Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-01
BY J. ED GRILLO.

While there has never been any doubt
as to the harmonious condition which ek-
listed on the Washington team last sea-
son. there being not a rumor of any sort
of friction or dissension. it comes as
rather cheering news that the players
realize this state of affairs and appreciate
its value to their success
On another page of this issue appear
letters from nine members of the team,
most of them men who have worn the
uniform of the local club for several
wears. Every one of them points to the
fact that the best of feeling exists III
the ranks. as being one reason why there
is a chance for the team to finish AT the
ton of the heap next season. Those who
were in a position to observe the players
both on and off the field last season were
impressed with the friendliness Of tne
nlavers and the interest that they took
in each other. No comment was Ventured
on the subject however. and it was not
known until now that the players realized
that because of the good feeling that eX-
listed between them they We're greatly
increasing their chances for success
This state of affairs is almost entirely
due to the diplomacy displayed by Griffith
i'm dealing with his players. Grlff has
certain rules which he insists on being
lived up to. He made ii plain in the
spring that so long as PLAYER gave MN
the best he had ne would be sauShed
but that he would not tolerate violation
of the rules regardless of who the offend
ing player might be There II be no
fines or suspensions. said he, but play
ers of that caliber cannot be on any
team that / have anything to 90 With.
After he got rid OF Dixie Walker duf n E
the early part of the season. Griffith
never had to reprimand player. They
made mistakes, of course, but Gr1fhth Is
not of that temperament, winch can only
be satisfied by handing out calls Ball
nlayers appreciate this sort of treatment
and the result is that Griffith is in charge
of one of the best behaved, smoothest
working organizations in the history OF
the game.
Predicting pennant for any team is
rather a hazardous undertaking. Strength
alone guarantees nothing. So many
things can happen to throw team out
of a race, that even though 1t looks to have
a cinch when the season opens 1t may
soon find itself so far back in the mire
that there is not chance for it to re-
cover lost ground. The Athletics last
snrine looked to have "A walkoVer, Vet
finished third. Macks team if ANYTHING
looked stronger when the season opened
than it did the fall before, when il clean
ed UP the Giants in the worlds series.
hut il really never got to going properly
and was beaten for the flag long before
the season was over Something went
wrong with the then champions, though
on paper it looked to be by far the best
team. and undoubtedly was.
Boston owed its success last season not
only to the fact that the Red SoX played
consistently good bah from start TO fin
ish. but also because the team did not have
a mishap in the ranks which amounted TO
ANYTHING To have lost the services OF
Wood. Speaker or even Gardner in mid
season for a week or ten days would un-
doubtedly have. played havoc. But il
was their luck to go through from start
10 finish without an upset, and the re-
suit was, the pennant
On the other hand. it does not require
a great stretch of the imagination to
figure out that if the Nationals had been
as lucky they might have finished at the
top To begin with it was a bad break
not to have had Gandil at the outset
and then just when the team seemed in a
position to jump into the lead, Walter
johnson took i'll and did not pitch for
three weeks.
If Wood had encountered such mishap
Boston would not have been there. Noel
Ter, too, was out of the game several
times, his shoulder being dislocated
when he was doing his best work
Such things are apt to happen to any