Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-04
NAT|ONALSLUCKY
TG Be Up IN RACE
Team Which Has Not Been In
tact Still Holds Third
Place.
GROOM AND HAMILTON
GIVE SPLENDID EXHIBITION
Ca'vo to Make Debut Today il
Browns Pitch Righthander.
Base Ball Gossip.
BY j. ED GRILLO.


markable that the team still occupies
third place
The fact that the team is still con-
tender. though it has not been intact
for the past five or six weeks only
proves how good a chance it would have
had in the present struggle but for the
Illness and injuries which befell the
various members of the team The sea-
son is not yet two months old. and. bar
ring further accidents. the chances are
that by the time another week has
passed Griffith will have his regular team
in the field once more. and from that
time on the Nationals ought to make up
some of the ground they have lost
ANY time a team which has been SO
badly crippled a. have the locals can
hold its own with the opposition it has
a lot Of class to IT. 1t has been many
years since an American League pen
nant has been so easy to win as this
season ANY one of three or four teams
can walk N with the flag if the breaks
are right Even with the recent upsets
which the Nationals have suffered they
are still within hailing distance of the
leaders, and with better luck during the
remainder of the campaign there is a
chance for decidedly strong finish
Bob Groom has pitched few games IN
yesterday. Had he had perfect support
nothing like a run would have been
scored off him. Bob had lot of stun
Yesterday, as the twelve strlke-outs
credited to him will attest. and besides
he worked We'll judged game of ball
from start to finish Just how long the
struggle with Hamilton would have last
ed. but for the errors made on both
sides. which were responsible for all the
scoring is a matter of conjecture. but II
&c fac hat
Groom nor Hamilton would have been
scored on in the innings played yester-
day.
Hamilton is perhaps as valuable left
handler as there is in the league. He
has acquired a slow ball, which, II prop
erly used, will help his effectiveness
though it was noticeable yesterday that
Hamilton did not use this delivery with
cial delight i'll seeing some batter fooled
on that slow ball and on several oc-
casions got himself in hole by over
doing its use.
If a right-handed pitcher works fo-
the Browns today Jacinto Calvo Will
be used in right field instead of Alva
Williams But in the event that left
handler works Williams will be con-
tinued in that position. With his de-
fensive strength badly disrupted Crit
fifth naturally is trying to get as much
batting strength in the lineup as pos
sence of several of the regulars has
had. 1t is figured that left-handed
pitcher would handicap Calvo. and In
order to give him a fair start Griffith
wants him to be up against a right
handler in his first game in the Ameri-
can League.
Dan Moeller. if he keeps up his pres
quite d tussle for base running honors
this season. There have been few
games this spring in which Moeller
has failed to pilfer a bag or two and
ing stealers in the league. Milan. of
course. stu has a comfortable lead.
but there is much Improvement in
Moeliers base running that 1t is
worthy of attention. Now that his
shoulder appears TO be mended Noel
Ter Is taking chances and proving his
real worth on the sacks. In fact. he
has made up for the absence Of Foster.
who. when in the lineup, was noted
for his ability to advance Moeller
If George Stovalls pitchers all show
form the Nationals are not going to run
up any large scores during the series
here. The Browns have an excellent
pitching staff Stovall is so we'll sup
piled with competent twirlers that he can
send one TO the mound every day of a
series But the support given these
pitchers is not always OF the best, other
wise the Browns would be much higher
in the race. for the pitching as a whole
is very good.
Dan Moeiler is beginning to reap the
harvest of his home run in the second
Philadelphia game, which was the first
by member of the local team on the
home grounds this season. Among the
presents which Moeller will receive is a
suit OF clothes from Omohundro. the
tailor.
clyde Milan and Chick Gandil are in
, tEeir batting stride of late This pair
is hitting better now than they have in
some time and as a result most of the
Nationals scoring is made possible by
them. Milan Is suffering with badly
crushed thumb the result of being hit by
a pitched ball by Houck. In the second
game of the double header Monday but
the injury does not appear to interfere
Win ms hitting. as he made three clean
singles yesterday.
Milan Is one of the few left-handed
nitters who are not annoyed by left
handed pitcher. He hits just as con-
! sistently as the right-handers
Stovall is so well impressed with the
work OF Brief at first base that he is
| not playing the position himself very
oiten Brief appears to be a very prom
| ising youngster. especially in the field.
although he struck out three times
against Groom yesterday.
The veteran Bobby Wallace is with the
Browns. He breaks into the game oc-
casionally, but Walsh plays most of the
time. Wallace is just as capable a
shortstop today he ever was, but
Stovall hopes 10 develop Walsh. for he
| cannot figure that Wallace will go on
forever.
Joe Engel will likely pitch against the
| Browns today though so far as known
| his opponent has not Yet been selected
i by StoraE. The game will be called at
$50
Howard Shanks and Ray Morgan were
| both in uniform yesterday. Morgan took
| a long workout before the game and
| showed that he is gradually rounding
| into form again. Shanks is still very
lame. but he believes that he will be able
| to get back in the game much sooner
| than was expected Eddie Foster is ex-
pected to start training lightly some day
| this week He proposes to put in about
a week at batting practice before he
| undergoes the strain of doing any field
/ ing.
| Wild heaves were responsible for all
| the runs scored in yesterdays game. For
| a time II seemed that a wild peg made by
| LaportA would CAUSE the downfall of