Evening star., 1911-05-25
<6ERTINENI 0MMENT
EsssHappenin$$sr $$srSportdom

complished by the mere asking. Playing
material is scarce-yes, mighty scarce
and there are sixteen ma jor league clubs
constantly on the lookout for IL. There
Is no particular place to search, either.
Stars have been found in the most re-
mote spots. But IL is the club which
constantly tries to better conditions
which gets the good youngsters. One
entire crop may fail, but that should but
stimulate the efforts to get others.
McAIeer needs a whole lot Of players
before he Will have a team which lines
up with the majority of the others in
this league in the matter Of strength.
No one expects him to perform miracles.
but he must not overlook a single chance
TO get player who gives the slightest
signs of making good. 1t Is very plain
that ii will not require material of mar
velous ability to take the place of sew.
eral of the Nationals. Mediocre play
ers can do better than some that Nc
Aleer is paying salary 10. and IL they
are young there is always a chance OF
their improving.
Mclean and Hogan, two outieiders Sc
cured by ST. Louis from Chicago and
Philadelphia. respectively, have helped
the Browns materially, and, that being
the case. they would have added strength
to the Nationals. There might not have
been a chance to get Hogan, for he was
SOld, anu &onnl6 MACK may nave DGon
willing to give the luckless Browns the
preference, but all the clubs except St.
Louis are believed to have waived on
Mclean.
II reports from Detroit are true that
some Of the members of the Washington
team are doing listless work Manager
McAleer has the power TO correct such
faults in a most effective way. Ball
players who don their uniforms merely
to be able to draw their pay deserve
to be severely dealt with. McAleer has
the power to fine and suspend. What
ever a players ability may be. IL is his
duty to give his very best efforts to the
club. That is what he is being paid
for, and that is what the manager should
insist upon having.
To charge that one reason for the
Nationals low position in the race Is
that the club is not liberal enough In its
expenditures for players IS absurd. Last
year $2o.om was spent for material. and
little was secured which has benefited
the team. A winning team In Washing
ton would be gold mine. The men who
have their money invested in the local
club do not have 10 be told this. hence
their efforts have all been In one direc-
tion, though unfortunately they have
failed to make much progress A losing
team not only brings humiliation TO those
identified with 1t, but il is a decidedly
poor business proposition.
Whether the failure to get letter
team here than Washington has had has
been the result of poor judgment in max
ing changes, or just the pranks Dame
Fortune plays in these ventures, no one
is in a position to say, but the fact re-
mains that so far as the club owners
are concerned they have done every
thing within their power to better con-
ditions.
No manager who has been in charge
here during the last five years has had
any restrictions placed on him. They
have all had free hand TO do as they
pleased, beoaIs It has always been real
lied that the successful ball team Is the
one which one Inal controls.