Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-21
BY J. ED GRILLo.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
PHILADELPHIA, June 21.-There is no
reason for any protracted research for the
cause Of the present slump Of the Ma
tionals. The proposition is a simple one
to solve and the information can be OBJ
tanned by mere glance at the team 8
base hit column. Cast your eyes on the
performance of the two first men in the
batting order and you have the answer.
On the western trip Moeller and Foster
were not only hitting. but they were con-
stantly on the bases from some source or
other. A base hit by any one of the three
batters following them meant runs and 1t
was easier to get these hits with men on
the bases than with them off, for the
reason that base runners worry inflelders
Now it Is different. Moeller and Eos
ter have fallen into a batting slump In
the last six games Moeller has failed to
make a single hit. while Foster has hit
safely once. The men behind them have
gone along at the same old gait. but their
| efforts have awaited nothing, because
there has been no one on to score.
! There is no explanation why Moeller
| and Foster should slump further than to
say that all players have such stages OF
| incompetency. If such it dare be called.
but the fact remains that their inability
| to keep up the pace they set while the
| team was in the ives: Is causing the ac-
cumulation of defeats There will, OF
course. be change for the better. 1t Is
impossible to imagine that two sucn bril-
liant players are going to fall by the
| waySide all of sudden. but until they
F, recuperate victories are going to be few
| and far between.
Just what figure luck cuts in base ball
Il t11n uriS hoV hoan oh
| determine. but it is generally conceded
| that luck is most important factor. The
| Athletics, for instance. are lucky that
| this series should come to them at a
/ time when Walter johnson is unable to
| work. He would have pitched at least
\ two of the games against the champions
and might have Won them both, but re-
/ CARELESS of what the outcome of these
| games might have been his presence on
| the bench would have had moral in
| fiuence on the team which beat the
| Giants for the worlds title last fall
| There is no team in the league which re-
! spects Johnson S ability more than do the
Athletics. and just as soon as they learned
| that Johnson was Ill and not with the
| them they grew decidedly arrogant and
| cockey. Not only have the champions
/ had the benefit of Johnson's absence, but
| they have caught two of the Nationals
| best men in batting slump. and the
| combination of good luck has proved
| blessing for them
/ But tnere Is no reason Tor alarm so lar
as Griffith's team is concerned. though,
| of course, one is annoyed by the rather
| doubtful showing 1t has made in the
J games here. But 1t will come back to its
| gait in very short time. and when it
| does it Is very apt to make amends for its
i shortcomings now.
Just in what estimation Clark Griffith
! yesterdays game For some reason or
| other play was suspended. and Griffith
| who was coaching at. first base. engaged
in a conversation with McInnis We'll.
we broke that winning streak Of yours,
| didn't we," declared McInnis.
| Yes, You did, but you're lucky lot.
! I consider you a four-hushing lot of
champions. and just to show you what l
think Of your team I'll bet YOU $1OO that
we beat you out
| McInnis took the bet and it was re-
corded. whereupon Griffith declared that
| any other member OF the Athletics could
be accommodated for as much as they
| pleased.
1t is not likely that Walter Johnson
| will be able to work in the series here.
He wired Griffith yesterday that while
he was feeling better he did not think 1t
possible for him to work for three days
yet Griffith is thinking seriously of hav-
ing Johnson report here, however, SO that
if necessary he might be able to use him
for an inning or so. yet he does not want
to work. If Johnson does not work here,
he will have a busy time of it next week,
| when both Boston and the Athletics are
scheduled to play in Washington. john
series. for it is Griffith's desire to make
a particularly good showing against
these teams.
the Washington club. though it is not at
| all likely that he will don a National uni
form again. The Montreal club when 1T
took Becker in part of the deal for Gandil
| forced Griffith to assure it that Becker
| would make good. and in the event of his
failure the player was to be returned to
Washington and the Montreal club paid a
| certain amount Becker. it would seem.
/ failed to make good with the Canadian
team and he has been sent home. The
| Washington club will have to pay another
i sum to satisfy that club for giving up
Gandil. while Griffith will have to put in
| some little time finding a club which Will
buy Becker.
Things are breaking mighty nice for
| the champions. Hits come at the right
/ time these days. and they are not always
clean cut either. In the first game yester-
day Engel lost tough game. scratch
hits beating him in the sixth. Lord start
I ed the round with q clean drive to left.
Then Oldring dropped a Texas Lacquer
] into the same territory and Collins sac
rificed. Baker was walked purposely. and
after Strunk had flied out McInniS came
up.
McInnis has hit about two balls into
| right field in his life, and one Of them
came on this occasion. It was a little fly
which any child could have caught. but
| as Moeller was shifted far around towar I'd
| center it fell safe. cleared the bases and
| Melted him three-base hit That hit vir-
tually ended the game, for the Nationals
never scored on Plank, though they had
him In many tight places. from which he
/ might not have emerged had he not gain
| ed this big lead.
Gandil continues to play consistent ball
He has not let up in the least in his
hitting and is still playing the base like
a real star. But unfortunately Gandil's
hits are not coming with men on the
bases, for the reason already stated, that
the head of the batting order is slumping
and not hitting the ball. But Gandil is
establishing himself. He is proving him
self one of the best performers on the
the fact that he has no superiors and
few equals in this league playing first
base.
| Brown who pitched for the Athletics in
the second game for the first time this
spring, made q respectable showing and
II was not his fault, either. for IL seemed
that most any kind OF a pitcher could
have beaten the Nationals. who. barring
Gandil. were doing no hitting at all.
| Griffith will send Bob Groom back after
the champions today. Though the tall
| twirler has had but two days rest, Crit
| to take this step. He has but one pitcher
M ho