The Washington herald., 1912-05-26

N az Wake of tIe Mation
D. WILLIAM PEBT.

-
70 reports. the tail boy DOES not graduate
nom the dental college this June He
has just finished his irSt year. and has
two more to 90.
Il don't know whether / passed the
exams or not" Knight said IN answer 10
the question. they do not notify you
Until the fall II ] failed 70 pass VIII
over again"
when knights basstan days are over
he is going 70 provide himself with
means OF making a livelihood, which
shows that the young man Possesses
a wise head on his shoulders
At least a dozen weI-knovn New
York business men have called on Man
ager Grinth at the hotel here since the
club has been 70 Gotham. Just to shake
hands with the Nationals boss and wish
him good luck. One fan vouehsafed the
remark that ';the Yankees have never
had real ball club since the hrst year
Grin took hold Of the American League
forces and handed Frank Farrelfs in
terests." This, club. It win be remem-
bered, lost the American League cham
pionship BY wild pitch. Jack Chesboro
being the offender.
Howard shanks, the YOUNGSTOWN re-
cruit, Is having the time Of his life
This is his hrst real trip with a big
league ball club and he enjoys every
minute
shanks appeared In the corridor Of the
Somerset Hotel Saturday and on his
head was little dinky cap. Tom
Hughes. the veteran pitcher, called
shanks over to him and said:
For heavens sake. Shanks, don't you
know that you are a big Lacquer now.
What do you want to wear a bush
league cap for?"
Inc youngster blushed and soon disap-
peared little later he Joined the boys
This time he wore the regulation straw
Harry Davis, while a member OF the
Athletics, was Connie Mack's hrst Heu-
tenant, and was given credit for much Of
the success attained by the champions
He was picked as being one OF the brain
lest players in the game, so when he
left Mack and went to Cleveland to as
sumo charge OF the Maps, few could
see where he possibly could fan as a
manager. They pointed out that as be
was great field general he undoubtedly
would make a capable manager.
However, the veteran FIRST baseman
hasn't as yet set the world on IRE with
his leadership. OF course. Il is too early
to point him out as a complete failure.
and he may get the team on a winning
basis IN the near future. yet II must be
confessed that he has not, so far. lived
up to the reputation which preceded him
to the Forest City. George Stovan left
Davis a good club, one that surprised the
FfTa ~ q
was thought that the former Athletic
would have but little trouble in keeping
the team cn the winning road from the
beginning this season. but he has failed
to a large extent. Il only goes to show
that a player like Davis may make a
good field marshal. but when II comes
to managing club it's a different prop
osition-
Perhaps the most noticeable feature Of
the baseball tactics this year Il the tend
ency to hit at the first ball pitched.
Ordinarily that is considered a boob
trick. and managers suspend bright
young men who Try IL; but this season
a change has come over the spirit Of
their dreams. In Philadelphia and Bos-
ton II was especially noticeable, and in
New York II Is back again. St Louis
has kept pace with the procession. and
the boys are taking a whack at the first
ball. IL It looks good and there are men
on bases.
While the don't hit the first bail
pltched'' idea has been rampant among
regular basballists for a long time, lay
observers have been prone to question
its wisdom. Their doubts were sustained
last year At the worlds series, when
fully seven out OF ten OF the men who
went 70 the plate tried to hit the first
ball. knowing that the orthodox rule was
for the pitcher to slam 1t straight over
the plate and get one on the batter. That
policy proved surprisingly successful for
10th teams and Is being followed this
year, with the result that another tradi-
ton Of baseball has been upset.
The idea in not hitting at the first bail
Is to try out the twirler and make him
work as much as possible, but when a
pitcher is going good and shows no signs
Of exploding. It has always struck many
fans as fool scheme to let him get q
strike on the batter and thereby lose a
chance to take swing at an easy propo-
siton. This seems to have percolated
the heads OF the managers, and the op-
posite policy Is being given a thorough
trial. with highly satisfactory results.
This country viii be represented by at
least one sculler at the Olympic games.
Samuel Gordon. Of the Vesper Boat Club
Of Philadelphia, viii row in the senior
single sculls. the executive board Of the
National Association Of Amateur Oars
mea having forwarded his entry to
Stockholm. The New York Athletic Club
and the Arundel Boat Club, Of Balti-
more. had planned to send crews. but
when It was found that each organiza-
ton would be compelled to raise 81, 900
to defray expenses a change OF heart
was experienced.
Owen Moran, The English special
weight. the only man who has ever
knocked out Battling Nelson. is finding
Il 80 hard to secure matches IN this
country that he threatsns to return home.
Jimmy johnson, who manages Moran,
has tried every way to secure meeting
for Moran with Leach Cross and K o.
Brown, but these battiers do not care for
any Of the Britisher's game. II the
worst comes to worst. johnson whites
that he would be willing to match Moran
against Johnny Rilbane.
Rhoderick Wallace. manager Of the St.
Louis Browns, tried to make a catcher
out Of Big Kutina. the South Michigan
League recruit, whose job Is at first
base. The Browns secured George Sto-
vail for first, which made Kutina lose
his call on that Job. Since the Browns
need a catcher, wallace concluded that
he might make one OF Kutina, but one
trial convinced wallace that Kutina was
not the desired party.
Instead Of watching the ball. Kutlna
insisted on watching the bat. and the
result was that Rutina's body was badly