Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-09
BY j. ED GRILLO.

A dual victory today over Cleveland
would give the Nationals a brilliant start
against the western teams. But Cleve-
land is very apt to prove a stubborn OPP
ponent. While the Maps have no pennant
hopes. there Is enough natural strength in
Davis lineup to make the team trouble
some at times Think of having two play
| ers batting third and fourth, each with
an average over 400.
That in itself is almost enough to as
sure to say the least. occasional winning
! streaks The double victory of the Maps
! over the Athletics yesterday no doubt
| came as a surprise, but just such things
are apt to happen when a team stacks
up against Harry Davis crew. Incl
dentally the Whining Champions are
doing the expected by slumping. That
series with Boston seems to have had a
| discourse ing effect on Mack's team, and
it would not be at all surprising to see 1t
go down in the race. Once Macks play
ers realize that their chances for the
flag have gone glimmering there will
be no incentive for them to hustle, and
the. result will probably be a second d.
vision berth for the conquerors of the
Giants.
Cleveland proved the toughest of the
western teams for the Nationals. Whlle
the Maps lack speed and are not bril-
liant aggregation they have some good
pitchers and when it comes to hitting
there are no teams in the league more
dangerous. 1t is going to require the best
efforts of Griffiths team to win ma
jority of the games of the present series
from the visitors. Grlfhth's team Is IN
good shape to meet the invaders. 1t can
have no excuses in the event of failure
The failure of Jack Knight to report
for training work last spring was really
a blessing in disguise. Had Knight gone
south with the team and gotten himself
| In shape Griffith would undoubtedly have
placed him at first base. a position which
| first baseman. With Knight playing the
| bag Griffith would probably not have in
terested himself in Gandil and made an
effort to secure him. 1t was only after
| Griffith realized that Knight would not
| be of much use to him that he went after.
| Gandil and landed him. In doing this he
| made his ball team and assured the Ma
| tionals Of the services of brilliant young
player who will last for years.
| There are three sluggers in that Cleve-
/ land lineup who are apt to cause
| pitcher lot Of worry. jackson. LaJoie
and Griggs follow each other IN the Or
. der named. and when a pitcher disposes
of this trio he has reason to feel elated.
Trying to evade rally by walking one
| of these chaps does not relieve the situ-
| alton In the least, for one is just about as
dangerous as the other. That is a Won
derful set of hitting strength, and If
there was more speed on the team the
Maps could always be figured as pennant
possibilities.
Either Groom or Petty will pitch the
| first game today while Walter Johnson
will be on the rubber in the second
/, Groom hurt his shin the other day by a
| fall and it is questionable whether he
| will be able to work.
| Ii is another good break for Boston to
have st. Louis first to open there. The
other western teams may be able to give
1 the leaders a setback. but it is hard to
| figure how the Browns can accomplish
the feat and Boston should have most
| comfortable lead by the time the Browns
| leave there the latter part of the week
1t is going to be no easy matter to catch
the Red Sox. They now have seven
| game lead over the Nationals and are
sure to increase this during the present
| week, as the Browns do not offer as
| strong opposition to them as the Maps
| will here. There is, of course. always
| chance for a slump. something that Bos-
ton has not experienced this season. in
| which event present calculations may be
entirely upset.
Larry I.ajoie, though in the game for
Imany years. has not changed in the least.
He is the same graceful player that he
was of yore. and his fielding and hitting
lhave retained the same brilliant stand
lard. Barring accident Lajoie will break
all records for continuous service in the
tmajor leagues. There is nothing to in
ldicate that he is going back. and there is
no telling how many more years he will
be star. But 1t has been Larry's mis-
fortune never to have played with a
championship team. The nearest he ever
lcame to it was in 1908, when the Maps, I'M
der his own management. came within a
game or SO of winning the American
League pennant. The team has been I'M
der the management of several individ-
luals since then, but has never reached as
thigh a mark as it did under Lajo:e.
] Art Griggs, who is playing first for the