The Washington herald., 1912-04-20
Walter johnson Holds the
Athletics to hut Three
Scattered Hits.
BROWN Is INTRODUCED
Ycungster Is Given Trial in Big
Show-PerfOrmance of Grif's
Men Pleases Crowd.
By WILLIAM PEET.

Walter Johnson did it.
Connie Mack's worlds champs
never had look-in.
Eight thousand fans braved the
cold weather and left the park sat
isied.
The score, 6 to 0, shows just
how effective was the Kansas
Cyclone yesterday. He allowed
three scattered hits and struck out
eight.
1t was hoped that Connie Mack
would send in his mainstay, Jack
Coombs, but the crafty manager
decided to try out one of his young
sters, Brown by name, who last
season pitched winning ball for the
New. Britain club of the Connecti-
cut League.
Mr.. Brown shows considerable
promise, and with perfect support
would have probably held the score
yesterday TO three runs. Brown
will be nursed along in Connie
Mack's own style, and will some
day prove a big help to the, White
Elephants.
Cold Weather Thins Crowd.
Only tile cold weather marred opening
day here. At that it is estimated that
5000 fans witnessed the frolic. The brass
band was there and lot of enthusiasm
uncorked. The roar which went up when
the Nationals scored their first run could
be heard for squares.
There was no possible luke about the
victory. Grihiths Hopefuls outbatted,
outhelded. and Walter Johnson outpitch-
ed the opposition. True the score would
not have been as large had Amos Strunk
held a fly ball in deep left when two
hands were down and the bases loaded
in the fifth, but 1t was nice. clean stick
work which earned the Washington taIlies
in the second and fourth frames.
4 ball club always looks good when it
is winning. and Johnson's superb pitch
ing yesterday caused the Nationals tc
appear like a first division aggregation
Give johnson one run when he is in
form and he can beat almost any ball
club in the American League. with the
proper support. Such sluggers as Good
Night Baker, Rube Oldring, and Danny
Murphy failed to connect for anything
that even smelled like safe swat yes
terday. Eddie Collins and Strunk col
lected the only clean drives of the big
Kansan. Barry is credited with a hit in
the fifth, which was. igrounder too hard
for Foster to handle properly. This was
all Johnson allowed in the way of liber-
ties.
Flynn, Schaersr, Mcbride. and johnson
each grabbed two safe sWats Dan Noel
Ter hit in hard luck, but the Nationals
ielded well, and there was plenty of speed
displayed on bases.
Best Club in Years.
The majority Of the fans present were
Of the opinion that Grifr has under his
wing the -best-looIxing young ball club
ever representing the National Capital,
one which will win a lot Of games before
The 1872 season draws to close.
Eddie Ainsmith worked behind the bat
with Walter johnson, and seemed a trifie
shaky early in the game, dropping num-
Der Of balls, but the youngster was right
there in pinch, and no third strikes got
away from him.
Midget Foster gave the fans an idea Of
his Ability by running over to the
stands and pulling down Strunk's foul fly
in the eighth, and also wound up the
game with clever stop of a hard-hIt
yrounder from McInnis' bat.
In only one inning. the sixth, did the
worlds champs get a man as far as
third base. In two other chapters the
visitors managed to send runners as far
as second. This represents in a nutshell