The Washington times., 1912-04-14
Griffith Says Star Twirler
Must Not Perform Out
of His Turn.
!! CONFIDENT TEAM IS
! DUE FOR VICTORIES
Defeats in Philadelphia Fail to
Discourage Manager, Who
Discusses the Games.
By SENATOR"

son may not twirl the opening game In
the Capital City after all. 1t all de-
pends on how many games are played
4 here against Harry wolverton and his
battling Highlanders. Manager Grif-
nth declares he will not pitch johnson
out OF his turn simply because the
game In washington will be the FIRST
Eof the season.
"Fll pitch Walter next Thursday"
said Manager Griffith this morning, az
possible. II he has had sufficient time
for rest between his workout in this
city, it will be all right for him to go
Unto the box in Washington. However,
i If the interval ,s too brief, some other
pitcher will work that day before the
so far as can be learned the Nationals
leader is not a whit low spirited over
the double defeat handed out TO his
aggregation BY the worlds champions.
iyesterdays battle could not be played
according to schedule. He really figured
ta.victory over any pitcher but Bender,
and he had doped some other man to
pitch on account of the cold weather.
/ = Might Have Won.
MY, team. has played two games.
either ones of which they might have
won, Z, explained Manager Erqffth to the
written -4hadl a tsbeen Forthcoming at
one point in the game. I don't mind
being beaten in that kind of a contest
1 get peeved and lose my appetite,
though, when my team is trornced and
1.-THE winning team shows conclusively
its superiority over my lads. The Ath-
'letics have yet to do that.
For an experimental team, such as
mine isS they did very we'll to hold the
worlds champions down to such close
scores in those two games. They did
well enough to suit me. They might
True, they didn't do It, but that doesn't
change the condition Of things any.
Had Moeller or Flynn got a hit in
Thursdays game in the ninth inning,
score might have been different. When
games are as close as that my team is
doing well enough to suit me.
m6f course 1ve hat hits IN two a,. games es.t is
But remember that the Athletics. with
their record for being a slugging team,
did no better On their record they
eleven hits. They won their two games
and that makes the difference i'm the
eyes of the fans, but 1t shouldn't throw
sand in the eyes of the wise, thinking
fan He can compare the two teams
land he should find that our team has
made a good start, even though Its first
victory is yet to be won.
No More Changes. ..- ...
Il shall make no more changes in the
lineup; that is,, for awhile. feel that
the present bunch deserves a complete
trial in their several positions and II
would not be fair to shift them around
ts sas Sgt ta Until as thsy oa nsSe as Rsh
now each and every one of tRem is play
ing good enough ball for this season
of the year, and after q training season
considered by most as the poorest In
Just to illustrate what I mean, take
Milan's case. IL didn't know him to
be one OF the stars Of the major
in Jig time on his showing to date. He
can't hit and Is, therefore. OF little
use on the basesi In the field he has
had little to do, and were he green
canning him today.
But they'll come, they'll come. I
know that Milan. Schaefer, MoellerI
Flynn. knight, and Foster can hit, and
will begin to do so in a week or SO. With
that crowd hitting as they have shown
they can, and my pitchers going as well
as they are now it'll take good team
to win consistently from the Nationals" :"
II the.4weather admits tomorrow, Wal
ter johnson will open the series against
the IIighlanders. to be followed by
Groom and Gashion. All three lads are
in .excellent condition and should be
& able to travel the whole distance.
: Pitching the opening game here tomor-
row. will give johnson Sufficient time to
go in the box once more on Thursday
in Washington, However, IL he does not
( pitch until Tuesday or "Wednesday, he
will not he seen in the opening struggle
Z on the Florida avenues diamond.
--s- Dash and Pepper.
Several things are most noticeable in
+ the work of the Nationals now that the
campaign is under way. First and fore
most is their, wonderful display of dash
and pepper. To see them all quarreline
over decisions on balls and strikes, sell
dom letting one go by without some re-
mark, will be a strange sight to Wash
ington fans. 1t was for mere harm
less coaching OF Johnson from the
players bench that caused the banish'
ments of l"Red" Walker last Thursday
The bench-warming outfelder simply
couldn't help his encouraging yells from
the subway, so interested was he in the
game. Such conduct would have beer
froMned upon by the manager iad sea, 4
Other teams did 1t and won games.
From the cry, "Play ball!'' the entire
National infield is coaching its pitcher
and the melodious strains of Herman
deep right held. Mcbride and Flynr
are foremost IN this phase of the teams
game, and they deserve the support o.
every fan for 1t, too. And now ano
then come the tenor notes of Dump
Mcbride is a real captain thfs year
not a mere figurehead, He wants al
questionable decisions explained by IN
umpire, and he had Silk QLoughlii
and. Westerveit. the latest addition 4
tIa, ranks of American League officials
worried to death with his ceaseiess run
ming IN from his position to chat will
the indicator gent. He is playing nev
styIe 81 baseball. that's all. a style tina
ouRht to prove popular in Washington.
II is Manager Griffths idea that to-
many games are lost simply through
lack OF fiehting spirit on the field. I'll
rnornink meetings are for the purpos
tf drilling this logic into the heads 0
his players until he has them imbue
from Their two performances TO dat
he fnding Wiling listeners, too.
"1'Ve been Eiteher, says Glifftf