Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-19
lan Has to Steal But One More Base to Equal League ReC0
MILAN NEARLY EQUALS TVS
RECORD FOR STOLEN BASES
Has to Steal But Two More to Establish
New Mark for American League.
Team Plays Excellent Ball.
BY ]. ED GRILLo.

BY j. ED GRILLo.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
ST. LOUIS, Mo, September BY
stealing four bases in the two games
against st. Louis yesterday Clyoe Mllah
is within one of equaling Ty Copo Amer
lean League record. established IN i"il'
when NE stole eighty-three bases. and IN
c,dentally made it certain to beat the
mark of the great Detroit player.
All Milan has to do in the remaining
thirteen games which the Nationals sui
have to play is to steal single pase 10
equal Cobb's record, and he Is sure 10 oo
much better than that, so that 'he
chances are he will break all American
Jeaeue records in the present campaign.
II has been Milan.s ambition all season 10
lead his league in stolen bases, ana ne
was much pleased after yesterday strus-
giles when he realized that he had nearly
eoualed Cobb's mark The rest OF the
tell should not prove difficult and 1t is
now his ambition to hang up a RECORD
which will not be reached for many years
to come.
In the first inning of the first game
when Milan forced Foster, he stole SEE
throw was wild. He was hit by pltched
ball in the fourth inning of this game.
and again stole. In the last game he
stole in the first inning after hitting
safely and he duplicated I'd TINS snt aii the
way to third when Stephens tnro" was
wide Of the mark.
Yesterday proved an eventful day for
the Nationals. Not only did their dual
victory give them undisputed right to
hut in
eaualing Cobb's base-stealing record. BOD
Groom won his eighth straight game,
while Alva Williams made batting mark
by hitting safely six times during the
day after being robbed OF cerea'n tnIee,
Dagger by a wonderful catch by Shotten
in the second game. Williams. who is
compelled to do all the catching during
the incapacity of Henry and Ainsmith, is
making good with vengeance Not
ONLY is he doing good work behind the
bat. but he is being given a chance to
display his prowess as hitter, now that
he is working regularly.
That it pays to be patient with pitch
err who shows ability is demonstrated in
the case Of Bob Groom. This is Groom s
fifth season with the Nationals. and 1t is
by far his hest. Formerly Groom was an
in-and- out performer. He would have his
good days, but more bad ones, and While
he appeared to have a lot of ability, he
was not a pitcher on whom the team
could rely. But a wonderful change has
come over him. and today. after five
years of experience in fast company.
Groom is second only to Johnson when
the teams pitching is considered He
has won eight straight games, and it
must be said to his credit that his last
victory showed him to be even better
than his first. Groom has learned lot
about pitching during the present season.
He has splendid assortment of deceiv-
ORG pd 4.
Gates that he belongs to the finished
twirlers. Groom has developed under
Griffith. whose stronghold is pitching.
In fact. all of the Nationals pitchers
who have been with the team for several
years have shown to better advantage
since Griffith took hold of them than ever
before.
Now that second place has been gained
by the Nationals, Griffith proposes to
make every effort to stay there. He fig
ures that the final fight for the position
will come when his team clashes with the
Athletics next week. If the Nationals
can win two Of the three games Griffith
believes the fight will be over and he
proposes to fortify himself for that series.
With this in view he does not expect to
work Johnson against the Browns at all.
but will hold him back to work the OPEN
ing game against the White Sox Friday.
After this game Walter will be sent home
to rest up, and will then pitch the OPEN
ing game against the Athletics. and. in
cidentally, also the final game, being
slated to work two Of the three. Groom
is slated to pitch against Chicago Sun
day. after which he will be sent home.
There are two off days. Monday and
Tuesday of next week. and If johnson
works the game Wednesday Groom ,will
have had three days rest, so that he can
work the second game against the cham
pions. If this plan works out we'll sec
ond place should be assured for the Ma
tionals. and it will be showing of which
every one interested in the Nationals can
well feel proud
Bob Groom did not have an easy game
of ball on his hands in the opener While
there was never a moment that he was
| not master of the situation he was forced
| to go the limit, because he was opposed
by that most troublesome individual, ALL
son. who has proved a stumbling block to
the Nationals on so many occasions this
season. But Groom was not in a mood to
be hit He struck out nine of the Browns
and while he allowed eight scattered hits
he was at his best when danger threat
ened. Behind him the team performed
| brilliantly. and this combination was
| strong enough to allow him to score a
shut out.
| ton. In fact. the big fellow never looked
better. The improvement in Cashion is
decidedly marked. Every time he works
he looks more like the finished article
that Griffith hopes to make him. Only
| once during the game did he have a weak
f, spell. and that was in the sixth. when he
| had wild spell and walked three men,
and the Browns scored their only brace of
runs. Five hits were all that were made
| on of his delivery. and he worked in a
manner that was most impressive getting
himself out of the few tight places he
| was in.
A month or so ago there were reasons
| for believing that there would not be as
| many clubs to beat out the Browns next
season as they would beat out but a
| change seems to have come over the team
and 1t is again playing in the old rut.
IThere was no comparison between it's
| work yesterday and that in the former
games they played with the Nationals
| That gingery spirit which marked their
| work earlier in the season seems to have
! left them. and the team once more looks
| to be destined to remain ct the bottom OF
! the race for some time to come True
Stovall has several pitchers who are trou.
| blesome, but the team lacks speed and
batting strength, and there is to say the
least, no immediate danger of it upset.
! ting tradition and making a real fight in
the next race.
| 1t is assured that the worlds series
will not be alternated between Boston and
New York after every game. Chairman
Hermann, Ban johnson and Tom Lynch
have already agreed that two games, are
to be played in each city consecutively
hyr 90 HAro H64 .A~t-r It'll