The Alaska citizen., 1912-07-29
By Huqh Fullerton.

anu ViiN that NillS 'ti o'AiANN ''iih merit. and the really good teams are pressing forward Cleveland is com ing along well and beginning to show it's class. That team really ought to be up higher than 1t Is. If the young pitchers only had the am bition to work and get into top shape. For instance, if Cleveland had gone away with the start the White Sox achieved, it might have hung on and beaten out the best of them. But somehow the young pitchers do not seem to condition any more rapidly than do the old ones Some of them are living on regulations achieved in the last two seasons, instead Of going out to add to their fame. and fame doesn't win ball games
 Clark Griffith is getting his re- venge at last. He has taken a tail-end club. built it up without spending much money and made an aggregation that is dangerous to all corners, and likely to be better be- fore it gets worse. He has put Washington on the baseball map and Is hanging on to that first division with a desperation that is rather nF 0F tho leaders Nor has it been luck If Washington had been blessed with the luck the White Sox or Boston enjoyed this spring. the Senators would be right there at the top now A study of the scores indicates that they have just a bit more than their share of the bad luck of the game and yet they are up in company with the high-priced teams. because they are working with will, and be cause Griffith is using his pitchers with rare judgment The Senators played circles around the White Sox in their recent series. and beat them with their second string pitchers. The games were won by clever in side ball Griffith has taught those young fellows a lot and he has had the able cooperation of George Me Bride. who at last seems to think Washington might as well win as lose
 Besides what he has shown, Grif fifth has a lot of reserve talent that he is likely to spring on the Ameri can league at any time. He needs a few more men of caliber to make it a top-notch club, but it is so far the best club Washington has had in long time that it is refreshing. Bet ter than that, the team no longer is willing to be the punching bag of the league. Who ever beats it has to work
 In one respect Griffith is showing himself one of the best managers In the business He knows as well as his critics do that his team Is or Boston He knows that he can take his team into a four-game series and pit pitcher against pitcher and equal his rivals in pitching. He is playing to win two or three games in each series and is picking the pitchers he thinks can win and pit ting them against men he thinks he can beat He is not stacking John son up against the star pitcher of the rival club any oftener than is necessary. He take chance with a youngster against pitchers who seem to have the advantage - and, oddly enough. his system is working out we'll. His youngsters are beat ing the stars quite as regularly as he could hope to have Johnson or Groome beat them. His handling of the Washington team is in strik- ing contrast to the way Wolverton is using the New York pitching staff
 l do not want to criticise Wolver- ton. but either he is using miserable judgment or he is being so handi- capped by conditions on the inside, that he practically is not man. aging the team at all There is a lack of harmony in that team which Is appalling, and I doubt if any man. ager can make it win until some se- dative is applied. The club seems as torn internally as the White Sox were last year. A couple of strong trades might rid the team of disturb ing and unambitious elements, and. at the same time strengthen it. all though if that move was resorted to 1t probably would strengthen the other club more than it would New York, as the disturbing forces num- Der some of the best players in the club.
 The rumors of trouble in the White ,;,k R.,