Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-10
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Washington's base ball prospects for
next season can hardly he considered
any brighter than they have been in the
but there may be some consolation in the
belief that next years team, regardless
of how it may be made up, is not apt
to do any worse than has the present
aggregation.
Aside from the recent trip on which the
Nationals broke even. the team has not
made much of a showing this year. and in
fact It is decidedly doubtful If it will
have as good a percentage at the end
of the present campaign as it had in
the last.
The very fact that a large majority of
the victories scored on the recent trip
were entirely due to the excellent work
of Walter Johnson, pitcher of great
merit, only tends to show the teams
real weakness. Unless it has a pitcher
who cannot be hit by his opponents there
is little or no chance for the team to win.
and unless the dozen or so recruits
which have been purchased and drafted
exceed all expectations there is no re-
lief from the present tail-end propens-
ties of the team in sight.
There is no occasion to become person
al and pick out the spots where the
team needs new blood. 1t is so apparent
that even the casual patron of the game
can give expert testimony on the subject,
and because of the service that the
players have done in the game in years
gone by they should be spared the hui
initiation of being held up as having
entered that class known as has beens. :"
But nevertheless. that is the fault to
be found with the Nationals. There are
too many veterans. there is too much
lack of speed and it might be said that
the spirit which makes ball teams winners
is also lacking.
1t may be, of course, and it is to be
hoped. that the new blood which is to be
strengthen the team and make 1t one
which has a look-in to be contender.
but even If these youngsters should not
prove whirlwinds it is hard to
figure how they can weaken the team
as it is now made up Players with
batting averages around the 200 mark
are not apt to play on winning pail
teams. Neither do winning teams have
men who have snali-iike strlde on the
bases. 1t is in these respects that the
team needs to make changes If 1t ever
expects to be anything more than one
which gives all teams hard battle out
wins but seldom.
The present team is pretty sure to be
even weaker next season If kept intact
Ball players have only so many good
years, and when they once start on the
down grade there is no stop to their de-
! terioration. If McAleer had young
ball team which was losing he Would
there was chance for it to improve
with time, while now just the opposite IS
the case There are three or four posi-
lions well taken care of on the ioca,
team, but almost any kind of material
would be able to fill the bill as we'll as II
is now done, and if youngsters were used
they would at least have chance 10
grow better year after year.
1t was the first time since Russell Ford
Sprang into prominence as pitcher tnat
he has pitched a full game on the local
grounds. Local enthusiasts have read
and heard of his prowess, but they nave
never had an opportunity OF seeing MN
in action excepting the few innings ne
pitched a few days ago. Ford showed
himself to be a really great pitcher He
has a smooth, easy delivery; lot OF
speed. which. together with good judg-
ment and a most deceptive spit ball.
makes him hard TO- score on. Unlike
pitch. He does not rely entirely on his
natural ability to fool the batsmen, he
uses his head as well.
Walker pitched Wei. enough 10 WILL
So did Hughes and Johnson In the pre-
vious games. but there is not much
chance for a pitcher to bring home the
bacon. as Joe Cans used to say, unless
the team behind him makes some runs
In the three games with New York the
Nationals scored four runs In thirty-one
innings, which is not apt to win any
games unless the pitchers are strong
enough to shut their opponents out with
out run.
There was some brilliant fielding dur
ing the afternoon. Mcbride made sew
eral brilliant plays, but his best was the
pickup OF chase's hard grounder in the
eleventh with which he threw Daniels