Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-14
BY j. ED GRILLO.

Tom Hughes has never had the reputa-
ton of being a so-called iron man. When
the veteran pitcher has done his best
work it has been after considerable rest
between games. Early IN the season
Hughes pitched IS good ball any
member of the local pitching staff. but
Just before the team started on its sec
ond western trip he showed signs of go
ing stale Griffith gave him ten-day
rest and he came back with vengeance,
pitching two or three high-claSS games
of ball on the last trip This was con-
elusive evidence that if not worked too
much Hughes would be of much help to
the team. though if overworNed he would
be useless.
Under the circumstances it is difficult
to understand why Hughes should be
worked three times i'm five days. Friday
he pitched three innings against st.
Louis. He came back in the final contest
of the double-header and pitched hard
game He travelled Sunday and Monday.
and to the surprise of every one was put
in against the White Sox yesterday.
For four innings Hughes went along at
a good clip. but in the fifth his stuff gave
out and five hits netted the SoX four
runs.
There are. of course occasions when a
team is forced to work its pitchers out
of turn. though this did not seem to be
was a carload OF twirling material on the
bench yesterday, and. in addition to
Hughes. Cashion and Engel were used,
and 1t is safe prediction that If either
had started there would he n different
story to tell of the game
Any time that the Chicago team has
slight margin at the latter part of the
game it is pretty sure to win, for. under
such conditions. Big Ed Walsh is usually
hustled onto the slab. and, no matter
whether he has pitched the day before
or not. he can set fast pace Tor an
inning or two. That this system of nav
ing Walsh finish a lot of games has
been a detriment to his general effective
ness goes without saying, but there is no
doubt that he has helped his team to
many a victory which could not have
been gained had one of the other pitchers
been allowed to finish.
1t begins to look very much as if the
Nationals would be busy enough from
this out trying to hold second place in
the race. let alone having ambitions for
the pennant. The Athletics are now only
a few points behind Griffiths team, and
they are going better than they have
for some time, while the Nationals are
showing the worst form they have shown
for months. There may be brace in the
local ranks. to be sure. but it will have
10 come very soon if the team is to finish
higher than third. There was a marked
Improvement in the hitting of the locals
yesterday compared to what 1t was dur
ing the St. Louis series, and vet it was
far below the required standard But
there will be a revival of the batting.
Several of the members of the team who
have shown themselves to be good hitters
are in a rut. and they should work them
selves out of it in few days
While il is but natural that seasoned
pitchers should have been given the pref
erence during the period that the Ma
tionals seemed to have good chance to
overtake Boston in the race. the time now
seems TO be at hand when the youngsters
should be given chance CaShion,
Engel and MuSSer have not done enough
work this season TO have suffered any by
reason of being under a strain. All three
of them should be fresh now, and if
worked regularly might finish with
Whirl. Every one of these youngsters has
shown lots of ability on every occasion
that they have had an opportunity to
work With regular work. every one of
time and incidentally it would greatly
develop them for next season.
Big Ed Walsh worked in his forty
eighth game yesterday, and with the
season six weeks SO TO go. the chances
are that the Sox star twirier will break
another record this year. Walsh figured
in sixty games one season, and he eX-
poets to beat this mark in the present
race.
Three new pitchers took a workout
with the Nationals yesterday. They
were Schegg. left-hander secured from
the Nebraska Indians: Herring. from the
Cherokee Indians, and Wiley. from
Huntington, W. Va Mike Kahoe and
Jack Ryan dug up this trio. and all
of them seem to have ability, judging
from the way they warmed up. Manager
Griffith will look them over for a few
days. and the one showing the best
form is to be given a trial in one
Of the games here shortly.
I.aporte gave splendid fielding ex-
hibition at second base. He had sew
eral hard chances to handle. and took
care of everything that came his way.
lie also got single and with two
on in the eighth was purpOsely walked
by Doc White. filling the bases. White
retired after accomplishing this. and Ed
Walsh took up the running.
Freakish plays were numerous. For