The Washington herald., 1912-05-16
BY WILLIAM PEET.

Headed by that canny little Scot, Bob
by Wallace, the St Louis Browns, tail
enders in the Ban Johnson circuit, make
their first appearance of the 1872 season
in the concrete coliseum this afternoon
The Ioyly. Browns; and how we like tc
refer to them as tailenders, have beer
putting up first-rate gameThis season
and are said to be much stronger than
last year but from where the Nationals
sit, looking down from third place they
are not likely to cause much trouble to
our first division heroes.
Weather permitting to-day, Boss Grin
will likely stack Walter johnson against
the Mound City tribe. st. Louis has not
beaten johnson since Hector was pup;
so just count this game as wen. II Is
also possible that Tom Hughes will be
elected TO face the Wallace clan, but
johnson would seem TO have the call.
The Browns, whose goats have been
kicked all around every lot in the Ameri-
can League. including their own, have
at last nailed their hat In the ring, and
jumped on it.
St. Louis presents vastly different
sort of club than the joke bunch Of last
season. Austin, LapOrte, and Wallace
are the three old-timers. Austin is hold
ing down third Wallace is alternating at
short with Callinan, while Derril Pratt.
youngster, is putting UP a whale Oh
game at second base, and with George
StovaIl on first, the infield looks much
stronger. In the outfield Hogan, Shotten-
and L.aporte are doing the honors.
In the box, Baumgardner, youngster,
has shown a lot of class. Lefty F'rill.
the Browns and c, and Hamilton,
with Barney Petty and Jack Powell.
comprise the pitching stan, not weak
looking outfit by any means. Behind the
bat St. Louis is shaky Krichell and
Stephens are doing the bulk of the work,
and neither receiver can boast of many
medals.
The present series is sure to prove in
teresting for the reason that it is believed
Manager Grifith will start his young
twirlers, Musser and Engel, in two of
the games. Up to date. neither of these
young men has been given a chance to
show what they could do against big
league hitters. II is almost certain that
Joe Engel will start one Of the games
Whether or not Germany Schaefer will
be played regularly on first base depends
a whole lot upon his hitting. The come
dian displayed a lot Of life and pep in
his work against the Maps here Tuesday,
and ,Grif may decide to keep him there,
sending Jack Knight back to second.
The constant rain Tuesday night and
yesterday caused the postpSnement Of the
final game Of the Cleveland series. This
respite was welcomed by the Forest City
club, as the team is not in the best Of
shape right now, and they figure that
later on in the season they will get back
those two games won by the Nationals,
with added interest.
The present Washington Cleveland
series stands two victories against the
same number Of defeats for each club.
The Detroit News says George Stovan
is making two managers feel sore every
time they take a peep at the batting
averages. Harry Davis did not want
Stovau and Detroit would not take him
when Cleveland tried to force him upon
the Tigers.
Now look what big George is doing
hitting 81 for st. Louis and fielding
second to none in the league.
Cleveland has found Hohnhorst useless
and Davis must depend on himself TO
play first. He knows as well as any one
how inefficient age has made him.
Owner Sommers, of the Cleveland club,
tried for three days to induce Detroit
to trade George Moriarty and Del Drake
to Cleveland for StovalI and Graney.
Stovan would look rather fair on Detroits
first base.
The showing made by Willie Ritchie
against Champion Ad wolgast has got
lot Of the wise ones doping it that the
champ has gone away back, and that
the first really good man who mixes
L.. 81,
AS a matter Of fact wolgast never was
four-round fighter, and the scrap was
simply a workout to get back in prac-
tice after FIVE months lay-off VOL
CAST is too wise a little man to over
look q few short bouts before engaging
in a big league contest and there was
little chance OF Ritchie really beating
him.
wolgast will probably take on a few
more of the short-distance scraps be-
fore he engages in a real contest, and
when he goes against the regular fight
srs, you'll find little Adolph batting loo
in the lightweight league.
Bombadier Wells, the English heavy |
weight champion, is a modest fellow. He |
sailed for this side Saturday and sent
word ahead that he only wants a mere
10000 for his bit If he engages in the
game of fsticuffs while in the States"
And he'll get it, will he not? Yes. he
will not. There are lot of sports and
promoters on this side who remember
how poor old has-been Gunner Moir, who |
was licked by nearly every one on earth, !
knocked Wells out, and this will cause a |
lot Of arithmetic before many $4,000 Of |
ters are waited in the British champs |
direction.
The Western Golf Association handi-
zap list shows a further difference Of |
opinion with regard to the rating Of the |
leading amateurs. Groups one and two |
conform pretty well to the o. S. G. A |
rating. but the first man named in the |
W G. A three group is z. S. Armstrong. /
Of Annandale. Cal, who receives six in 1
the national In this instance the West
srn body contends that it is nearer right l
FOR the reason that Armstrong plays /
Norman Macbeth, !, Los Angeles. a three /
nan on the L. S. G. A. list on even |
terms at homeN There also is a wide DIFF
terence in judgment when IL comes TO 4
sizing up the New Orleans players. r /
;. Bush, jr., six in the national. is cut l
% four. while on the other hand w E. i
Suffer is raised from Eve to seven. P. |
W. Stewart. the Southern champion, is /
reduced from Eve to four.