Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-17
BY j. ED GRILLO.

After the most successful trip that any
ball team ever made in the history of the
game having won sixteen consecutive
games and made a clean sweep of their
invasion of the western cities. the Ma
tionals arrived in the city this morning.
Griffith's team did not lose a game in the
west, a performance which has never
been eaualed. 1t won seventeen games
and lost but seven since it left here nearly
a month ago. It's start was anything but
encouraging, for the first nine games
PLAYED brought but two victories, but be-
ginning with the afternoon game on Dec
Grafton day at Boston not a single defeat
was encountered. The result of this bril-
! liant showing is that the team is now
sole occupant of the second berth in the
race and will for the remainder of the
week battle with the worlds champion
Athletics Beginning tomorrow afternoon,
when game will be played here. seven
games are to be played during the re-
mainder of the week. six Of them being
scheduled for Philadelphia To win
ma iority of these games Is the ambition
of the Griffithites. and If they play the
same kind of ball that they did on the re-
cent trip there is no question but tnat
this will be accomplished. notwithstanding
the team which is believed to be the
strongest in the lea gue.
No team ever received a more auspi-
cious welcome than did the Nationals
upon their arrival this morning. There
was a crowd of several thousand at the
Union station, and when the players
alighted from their sleepers mighty
cheer went up. Automobiles had been
provided for the party, which was driven
to their respective homes and hotels amid
the cheers of the thrOngS which lined the
streets.
Walter Johnson will not pitch tomor-
row. In fact it is doubtful II the great
pitcher will be able to work in any of
the games against Philadelphia. He has
been suffering from a severe cold for
several days and spent all of Sunday In
bed. He appears to be threatened with
tonsolitis and has placed himself under
the care of DIR. Edward Larkin, the CLUBS
physician who has hopes of having him
in shape again within a few days. The
illness of Johnson is the first setback the
team has had in long while. With him
out of the game the teams pitching staff
is badly crippled. notwithstanding the
fact that the other twirlers have all done
good work
Barney Petty joined the Nationals in
Cleveland yesterday afternoon. There
could be a no more tickled individual than
Barney To get away from the Browns
and get a berth with a winning team is
more than hH had hoped for and there
is no doubt that he will make a special
effort to deliver the goods for Griffith.
Barney says that his arm Is as strong as
ever, and that he will prove it just as
soon as he gets an opportunity. which
will undoubtedly be against the Athletics,
team against which he has been par
ticularly successful in the past
Aside from Johnson, every man in the
squad is in perfect condition. The work
the players have been doing lately has
been of the highest order, and in cities
where it followed the Athletics critics
and spectators did not hesitate to say
that the Nationals made better impress
sion than did the worlds champions. But
1t is plain to see that the Athletics are
coming at terrific gait. Connie Mack 8
team is now playing it's best ball, and
the Nationals realize that they will have
their hands full. But there is whole
lot of confidence in the ranks. The play
ers do not fear the champions and VIII
go at them with lot of determination.
With Johnson out of consideration for
the game tomorrow it is more than likely
that Tom Hughes will be called upon to
do the twirling against the Athletics.
Long Tom is in great shape and the only
game in which he did not show to adj
vantage was last Friday, when a stiff
wind which blew across the Cleveland
field interfered with his curve ball and
NAL conditions Hughes can be relied upon