Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-23
BY j. ED GRILLO.

,Griffi,u'- team mas = aaanac for tie
lrnnant though ! hardly thiHk that u
IAN hand it this year remarked Hush"y
ten1fi,.-. :,ftnt. x,sf.rdav's ..s,le 1T
would lie expecting too much for so
young a team 10 bring HON. the bunting
the first year il j. organized, and Vet IT
seems To- have a splendid chance. II has
already accomplished more IN the present
race. than any one could possibly have
dreamed il would. and unless something
unforeseen happens il should be lighting
TOR the lead right down TO the finish ]
believe that the tinal struggle will he be-
tween Washington and Boston. for ! can
not see that tho Athletics are showing
enough 10 be seriously considered The
next western trip Will do much 10 decide
tic question al where the pennant VIII
-. If Boston does not encounter a slump
its present lead is plenty long enough to
land it. Washington's only hope is for
Ecston to get into losing rat for
week or so while ii Is winning.
This = "A fast team. which - sure
L. Improve III another year, and with an
addition Two may he developed into
+ great base ball machine. Gritfiths team
mas no Slow men ON IL, and - Well forfl-
ted in every respect. What u more. every
man on il has real ncentiv. Tor hust-
Ing. and that does much 10 weep il in the
race.
Boston has a good lead ~ this stage.
ami IL now depends ON which team can
tand tn strain of fighting hard the best.
Il ,iriffiths team keeps its nose close TO
the grindstpnc il may outSame Boston.
but the road Tor the leaders is not going
u he smooth from this out
Had Walter Johnson been forced Ia go
q; top speed through the entire game yes
'I-rday he would probably lave hung up
:, new Strike-out record. After striking
.,ai the side in both the first aud second
T. ings AMI tanning Works in the third
Johnson ct mp bit. III always does
- he finds himself enjoying
lead Johnson does not care FOR records
All III tries to accomplish j. IL win his
anne. and NJ cares little how many hits
are made ny the opposing team or how
mans men he strikes out. lie was in
excellent form yesterday. az was shown
rs the ease with which liz disposed of
IN Detroit slusgers during the early
innings But once in the lead he took
things easy.
Johnson pitched exactly eishty-two
palIs during the afternoon 1t required
eut thlrty-four balls To retire The Tigers
during the first five innings. and had 1t
been for the rally in the ninth he
would have gone through the game with
about seventy-four balls having been
pitched.
Ii was the first day in many weeks that
Ty Cobb did not have chance TO distin-
guish himself or help his batting aver
age, for T. went hitless during the after
noon The greatest batter in the world
when pitted against the greatest pitcher
in the game was forced 10 succumb TO
the prowess of the latter. Cobb struck
our the first time he faced Johnson. and
after that offered easy chances, always
after he had taken two unsuccessful
swings at the ball.
Eddie Foster made himself one of the
hat ~, fAl
nc practices the art. remarked Hughey
Jennings. Watch Foster in the batting
practice and IL can be understood why
NJ il able to place the ball almost where
n wants to- While other players seem
10 care for nothing more than to hit the
ball as hard as possible, Foster is up
there showing II into right and pulling 1t
into left. He may not hit a ball hard all
rhe time he is practicing, but he is learn
ing something all the time, and IL is this
fact which makes him one of the clever
est players with the bat that | have seen
since the days when Willie Keller was in
his prime
One would not suspect that the Tigers
were out of the race TO see Jennings
hustling the coaching lines He Is
working Just as hard as ne did in the
days when his team was leading the race
lighting for IL. He does not have an
idle moment during ball game. and 1t is
this fact which always makes the Tigers
= good drawing card.
Griffith's team seemed to be inspired
with the hustling spirit of the visitors,
and really looked better yesterday than
Il mas in weeks The players seemed to
rsalize that they must hustle against De-
troit If they hope 10 win, and they were
doing il yesterday.
Chick tiandiI quit the game after the
fourth inning. when the Nationals had
scored their flve runs. Chick apparently
- none the worse for the accident with
which ne met Saturday. but once the
game was safe Griffith thought IL best
- allow him 70 rest, and Scheafer took
M pace
sam Crawford was in a hitting mood
vesterdsy Though he struck out the
first tirne he faced Johnson and flied
cut the second time up. he finished with
two doubles to his credit. and they were
some hits. both hitting the scoreboard
OF . lin" and being good for the circuit
on an open field. When Crawford is hit
ting there are no better stickers. He
can drive a hall as far as any one and
II does not make any particular differ
.cnce either. who the pitchers happen
TO be
lin Vaughn Is slated 10 pitch this aft
rrnoon. Write Jennings will undoubtedly
work either MuIlin or Willett. Vaughn
should show improved form over any he
las Yer displayed here for he seemed TO
h. going better in every game that he
has pitched since Joining the team.