Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-20
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Under Griffith every pitcher on the To-
| cal team has been improved. There is
nothing about the tWirling end of base
| ball that Griffith does not know. and with
| 1t all he has the knack of imparting his
knowledge to those under him. Perhaps
| the only pitcher that Griffith. has not
worked with is Walter Johnson, who i'm
! proved by reason of his own experience.
But the young fellows who without ex-
| ception reported green hands to Griffith
last spring are gradually being made
pitchers of ability. These youngsters have
been carefully handled. None of them
has been pushed to any extent but they
have all worked hard nevertheless For
them this season has been one Of educa-
ton. and by next season it is expected
that they will be able to take their regu-
lar turns on the slab.
It has always been conceded that in
his day Griffith was one of the greatest
pitchers in the game. While not pos
sessed of a remarkable arm. he knew
the game thoroughly and what he lacked
in speed and curves he made up in
knowledge of the art
Ball players can but seldom be taught
to hit. Practice however. improves their
fielding; but pitcher who has some
thing can be made star when taught
how to use what he has. and this is
sters. and even with some of his sea
soned tWirlers.
There is not one chance in thousand
for the Nationals to finish worse than
third. They stand a good chance to be
the runners-up in the race, and there is
still remote chance of their winning
the pennant
When the season opened the most ar
dent supporter of the team hoped for
nothing more than to see the team finish
with a percentage of 800. That would
have been considered a most creditable
performance for a team which had never
been able to make so good a mark since
Washington has been represented in the
major leagues There is perhaps no more
remarkable case of rejuvenating a major
league team than the Nationals have
shown this year. The team is the great
surprise of the season, and the chances
are that Griffith now has the material
with which to keep his team in every
race for years to come, even though he
wins no pennants.
As matters now stand the west is not
apt to be vitality interested in the next
worlds series. which apparently will be
played between New York and Boston.
1t would have been better for the game
If one of the western teams had figured
in one of the pennant races. FOR the sec
tional rivalry would have added much TO
the interest of the series. But New York
and if the weather is favorable the
chances are that all records for receipts
will be broken this year. There is also
reason for believing that the weather will
not play the pranks it did last fall. for
this year the seasons in the t-so major
leagues close simultaneously, ana there
will be no necessity for either OF the PEN
nant winners to wait on the other to FIN
ish the regular season, as has been the
case heretofore.
Even though New York wins the PEN
nant in the National League it will be
doubtful il McGraw will be given credit
for having the strongest team. The Little
Napoleon of base ball simply outgeneral-
ed his rivals in that he had his team
more fit at the outset of the campaign,
and by reason of this advantage was
enabled to gain SO comfortable a lead that
the slump which his Giants suffered was
not sufficient to dislodge them out of the
lead.
Going on the theory that one game
counts just as much as another, Nc
Graw sent his team along at ter
rife pace early in the campaign. He
played his rivals off their feet and cam
not sit back with the lead which mis-
team has gained. AS yet he hasn't
the pennant assured. but since Il has
been impossible for his rivals to over
take him he has been able to relieve
his players Of much Of the strain which