The Washington herald., 1912-06-19

CHICK GANDIL A HIT.
Chick Gandn, the rangy FIRST sacker.
who was obtained from the Montreal
club Of the International League, made
his debut before q Washington audience,
and Gandns hitting helped Groom win
| the ball game. The first sacker not only
drove in the winning run in the last half
/ Of the ninth. but he sent over the Ma
Milan with a two-bagger in the seventh.
and came home himself in that round
with tie run which put the home folks
| in the lead.
The snappy practice Of the Climbers,
sensational work OF Mcbride and Foster
! in the field, linked with three dandy run
ming catches by Milan. brought the vast
throng to its feet time and again during
the afternoon.
The Athletics were powerless before
Bob Groom until the seventh. when the
lanky finger weakened and three runs
poured over the plate, putting the tribe
of Mack one run TO the good. As has
been the case while on the road, the
Climbers laughed at a one-run lead, and
in their half Of the seventh sent over two
tallies, assuming the lead again. Groom
pulled himself out Of a tight hole in the
eighth, and after he had retired two
gents in the ninth it looked as II the
ball game was over, out Catcher Egan
came along with a three-bagger, knot
ting the count, and It remained for the
Climbers to pull the game out Of the
fire in the ninth, which they did in a
sensational manner.
Confident All the Time.
At no time during the game did the
young athletes under Clark Grifith be-
lieve the worlds champs would beat
them. Were they not on the home field,
among friends, and had they not Just
cleaned up everything IN the West? The
idea Of Philadelphia snatching the game
was laughed at on all sides. II was this
spirit more than anything else that land
ed the victory, Just as the youngsters
have been pulling down games In the
West the past three weeks.
The ground was in poor shape, soft
and heavy, and It looked as il showers
might interfere at any minute. Cy Nor
gan, the famous Minstrel Man, who has
already proved a bugaboo to the Ma
tionals, opened the game on the mound
day for his spitball, and was fairly eff
fective. In the sevnth the Minstrel Man
was relieved by Houck, and in the ninth
Connie Mack introduced TO US young
Pennock, a left handler. Pennock pos
sesses a nice. easy motion, and seemed
to pitch the brand OF ball Just suited to
Chick GandiI, for it was OF this youth
that Gandn connected for his winning
single, a smoking blow to right.
To the writer, who has followed the
Nationals on their triumphant tour Of
the West, yesterdays exhibition was but
a mediocre affair, and not typical OF the
true strength Of the club. Ray Morgan,
Shanks, and Moeller failed to hit up to
their form, and these youngsters have
been potent factors in many Of the re-
cent victories. The enforced lay-off ap-
peared TO have slowed the team per
ceptibly, and in Philadelphia to-day. a
far different exhibition will doubtless be
in evidence.
johnson still Weak.
Walter johnson was slated to pitch
yesterdays game, but the big fellow is
still a trife weak and suffering from a
severe sore throat, so the burden fell
upon the shoulders of Bob Groom, who
has been given more than his share of
work during the past two weeks. Groom,
although suffering from an abcess in
the back, started the game, and al
though threatened with annihilation sew
eral times struck to his task manfully.
He allowed eleven hits and the Nationals
only pulled down eight of the champs
fingers, but with the exception of the
seventh, Sir Robert kept the clouts well
scattered.
After Moeller had perished in the Ma
tionals' opener. Eddie Foster smashed to
deep center. Rube Oldring stcuk up his
hand and the ball just grazed his finger
tips. Milan went out via the Collins
McInnis route, but along came Chick
Gandil with a corEing single to center
and Foster romped home.
The Nationals second tally was hand
ed them on a silver platter, but 1t was
all in the luck Of the game, and the tally
counts just as much as an earned run
in the Official averages Groom was hit