Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22
NEEDS MORE STARS
TOW|NAPENNANT
Griffith's Team as It Finished
Last Season Lacks Class
to Be on Top.
PITCHER, INFIELDER AND
OUTFIELDER REQUIRED
Bunch of Recruits May Fur
nish Material Needed Bos-
ton and Athletics Strong.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

and con as to the Nationals
chances to win the next pennant.
Those who have figured that Grit
fith's team stands good chance
to beat out its seven rivals next
season have based their contention
on the good showing the team
made last season, after a rather
mediocre start, and the fact that its
achievements were accomplished
with a team which was largely
made up OF young and untried ma
terial. Naturally, it is figured that
these young players will show i'm
provement, and another advantage
will be gained BY the fact that
the team will be intact from the
outset next spring
Griffith's team is sure to have a
strong following all over the cir
cult. Base ball enthusiasts are
usually with the under dog, and as
the Nationals have been chronic
tailenders for so many years their
splendid squirt last season found
the ians in nearly every city pull
ing for them. But this public
support, though it be of merely a
moral nature, is not going to help
win a pennant. Griffith needs a
lot of strength on the field to &C
complish this feat, and it remains
to be seen if he has it or not.
Certain II Is that there was strength
lacking last season. Griffith wound up the
season with three positions not quite
up to the standard, notwithstanding the
fact that he finished a good second
There is no denying the fact that left
field was weak spot because Of the in
ability of Shanks to hit up to the usual
standard expected from an outfielder
though he helped his team much by his
brilliant fielding Milan and Moeller are
a splendid pair. and with another strong
hitter to support them, there would be
no reason for complaint.
The infield. too. has a hole. II 1t were
possible to combine Morgan's stiffness
with Laporte's hitting procllvities, 1t
would probably be all well and good, but
as matters are. second base is by no
means satisfactorily filled.
n
other high-erade pitcher. johnson and
Groom are not enough to carry a team
through to the top. That must be con-
coded. Now, OF course. IL may happen
net Shanks VI improve his hitting. that
Mo @an or Laporte will play second
n9So 20 per re".!on and that a couple of
II, : ,ing pitchers will come through
- whirl. hui that is almost expecting
TOO HH'' and 1t is pretty safe 20 say
t.s.t drifS+ such miracles happen Griffith
--t'i.- tt<. material win "A remnant in
"a CO pany. He will be in the race to
't SIRE, lot he average team which wins
remnant must outclass its rivals in
more ways than one. 1t is easy enough
TO make a lot of claims for the team at
this season of the year. but these amount
to nothing when the actual struggle be-
gins IL is we'll, therefore. to look the
facts fully in the face and when this &c
done no hing but remarkable turn of
good luck can make IL possible for the
Nationals to lead the American League
next October
incldentaily there is no reason for
supposing that either Boston or Phila-
delphia will be weaker next season. II
Is true that teams which win remnants
frequently take astounding slumps the
next year overconhdence and perhaps
touch of high life during the off-sea son
made possible by the remuneration coming
from the worlds series may set a lot
of players back. but it is hard to figure
So far as the Athletics are concerned n
seems to be agreed by most managers
critics and fans that Connie Mack will
have contender next season. and n
would not be at all surprising II his old
champions made a runaway race of II
That Is still wonderful team made so
by the great strength II has on its in
field. But Mack's outfield, too. promises
to be much improved. and If his pitchers
come up to the standard or rather If
Bender VIII behave it's not long odds NV
any means that the Athletics would come
back.
IT is. OF course; natural that these are
the two teams which the Nationals have
To beat None of the Other ia Npurad
TO have much of chance for the varv
good reason that without execution al,
of them were disappointments last year
and VIII have TO be fortunate in the So
lection of the new material in order tn
improve conditions. And yet some of
these teams are sure to be stropper
New YORK, with Chance "a its head. might
prove stumbling block. and St Io,Iis
with Its corps of good pitchers is not 90
ing to he easy. while that Cleveland team
seemed to have a new lease on life last
fall. after Chapman and Johnston got TO
going properly. Chicago and Detroit are
of course, always dangerous. Even act
season. when neither finished very high
these teams made trouble at times. so
cannot be figured easy.
IL is rather hazardous thing IN n;ob
any team, he il ever so strong 10 ,,,n
pennant during the off season So
many things can happen and the element
of luck cuts so large figure that even
strength does not necessarily mean sue
cess.
Last spring Griffith was decidedly for
tunate in picking SO many young han
players who made good He ONLY had
slight nucleus then for winner. and
the drop-ins made the team This year
he needs only a man or two to give his
team the strength which IL now seems
20 lack as a pennant possibility and II
remains to be seen IL good fortune will
stay with him long enough to accom-
plish this. Let one of these outfield re-
cults prove a good steady hitter and one
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