Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-05


Havana about the two Cuban players.
Since the season opened Signor Comics
has been with the team The first time
that either of the youngsters breaks INTO
a championship game it will call for
display type on the first page of all the
Havana dailies.
Griffith expects his team to make a
believes that Cleveland and Chicago,
which have been going along al fast
| clip since the season opened, Will find
| themselves up against different lot OF
makes its first invasion. and will then
| lose ground.
| BY the time the team gets west Grif
| expects to have his pitching staff in bet
ter working order than it has been at
| anv time this season. Johnson and Groom
| are ready now. and Engel and Cashion
! are expected to show good form when
| they begin to work regularly. Hughes
| will be all right when worked occasion
! ally, and there is a chance for Gallia to
| make good. The team as whole is
| playing brilliant ball. Notwithstanding
| the fact that several of the players are
not hitting as they will. This is true OF
| both Moeller and Laporte. but they are
sure to get going in due time.
AS the Red Sox are now lined up it
is a very ordinary team. Engel is any
thing but a star first baseman Ball is
good fielder but weak hitter. and
Janvrin is an inexperienced youngster.
This leaves Gardner as the only CLASSY
infielder Hooper and Speaker are. of
course stars. but with Lewis out of the
game it is weakened for the reason that
Henriksen is not the player that is Lewis,
though he Is fair one at that. What is
more. the Sox pitching staff has not yet
rounded into form.
Bedient in the game Saturday undoubt-
eddy pitched the best game that the team
has had this spring. and he had TO work
his utmost all the way.
There are but few members of the team
who use tobacco in any form. Milan.
johnson and Mcbride never tiirt with the
weed and Griffith has wagered Shanks
and Engel each fifty that they cannot stop
smoking for the rest of the season, SO that
they. too. are not indulging. Dan Moeller
is the latest one to lay off tobacco, and
II he holds ont during the entire season
Griffith has pledged himself to hand him
two crisp OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES notes at the
end of the campaign. Griffith believes
that these players will all benefit. them
selves by not using tobacco. and he is
willing to pay for the privilege of seeing
them leave the weed alone.
The worst that the Nationals can get
out of their little swing around the east
Is an even break with Boston and Phila-
delphia, and there is a good chance of
their going west with four victories and
but two defeats charged against them
Griffith figures to get better than an even
break out west and II he does he will
come home In a good position to make
strong fight for first place. for once the
Nationals get back on their own grounds
they will remain a month.
notwithstanding the fact that the team
has played brilliant ball this spring, Crit
fifth insists that it will do even better
within the next two weeks, for by that
time he figures that his pitchers will all
49,
who are supposed to do the hitting will
be in their stride.
The absence of Foster of course. hurts.
but there is no getting away from the
fact that Laporte is doing fine work at
third. His fielding has easily been the
surprise OF the present trip He seems to
play third much better than second.
where he was tried for time last sea-
son.
Johnson already has six victories to
his credit. providing the game which he
finished for B0ehling against Boston in
washington Is counted among his vic
tories and Griffith contends that 1t should
be. 1t will be remembered that with
the score three runs against the Ma
tiOnals. Schaefer was sent to bat for
Boehling and reached first base. Then
came rally which netted four runs, and
Johnson was put in. stopping the Sox
from scoring and thus winning the game
JOhnsons record now is. two games
from New York. three from Boston, for
he gets credit for Saturdays victory, and
one game from the Athletics. In his la st
thirty eight and two-thirds innings he has
not been scored on, and the only run
which an opposing team has made off
him was the result Of an error in the
opening inning OF the first game of the
season.
BOSTON. Mass, May 3-The Red Sox
will make their western trip without
their manager. Jake Stahl. The worlds
Heinie Wagner and President McAleer
Stahl entered hospital last night and
will have his foot operated on this morn.
Ing. There Is growth under his left
walk His only hope is to have it re-
moved. and he has been given assurance
that he will be able to play within three
weeks
McAleer had not intended to make the
western trip. but when Stahl signified his
intention of undergoing the operation he
changed his plans and decided to go with
his team.
Without stahl on first base We haven't
a ohance in this race said McAleer
He made our team last year. and we
won't cut much of a figure unless he gets
back in the lineup | am willing to
shoulder the handicap of not having him
play for a month IL he will be ready
surance that the operation will be sue
cessful.
Things have not been breaking our
way this spring." continued the president
of the Boston club. Last year every
thing broke for us. If we wanted runs
We got them, and If il was necessary for
some one to make a miraculous play to
stop our opponents from scoring it was
made.
If Stahl gets back in the lineup when
We return from the west We will start
winning. but | realize that We haven't a
chance without him. We have had a lot
Of had luck. Joe Wood's INJURY is
hardship. for if he was taking his regu-
lar turn on the slab he would win a ma
jority of his games. Our other pitchers
are not in good form. excepting Be
dent, perhaps. and YOU can't win If your
pitchers are not strong.
McAleer said he would allow Wagner
to run the team during Stahl's absence.
He has no intention of getting on the
bench. though. OF course. he expects to
aid Wagner in an advisory capacity.
Notwithstanding the poor start that his
team has made. McAleer is confident
that it will repeat providing Stahl gets
back in the game within few weeks.
Rube Marquard is on the sick list. He
was 10 have pitched in Brooklyn last sat