The Washington herald., 1912-08-08

baseball this season. Boston, Wash
side the money. 1t will be three
cornered fight to the bitter, bitter
end. l Still believe the Athletics
have a chance, although Boston
and Washington are holding the
whip hand right now.'
The signing of Frank Laporte. the st.
Louis slugger. means the passing OF Ray
Morgan unless tho youngster begins to
show more hitting strength than has
been in evidence the past month.
Laporte Joins the Nationals in st.
Louis tomorrow. Grin tonight refused
to state whether or not he would put
the slugger into the game at once or
have him hold down a utility role. but
it is believed that Laporte will soon be
in the Nationals lineup to stay.
It is Just possible that the Old FOX
will refuse to break up a winning COM
bination, for during the memorable trip
through the West last June Mr.. Morgan
was very conspicuous with his timely
hitting. and Griff may figure that II
would not be policy 10 make shift at
this stage Of the game.
club. was a visitor at the hotel to-day
and would like to grab one or two or
Griffs young players. AS Duffy has
nothing to offer in exchange that would
bolster up the team, there was nothing
doing in the trade line
Duffy was amazed at the wonderful
improvement shown by Chick Gandil.
the Nationals rangy first sacker. 1t VIII
be remembered that Duffy let Gandii
go to Montreal when the former was
manager Of the Chicago White Sox.
"Gandil looks so per cent better IN
every department than he did when 1
had him. was Duny's comment
Gr:n has decided not to sign either
Harry Vernon. the former Amherst
pitcher. or Dunlay, the Chicago semi
pro infielder. Both of these players
worked out with the Nationals in prac-
tice before to-day's game. but did not
look impressive to the Old Fox
CLYDE Milan is sore all over and re-
fused to be. consoled this evening II
seems that Milan's family down in LIN
den, Tenn. came to Chicago to spend
one day for the first time to see clyde
play ball. The Milan family appeared
here yesterday, and just as they got
comfortably seated Clyde came to bat
Tne tennessee HN ~ -
strike and was benched for the nrst
time in his life by an umpire.
CLYDE was unable to show the foiks
what he could do in a ball game, as the
family left this morning for Tennessee.
Bob Groom last night departed for his
home in Belleville, Ill, just across the
border from st. Louis. The lanky nlng-
er will spend a couple OF days In the
bosom Of his family and join the CLUB
Friday.
Walter johnson. who pitched this aft
ernoon will go to his home In Corey
Vile Kans., from st. Louis, and will
not report until Sunday, when he is
scheduled to pitch the final western
game on this trip.
Sentiment out West this year is
whole lot stronger for Griff's Nationals
and the Boston Red Sox than for Connie
Nack's lads, the Athletics. Everywhere
the Nationals go admiring baseball rams
flock 10 the hotel to see the players,
shake hands with Grif, and say: we
are all pulling hard for Washington to
win the pennant.
The Athletics by virtue Of their land
ing the dag two successive years are no
big a drawing card this season as last
year. while, on the other hand, large
crowds have turned out to see Grin 8
Climbers in action. Even In Detroit
when the Nationals were beaten the
grand stand crowd was with Washing
ton, and, If the truth be told, the ma
jority of them were sorry to see their
own team win.
II announcement counts for anything
N Calfad
away already.
Grifr entered into a long explanation
as to why he has sent the sacrifice play
into the discard pack, and adopted the
hit-and-rpn style. He says that the sac
rifice is a good one-run play. but claims
one-run innings do not make winning
ball teams. 1t is the club that gets runs
in punches that is successful, according
to Griff, and the standing OF his team
in the race would bear out the theory.
The leader of the Nationals Is be-
lever in taking chances on the bases.
and mixing up the hit and run with the
straight steal. Perhaps nothing Will bet
ter show the little use to which wash
ington has resorted to the sacrlnce than
the records OF the American League. A
perusal Of the sacrifice hit column will
reveal interesting facts.
Just look it over, you washington rams,
and compare the small number OF sac
rifice hits credited the Nationals with
the hits cbalked against the other play
ers in the Ban johnson circuit
Chick Gandil has the motorcycle bug,
and when the club returns 70 the Cap
ital he is going to purchase one. The
big first sacker leaned how to manipu-
late the two-wheeled vehicle several
years ago, and declares that a fellow
can have more fun with motorcycle
than with an automobile.
WILLIAM PEET.
- - >O n -