Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-13
HENRY MAKES FAVORABLE
IMPRESSION IN OPENER
Nationals Youngster Plays Brilliant Game
at First Base-Boston Team as Now
Made Up Won't Be Factor.
But 1t was the two-bagger by Elberfeld
which followed that put the game on ice.

But it was the two-bagger by Elberfeld
which followed that put the game on ice.
Ball players may come and ball players
may go. but it does seem as if Kid Elber-
field would 20 on forever Every now and
then when Elberfeld's long career is
mentioned 1t leads to the belief that the
time has come when he must soon make
way for some young man. But there Is
nothing to indicate that time has done
anything but improve the kid. He is a
better ball player today than he was ten
years ago. because he is attending more
strictly to business. He no longer has
time for squabbles with umpires or spec
tators. but looks after his own work and
that Of his team. The kids hustling pro-
clivities are invaluable. He is in every
play that he can reach, Goa ches the pitch
ers and is. as they say, constantly on the
| player more valuable to the Nationals
than Elberfeld.
1t was a rather ignominous beginning
for Bill Cunningham. Bill was SO anxious
to come across with a long drive the first
three times that he faced Wood that he
did not touch the ball at all and was
famed on each occasion. In the eighth
inning he managed to meet one and
long drive to right field resulted. but the
strong wind held 1T back long enough to
allow Hooper to get under it.
Don't judge ball player by single
game or a week of games. Cunningham
Is going to be a valuable man for the
his game as yet. though his fielding yes
terday was more than satisfactory.
Considering the fact that Dixie Walker
worked fully twenty batsmen pitching
10 the batter before the game, his per-
formance during the last three innings
Of the opener was rather satisfactory.
He was trifie wild and caused a few
chills to crawl up and down the spines
of the crowd during that final inning,
when he got the bases full, but he got
out Of this mess without causing disas-
ter. Walker. who is always willing,
seemed to be in better fettle to take up
the running where Gray left off than any
cepting perhaps Bill Otey. and it was
too trying a situation to put a yOungSter
on the rubber
Schaefer and ConrOy make an ideal pair
of coacherS for the Nationals. They are
not noisy, for that is not necessary. but
their long experience in the game makes
them valuable for such work. for they
are not apt to overlook anything and
can see an opening as quickly as any
one.
Those first four innings were certainly
not encouraging. 1t did seem as if that
old luck which always hangs to the local
team was still with it, for every misplay
meant runs for the opposition. Many
were the cries during those early innings
of Same old thing" coming from the
disgruntled fans, but those same threats
were uttering praise and cheer a few in
nings later, when that inning rally was
put on tap in the sixth 1t was by far
the most pleasing opening game that has
been presented here in some years There
have been other first-day victories. but
they have not had all the thrills to them
= Iz.,% ho1 . of
| team can come from behind as did the
Nationals yesterday, ii is a.! the more
pleasing to the fans. 1t would have been
a shame to send that splendid crowd
home with the taste of defeat in it's
mouth.
Surely Washington never saw such a
crowd al ball game before. Had there
been more room it would have been even
| larger. Crowded into every foot of avail
able space in the stands and encircling
J the playing field was crowd of over
| 1900, indicating how good ball town
Washington is If given the opportunity to
! show itself. Hardly two-thirds of the
people who were in the Enclosure yester-
day could have been accommodated on
| the old grounds. so that it is easily to
| be seen that the new plant will be a
money maker for the club instead of a
establishes Washington as one of the
best supporters of the national game of
| its size in the country, and with the tea m
/ going along at good clip it would even
| be better
| Doc Gessier is so much better a ball
player this spring than he was at any
| time since he Joined the team that he
must not be judged on his past record
here His fielding yesterday was superb
and his throw to second when Speaker
tried to stretch his hit into right to two
bases was perfect and to the mark and
| incidentally most capably handled by Nc
| Bride, who got the putout. GeSsler got
but one hit. a two-bagger into the crowd
| in right field, bu. it was wfack Of the
! kind that made him a most dangerous
man on the local grounds. while he was
| with Boston improvement in his physi-
cal condition and a determination to get
down and hustle has made a wonderful
\ change in Gessier and he may be of a
| whole lot OF service to the team this sea-
| son.
Elberfeld, Cunningham and Henry
pulled off a pretty double play in the
With Lewis on first Wagner hit slow
bounding grounder between short and
third which Elberfeld went over and
picked up, whipped to Cunningham, who
| IN turn shot the ball to Henry. The en-
tire play did not take as long to execute
as II does to tell about It, and the crowd
hardly realized what had happened when
both men were waved out.
Assistant Umpire Mullen, who worked
with Connolly yesterday. made very
favorable impression. He is fast on his
feet and gets right on top of plays on
the bases. and judged on his work in his
first game should develop into a valuable
man for Ban Johnsons staff. The sys-
tenn OF having an experienced man work
behind the bat and allowing the younger
fellows TO develop on the bases. will, in
course Of time, bring forth lot of good
| nf a " tx-na
rare. His way of conducting q game
lcarries with it a certain amount of dig.
:. nifty, and, though like all humans he ma,