The Washington times., 1912-07-21
GR|FF'S TEAM MUST
BREAK EVEN WITH
TIGERS THIS WEEK
Otherwise, Mackmen May
Overtake Them in Race
to Top.
RED SOX TEST DUE
RED SOX TEST DUE
ON COMING JOURNEY
Expected Slump May Hit Team
on Western In
vasion.
By SENATOR"

By SENATOR"
II the Nationals would cling to Sec
ond place and leave here Thursday
night ranking the worlds champion
Athletics, they must at least break
even in their four clashes with the
Jungaleers which open tomorrow. Wal
te Johnson. peerless pitcher of the big
leagues, will twirl tomorrows game and
most likely will come back for another
tussle with the Jennings tribe on Thurs
day. Manager Griffith is determined to
hold second place.
Though playing good ball, the Nation
ais have fallen down steadily in their
attempts to catch up on the rushing
Red Sox. When victories here would
aid, those victories we're not forth
coming. st. Louis was allowed to win
q game already on the Nationals shelf.
Yesterday another victory was tossed
away with careless abandon. just as IL
the team had more than a four-game
margin on the Mackmen.
The injury to Gandil is certain to be
a handicap to the Climbers and, IL he
is absent from the lineup for any length
OF time, the Mackmen may overtake
Griff's lads.
Test Is Coming.
The test of the stamina of the Red
SoX is coming on this second tour of the
West. They open in Chicago while the
Nationals are in Cleveland. Relatively
the task of the leaders is harder than
that of the Climbers. Perhaps, If Grif-
fiths lads can get a flying start on this
next gallop through the West they may
come close to equaling their recent
whirlwind record-making attack on the
enemy. If they do, they are sure to
return in second place and there Is a
chance Of their edging little closer to
the Red Sox.
That long-eXpected and yet-to- be- seen
slump of the Red Sox may be expert
enced on this coming jaunt Of the lead
ers. The pitchers, despite all predic-
tions. have held their own with all op-
ponents. Wood, O'Brien, Hall, Bedient
and Ray Collins have faced them ali
and have won their games. Ed Walsh
alone was able to win a game in the
series closing yesterday.
Manager Griffith Is confident that the
Red SoX cannot continue this pace to
the end of the season. He feels sure
that injury to players most depended
upon or suddenly a pitching slump will
overtake the leaders and that his Ma
uonals Will then romp into the lead
Mackmen Faltering.
The Mackmen are faltering. Coombs
has failed in the pinches of late, leav-
ing only Eddie Plank to bear the brunt
or the fray. Carroll Brown, Byron
Houck. and Bertie Pennock are doing
their best to hold up the mound work
or the champions, but Brown is the
only one to succeed with any consist
ercy. Bender cannot work often enough
TO be OF much use to the champions
and Connie Mack has his dragnet out
for twirlers.
EIeVen games separate the Mackmen
from the Red Sox, and it is almost a
superhuman task for the champions
10 climb close enough to the leaders TO
De dangerous, particularly with in-and-
out pitching. The Browns will be the
opponents of the Athletics for the next
10 cause anguish in the hearts of the,
Shibe Park rooters. The Browns are
putting up fighting game all the time,
ana have several good hitters in their
nne-up. who may break up the smooth
ment '0
Attention is called everywhere this
season to the poor umpiring in the
american League, and II is time Ban
johnson took cogpizance of 1t before
the crowds begin to fall off. Phila-
delphia is up In arms over the work
OF silk OLoughlin, and Washington
by Umpire Westervelt.
Switching Is Absent.
Furthermore, a healthy switching of
officials Is absent this season. Time
was when the umpires shifted almost
with the series. This year 1t is not
unheard of to have two officials remain
three, and even four weeks in the
same city.
N W nj nf IIrgB
OLoughlln, Fred Westervelt. or Jack
Egan. Their work here this season has
been eXecrable. When the fans begin
to stay away from the park steadily
then the club officials will see the
point. The writer has heard much ad-
verse criticism from the fans at Flor
ida avenue this season, and it would
ibct be al all surprising were the crowds
TO thin out simply because of the work
of the officials.
The continued good playing of the
Nationals has done much to counteract
the miserable performances OF the Of
fcials. Were the Nationals in their
seventh place OF old, hardly handful
would come out to see them, largely
because of the umpires. When one um-
pire laughs out loud on the field at the
decisions of his partner. as Evans did
last week. the other official does not
deserve to be in the big league.
After New Blood
The Tigers are after new blood, and
young Deal is being played regularly at
third base, with Louden at second. Jim
Delahanty has been released to make
room for Deal. Manager Jennings is in
earnest in his desire to build up win
ner in Detroit and realizes that sew
eral of his veterans have seen their best
days
Davy Jones is doomed. His work this
sea son has been brilliant on occasions
and worse than bad on others. Fur
thermore, the rumor will not die thai
both he and Delahanty must pass from
the big show for their work in the re-
cent strike of the Detroit club. They
are looked upon as ring leaders In that
trouble, and must pay the penalty.
Next season the Tigers will be nearly
a new team. most of the veterans hav'
ing been dropped to the minors. Fifty
thousand dollars is to be expended IN
Navins efforts to make a winner OF bii
TiRerR