Evening star., 1911-06-04
FIELD WILL BE CHANGED
WHILE TEAM IS ON NEXT TRIP
Club Owners Act on McAleer's Suggestion
and Arrange for Switching of Dia-
rnond Gossip Of Game and Players.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

While the Nationals are on their next
trip. which starts July 2. the present in
field will be abandoned and a new one
laid out. SO as to give more playing field.
The contract for this work was let by
Treasurer Rapley yesterday, and prepara-
tion for the work will begin at once. 1t
Is the intention to have everything in
readiness for making the change before
the team leaves, so that the new inf1eld
can be built at once. and will have all the
time possible to settle while the team Is
away, which will be nearly a whole
month.
The home plate on the new field will be
not far from where third base is now.
The right field foul line will run down
close to the pavilion in right field, the
bleachers being moved to deep center.
This change in the playing field will do
away with the short left field and make
the making of base hits out of little pop
flies which drop into the pavilion, as is
now the case, a thing of the past.
Manager McAleer blames the failure of
several of his pitchers the present
playing field. In their efforts to prevent
the batters from hitting into left the
pitchers are constantly getting them
selves into a hole. and are consequently
being hit harder than they would if they
could pitch straight away.
The steel for the upper deck. too. has
arrived, and the chances are that the
stands will be completed long before the
team returns from it's next invasion Of
the west.
Walter Johnson is nothing like the
pitcher he was last year. He neither
looks nor pitches as he did during the
campaign of 1910. nor is he apt to until
he recoyers his vitality. His recent sick
ness has left him weak and he shows it
in his work. That terrific speed which
made Johnson a great pitcher is not ap-
parent this season His work is only or
dinary these days. and he is being hit
harder than he ever was during the for
mer three seasons he has been member
of the local team. Johnson in his present
condition IS OF little OF no service to the
team. He may show a flash now and
then. but that consistent effectiveness
which made him famous is lacking. and
1t might be good policy to allow him TO
go home for several weeks rest. The
work that Johnson Is now doing is forced,
and pitcher who forces himself is al
ways in danger of injuring his arm, and
II Is against such calamity that Nc
Aieer should guard himself and the club.
Take Ty Cobb from the Detroit team and
II would nave a nara time HnlSnlnS III
| the first division, and this is not reflect
| inS In the least on the other members OF
| that very good ball team. But where In
| the history of base ball <las there ever
been ball player to compare with Cobb?
| There have been others to show flashes,
/ others who We're brilliant in spots. but
| Cobb is the only one who is sensational
every day and does more to win ball
games for his team than any three other
| individuals on il. You may despise him
| because he is always making the other
| fellows look foolish; You may charge him
with being inflated over his success or
what not. but you can't get round the
| fact that his equal on the ball field has
| never been seen.
| There have been other ball players,
| there are some today. but compare
| them. day in and day out, with Cobb.
and they are not in the same class.
| What is most remarkable about the
| lad from Georgia is his untiring ag-
| gressiveness There is never an idle
! moment in ball game for Cobb. He
| does not stop to rest on his laurels,
| nor slow down because a game is won
! or lost. but he is always in the game
| from head to foot
Cobb is supposed to be playing in the
| highest class of base ball, and yet 1t is
| but seldom that he does not show his
| superiority over his opponents. And
/ they realize his prowess. too, for no
| sooner Is he on the bases than the op-
| position Is on tension. He no sooner
| faces the pitcher than that worthy
/ concludes that he is facing a master at
! the art. Cobb helps his ball team as
. INCH - the fear that he creates