The Washington times., 1913-08-20
GRIFFITH NOT SURE
ATHLETICS WILL, WIN
Nationals Manager Says He Has Been Sure All Along That the
Mackmen Could Not Stand the Strain-Thnks His Team
Stands Chance in Last Weeks.
By SENATOR"

ST. LOUIS. No, Aug. 2o.-"I am not
so sure that the Athletics will win this
pennant," says Manager Griffith. In
deed. I've thought all along that they
would be unable to stand the strain.
Now they're falling down badly just
when they should be swimming along
They've had their long lead cut into
shreds. and may need every game at
home in September to bring them the
premier honors this season.
How do I dope out that we have a
chance? Just like this: II the Maps
pass the Mackmen, we'll pass them
both. This will give US the pennant.
The Mackmen have waIloped US every
time they've met us this year. But you
must remember that in those games
they caught US going bad. with men out
Of the game or playing when they
should have been in the hospital. Now
We've got three games with them at
Shibe Park on this trip and three more
in Washington. These six games may
decide the pennant, for by that time the
Athletics won't be able to stand the
gaff as we'll as they did in the spring.
Il have a better team than the Maps
in everything but the hitting. II
had another 300 hitter in the game
every day, we'd walk away with the
pennant We have five games yet to
play with the Maps in washington. and
you can take II from me that those five
games will be for blood. By that time
we're likely to be going good again.
and defeat on the home stretch takes
the gimp out of a team, no matter how
good II may be. / look for the Maps TO
break when they hit the road through
the East in September.
1T won't help the Maps chances
much to open their Eastern tour with
Washington and Philadelphia coming
first on the list These two teams
should batter them down. New York,
too, may be putting up tough fight
at that time, and may add to the dis
comfiture OF the Maps. Boston is not
playing good ball, and may tumble bad
ly in the pinch. But the other three
Eastern teams will be quite enough to
stop the Maps.
III my team is running close enough
to first place to be able to grab the flag
in the last two weeks-and | think the
race may be close enough for that, too.
before it's ended-Washington may
land the banner. Many a team has won
the pennant in that last two weeks.
teams as weak with the bat as mine Is.
straining down the stretch, a single vic
tory may decide everything. A single
defeat at the wrong time may put a
team on the rocks.
Il am only hoping to be close enough
to the top to give me a chance. Then
the knockers and near-wise ones will
see why Walter Johnson is not being
worked to death In the summer. 1t
would be suicidal to use him now out
of turn. But II things so break that we
have a chance to grab the nag by a
short succession OF victories. then
Walter will demonstrate his great skill
by pitching every other day and the
American League pennant will float In
the Capital In 1914
Baseball is a peculiar thing. you
know. Teams have frequently come
right down to the middle of September
they had the flag cinched, only
to drop II in the final rush. Cleveland
did this very thing in 1908. They had
everything ready for the victory, but
failed to get II. And II was a tail-ender
that stopped them. too-St. Louis.
Now, in doping out this thing, re-
member that st. Louis Is today one of
the toughest teams in the league to
beat, Chicago and Detroit are not
either. and getting stronger
every day. The Maps will have to finish
up the season in the West and defeats
then will be very costly. The same is
true of the Athletics. They must face