Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-24
BY J. ED GRILLO.

livery time TIE members OF some ollltT
team accuse the Athletics of stealing
their battery signs they inform the pub
lie of the fact that they are not as in
tell.gent ball team as that OF Connie
Mack's.
No one has accused the Athletics of
using any sort of a device TO get the
signs. so that the means employed arc
perfectly legitimate. But there lis no rea-
son why other teams should give them
that advantage. There is not possible
chance to get the signs of an opposing
battery if it has reason to suspect that
such practice is in vogue. There are
innumerabie ways of hiding and protect
ing tie signals. Even anna teurs do that
and it reflects on the intellect of the
major league players If they leave them
selves open TO have their signals stolen.
For the past year the story has been
going the rounds that Macks men had
system by which they handicapped the
opposing battery by means of stealing
their signals. 1t has been matter of
common gossip for months. and II would
naturally be supposed that every team
playing the champions would protect IT
self. But II seems that not until four
games had been lost to the Athletics did
our intellectual giants discover that their
opponents Lad their signs.
That was quite an unexpected setback
the Athletes encountered in Boston
YESTERDAY Before that double header
was played it looked like good chance
for the champions to wrest the ieao
from the Tigers. but instead they iost
both games and took a decided tumble.
But no bali team can be expected to
continue the pace which the Athletics
set during the past month or more. A
turn was sure to come. and 1T is now
only a question of how long 1t VII
last That dual victory by the Bos-
tons was of the greatest help to Jen-
nings' team. For the next few days
the Tigers will be hooked up with the
Chicago White Sox, undoubtedly the
strongest of the other three western
teams, and Detroit will be lucky to
break even with them.
Clarence Walker continues to attract
attention to himself by his marvellous
fielding. but his hitting has fallen OF
greatly. undoubtedly due to the fact
that he is up against pitching which is
of much higher caliber than he has
been accustomed to. But there Is no
reason why the young man or his ad-
mirers should feel discouraged. Walker
will come again. He looks like player
who will get lot out of experience.
and he will soon show Improvement
as he grows more accustomed to the
big league style of slab work. The
very fact that he is keeping up his
good work in the field proves that his
failure to hit is not worrying him.
There are many reasons why the story
concerning the switching of the Detroit
team to ST. Louis should be taken with
a grain of salt. In the first place. such
a switch would mean that the ST. Louis
club would have to he placed in some
other city and this could not be done
without the consent of the National
League, for the agreement under which
the two major leagues operate does not
allow a change in either circuit without
the unanimous consent of both leagues.
Now, II is not to be supposed that either
league would consent TO make change
which would help the other. Neither
would the league turn over proposition
like the Detroit team TO Owner Hedges,
and he has property rights and could not
be compelled to give up his franchise.
The agreement which holds the leagues
together expires in 1912. and. perhaps, at
that time some changes in the circuit
might be made, but even that is decidedly
doubtful.
Had McAleer's pitchers done anywhere
near is good work early in the year as they
have been won, for the team at that stage
of the race was scoring a lot or runs.
Now that the pitchers are doing fairly
good work. the hitting has fallen on,
while the fielding is abominably weak.
1t seems absolutely impossible for any
member Of the Nationals to make an
error which is not costly. Every slip
up counts against them and there Is no
telling how many defeats can be directly
attributed to some misplay This is not
hard luck but poor base ball and an indi-
cation of the weakness OF the team. II
cannot overcome the slightest handicap
because il does not score runs enough to
afford to give even one tally to its OPP
ponentS.
Just sixty-eight points separate the
first FIVE clubs in the National League
race, which Is furnishing one OF the best
contests in it's history. ANY one OF the
five teams could gain the lead IN q week
or SO. while they are so close that most
any game is apt to cnanse the complex
ton of the race. The surprising show
ing Of the St. Louis Cardinals has done
much to make the race an interesting
ore. for where formerly every team fat
tened its standing at the expense OF
club. 1t is beating every
team II meets more often than II Is
beaten and this has kept all I'VE close
together a few more upsets for Detroit
and Philadelphia and victories Tor bos-
ton. New York and Chicago and the
American League pennant hgnt Wouid
be a rather perplexing contest.
John Doyle. who In his time was the
source Of much annoyance to umpires.
and who became an arbitrator himself
this spring, but is now OF duty be-
cause of Ignorance Of the rules. finds
that a great change has taken place. In