Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-11
BY J. ED GRILLO.

1t is a peculiar prank of the National
League schedule which gives the Pitts
burg team four off days in row this
week. 1t must be that Manager Clarke
of the Pirates has not yet given up all
hope of the pennant, or intends to make
1t interesting for the Giants and Cubs,
for he proposes to spend those four days
at West Baden, Indiana's famous health
resort. in the hope of getting his players
back to their best form.
1t is, of course, hard to see how the
Pirates can regain first place. The team
has not been winning majority of It's
games lately and appears to have en-
countered serious slump. 1t might be
that a short stay at West Baden would
put every man on edge and that the team
would cause the upset Of Giants and
Cubs, but that is hardly to be expected. :
Furthermore. the team will be handi-
capped by the absence of Marty O'Toole,
who it develops. is suffering from lame
arm, and is not expected to pitch again
this season. O'Toole has won the three
games he has pitched and gave promise
of continuing that winning streak IL he
had remained in form. None of the other
Pfttsburg pitchers are doing consistent
work, and it stands to reason that when
the pitchers are not at their best no team
can win a majority of it's games.
In the last campaign the Nationals won
sixty-ffve games and lost eighty-five, and
in order to equal this showing the team
will have to win a large majority OF the
twenty-three games which still remain to
be played this season. Should it make
particularly good showing in the remain
Ing games there is even Slight chance
for it to beat out the White Sox. though
nothing but very consistent winning
streak could bring this about.
In the New York games. none of which
were won by the locals. the pitching was
all that could be desired. Even Johnson,
who was beaten worse than either
Hughes or Walker. did not do poorly. but
was unlucky. Hughes and Walker pitch
ed good enough TO win their games. but
the stick work of the locals has been
sadly off color and this has brought about
their present slump. If the pitching con-
tinues as good as 1t has been recently
there is no reason why q lot OF games
should not be annexed.
There is much speculation in st. Louis
just now anent Bresnahan. whose con-
tract expires at the end of the present
season and who has made 1t clear that
he proposes to ask for a substantial in
crease next season. According to unofficial
reports. Roger received $4,000 per sea-
son for the last three years. and yet he
is not satisfied with that inquire, because
this year the Cardinals have been a big
financial success. or course. the st.
Louis club is not in a position to make
a change in management. Bresnahan has
proven his worth, so that the chances are
he will get what he asks.
When it comes to being a consistent
performer Cobb has it on all his rivals.
He does not fall down In any department
of the games, as do most players, and
most of the time every season has seen
him improving in one respect or another.
Last year. Collins of the Athletics. for
instance. stole eighty-one bases, sixteen
more than did Cobb, but Collins is not
In the hunt this year. while Cobb has al
ready stolen five more than he did dur
ing all of last season. Just why Collins
should have fallen off in his base run
ming is hard to explain. He surely has
not reached that stage of life where he