him unpopular with some of
his fellows. but it listened well IL you
were not the subject OF his remarks We
had a first baseman once, not so many
years ago, whose attributes were being
discussed one day. What can you ex-
pect, asked 7Unglaub, of a man who
wears a No. hat and No. Il shoe?'
One day the first baseman under dis
cussion was coaching at third-that is TO
say. he was in the coacher's box, ap-
parently in a trance. Unglaub was on
third. and. with the batter. was trying
for the batsman, and was running to-
waro home with every swing of the
pitchers arm. This directed attention to
the coacher, who stood. arms akimbo.
mouth open. eyes staring into the dis