The Washington herald., 1912-06-23
BOSS GRIFF SAYS
SLUMP is OYER;
WILLSTARTAGAIN
Nationals Crafty Leader Confident
the Team VIII Steam
Along Now.
REACTION Is SURE TO COME
After Winning Seventeen Straight,
Slump WAS Due, but Players
Rallied Quickly.
spoah to me waahinstoa Hsral4

SPECIAL to The washins4oa Hsr4ld
Philadelphia, June zI-Well. fans, it
came-like the sudden swapping of a
moving picture house reel, the Nation
ais sensational winning streak was
broken in Philadelphia last Wednesday,
when Frank Baker, the famous slugger,
put the ball over the right field fence
for a home run.
Seventeen victories in row, the Ma
tiobals counted up, including one game
in Boston, one in the Capital, and every
battle scheduled in the West Such a
record has never before been made by
major league ball club Each victory
was clean cut won by the members
of GrifPs young team for the reason
that Washington played better ball than
the other fellows
The reaction was bound TO come No
ball club in the world can set such
pace and keep it up very long. The
losing of two double headers in as
many days in Philadelphia was due to
the Nationals slump, and these defeats
sent the club tumbling down the ladder
from second to fourth place.
STAY At HOME WILL HELP.
To an old campaignsr Ike Clark Grif-
nth, the setback in Philadelphia has
come at the right time, at the fag end
OF a long list Of games played on for
eign diamonds. Grin figures that with
lengthy stay at home the present
slump will soon be overcome and his
bunch Of hustling youngsters win start
again, and barring accidents the Ma
tionals' pilot believes that Washington.
Boston, and the Athletics will be SO
closely punched at the end Of the sea-
son, say about two weeks before its
close, that these clubs will fight it out
for first place, and II the Nationals are
favored with the lucky breaks, Wash
fngtOn has a chance to breeze in nrst.
II sounds mighty queer to hear a base
ball manager IN Washington making
claims for the pennant, but Griff is do
ing so, and the strangest part OF all he
Is absolutely serious. I've got a great
young club this season." he adds, they
have not begun to play the kind Of ball
they viii later on, II We are fortunRts
not to have injuries or sickness, conn
IDENTIFY believe the Nationals will be right
up with the leaders next October for
a neck and neck squirt toward the pen
nant / may be wrong, but just keep
your eyes open and see II 1 DO not come
pretty near telling the truth
Walter JOhnsOns illness last week
came at a crucial time. It IS true the
Nationals were able to beat Cleveland
without Johnson, and also won that
memorable game IN Washington last
Tuesday without the great pitcher, but
had Johnson been IN shape, GrIf would
have worked him against the Athletics
in Philadelphia Wednesday. Walter was
slated to pitch the first game. which
would have made the Nationals eight
eenth straight victory. and had the frst
game gone to Washington IL would have
been a good even money bet that the 4
second would also have fallen into GrLfr-s
pocket.
Hughes Pitched Wonderful Game.
This is all probIematical Of course, but
the feeling prevails among the players
that Johnson would have won, although
he could not possibly have pitched bet
ter ball than did Hughes, for Long Tom
gave a wonderful exhibition and surely
to win. but there is something
Continued on Page -Four.