Evening star., 1911-08-20

This, too, may make a wonderful differ
ence in the youngster.
If the usual weather prevails here
next March and April there Is no rea-
son why the Nationals should not be
able to get themselves in every bit as
good if not better condition training
here as they would in the south. The
scheme is worthy giving a trial, any
way In the first place, clubhouse ac-
commodations, which play an impor-
tant part in the training OF players In
the spring, are ideal here, and then
1T will be possible to arrange lot OF
exhibition games with National and
minor league clubs, which viii do
much to prepare the players for the
opening of the season.
There seems to be no doubt at all
about Moel1er making good in the local
outfield. The Rochester speed marvel
owes his berth with the Nationals to
no less a parsonage than George STALL
ings of the Buffalo club, and one of the
best judges of ball players in the coun-
try.
New York and asked him IL there were
any ball players in the Eastern League
who would nelp the Nationals. STALL
ings said he knew Of but one player,
and that was Moeller. He was loud
in his praise of the Rochester fielder,
and gave 1T as his opinion that within
a year or two he would be classed
with the best ball players in this
league. McAleer lost no time in get
ting to Rochester to see Moeller, but
unfortunately the player was on the
hospital list from injuries. Mike ka-
hoe was then sent there, and he was
so impressed with MoeIler that he
closed a deal for him at once, also
taking in Foster and Spencer.
Chicago gained yesterday I'm the Ma
tional League race. With six of the
eight teams playing double-headers and
breaking even, the Cubs victory over Bos-
ton gave Chances men an advantage.
The fact that the teams which played two
games each won only one goes to show
how close the pennant race is in the old
league. Pittsburgh, team which by
many is picked to land on top, fell be-
fore Nap Rucker of the Brooklyn team.
pitcher who is apt to beat any team
he faces. 1t was because of it's pitching
strength that Brooklyn recently won the
series from the Cubs. Any one Of the
leaders will find 1t tough shedding when
they reach Brooklyn because of the pitch
ing strength of that team, SO that the
failure of Pittsburgh to gain ground there
does not necessarily mean that the Pirates
are out Of the race.
Clarence Walker and Bill Cunningham,
two rather inconsistent performers at the
bat, would be world beaters If all pitchers
would pitch high balls to them. Yesterday
both were very much I'm evidence at ST.
Louis, getting five Of the twelve hits cred
tied to the Nationals, because Powell a
high ball pitcher, was working for the
Browns. Whenever pitcher is on the
slab who makes a speciality of using low
balls, neither Walker nor Cunningham
a chance nj
hits. Both are lamentabiy weak when
ever ball is pitched below the hips, and
both are stars when II is pitched above
this point. This is the weakness of this
pair, and If they can master this weak
ness both will be star batters.
1t has been many a day since the Wash
ington team started on trip and won
the first series, as it has in st. Louis. 1t
is also the first time since Walter john
son has been a member of the team that
he has started a series. For some un-
accountable reason Johnson has either
pitched the last or next to last game in
every series that the Nationals have play
cd away from home He pit he'd the first
game at St Louis and three games were
won in a row. Heretofore. he has been
pitching the last game of series, and il
has usually been victory for the locals.
To date the Nationals have not lost a
game on the trip. Today the team opens
reasonable to suppose that the picking
there will be much more difficult than it
was in st. Louis. and yet the way the To-
Gals are playing they stand a good chance
of winning two of the three games. John
son. going as he is. will probably win his
game. and If one Of the other pitchers
can deliver, the series will go to the
locals.
Yesterday was the second time this sea-
son that Walter Johnson has been asked
to prevent rally in game In which
the Nationals were leading in the final
inning. Early in the spring McAIeer call
ed Walter to the rescue in the ninth in
ming of game which Gray pitched in De-
troit and the Tigers drove in five runs
Aleer made up his mind he would never
use Johnson again under such conditions.
He evidently changed his mind yester-
day, however, for johnson was called In %
the game when the Browns threatened to
tie the score I'm the tenth and he prevent
ed this calamity.
The game only showed what an un-
certain proposition Bob Groom is. Take
the average pitcher and let him get away
into extra innings and have his team
score four runs In the first half of the
tenth, and he is pretty sure to come
out a winner without the slightest trou-
BILE Groom, however. with four-run
lead weakened and had to have Johr son
fled and perhaps prevent the game from
being lost
While ii is perhaps true that the Ma
tionals do not deserve lot of credit Tor
beating the tail-end Browns three straight
games on their own grounds. their per-
formance is so much better than any
thing they have accompl shed this sea-
son that there are reasons for beiev n :
that they will make their present trip
a fairly successful one.
UP to Thursday, McAleer's team had
lost sever, and won one game in St.
Louis this season, while the slate Is clean
this trip, having won three straight.
True. this does not signify that they will
be any more successful In the other wess-
ern cities this year than they have been
before yet when the fact is taken into
consideration that on their two previous
western trips the Nationals won only a
few games, this start is rather encourag-
fr ut hnr, 90 N