Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-29
KLEINOW MAY BE SECURED
TO HELP CATCHER HENRY
Boston Backstop Would Fill Hole Until
Ainsmith or Street Return-Local
Infielder to Be Given Trial.

! able impression because of the fact that
he did not hit at anything that was not
over. He seemed to use snappy swing
| and gave evidence of making a hitter.
| Walker is not batting that way now.
| He is lunging at the ball and not picking
out good ones to swing on. Further
more he seems to be using shorter bat
| which is not helping him any. Walker.
:. like most players. is off of his stride and
| acts very much as If he was overanxious
| to get back to his old form. There is
| no reason for the youngster to be dis
| couraged. He is sure to be kept in left
| field the remainder of the season. and il
he will go back to the style of batting
| that he had when he started here, he
will greatly improve his hitting.
/, come to the realization that the lively
ball which is beng used in this league
has placed a great handicap on the field
| ing of infielders. they win probably hest
making errors Just now George Nc
/ Bride seems to be the target for the
| shafts of the d.sgruntled and yet Nc
Brides fielding average shows him to be
| leading all the other shortstops. The
new ball is causing all infielders to make
a much greater percentage of errors for
| the reason that its bounds are almost i'm
possible to judge.
The fielding averages Of all the in
felders in the league have suffered and
will continue to do so as long as the pres
ent ball is used. Mcbride does not dit
fer from other players In this respect, an l
the sooner that the spectators realize that
the bal and not the player Is at fault
the sooner they will be just in their criti-
ciSm.
Jack Lapp, the Athletics young catch
er. furnishes an illustration of how a
time and opportunity When Lapp joined
the Athletics year before last he was
| about as green an individual as one would
expect to see break into fast company.
But Mack saw something in him, and by
| nursing him along carefully has devel-
ored him into a mighty good catcher.
Lapp not only catches and throws well.
but he is more than an ordinary hitter
and undoubtedly one of the fastest run
! ners among the league catchers.
In playing Bill Cunningham. regardless
of the fact that he is not showing any
thing like the form he did last fall Man
ager McAieer is moving in the right d.
rection. Any one who saw Cunningham
! play last fall realized that he had all the
earmarks of a great ball player. He has
been disappointment this year. and Yet
on his showing last fall he cannot be
disposed of, for he may regain his form
some day and make good all the kind
things that We're said of him last year
But there is but one way for Cunny to
improve. and that is to be played regu-
ioi ~ he CIuO CdHuOI duOTO 10 TAKE
snap Judgment on this player. On his
work to date he has not shown enough to
warrant his retention, but ball players
have been known to have such slumps
and then come back with a vengeance.
To let him go might mean that he would
be developed by some other club BY be-
ing played Cunny is getting an oppor-
| tunity to improve himself. and before the
season is over he may show form that
will warrant his being continued as a
member of the team
Amos Strunk seems to have earned a
regular position on the Athletics This
youngster is showing marked improve
nent in his work. He Is fielding bril-
liantly and IS a hitter of more than ordi-
nary ability and decidedly fast on his
feet. He made several good catches
yesterday and his speed allowed him to
cut down several hits that would have
netted more bases with a slower man in
center field. Strunk is another case of
a fast youngster being developed and he
has had the advantage of being with
winning team, with which il is always
easier to make good than with a loser.
The more one sees of Kid Elberfeld the
more remarkable becomes the work of
this player. Though he has been through
more hard campaigns than any man on
his team, he never gives any indication
OF losing his interest in his work. Wheth-
er with winner or loser Elberfeld's
work is always the same. He hustles as
hard when the game is going against him
as when his team is winning. and it is
doubtful IL there is player in the cir
cult who plays more uniformity good
ball than this same Kid. Other players
who have been in active service are con-
sidered remarkable and yet not one of
them is to be compared with Elberfeld
Most of these show only an occasional
flash of good form, but the Kid is there
every day. and it can be truthfully said
that he Is better ball player today than
he has ever been during his long career
1t would be most difficult matter to re-
place Elberfeld on the local team. He
is truly invaluable.
! 1t is not likely that the protest made
| by the Boston club against home run
| drive made by McInness before the Bos-
ton players were in their positions will
be allowed. Connie Mack gives this YER
| sion of the affair:
"McInness went to the plate before the
pitcher had gotten on the rubber. This.
of course, would prevent the pitcher from
warming up. But one ball was pitched
and Umpire Egan warned the pitcher
to stop. which. however. he did not do
p