Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-23
BY ]. ED GRILLo.

a disappointment the Nationals long
trip through the east and west was, on
| the whole. success.
81 just one game more was won than was
I lost-eleven; and any time team makes
( that sort of showing its work i9 de-
! cidedly satisfactory. This is particularly
I true of the Nationals who for many
{ weeks were minus two of their best play
! ers, Foster and Gandil, and yet man.
I aged to make a creditable showing away
( from home
The team is now in much better po-
Z sition than it year ago. 1t has a
I lbetter percentage by a hundred points or
! more. which would indicate that il will
1 make further forward strides later. when
the team is expected to be intact again.
{I But the real test begins today. when
the first of series of seven games will
: be played with the Athletics Only to-
days game is on the locar grounds and
! the six others, to be PLAYED in four days.
are scheduled for Philadelphia. There Is
I no getting away from the fact that the
outcome of this series is of tie greatest
/ Importance. 1t is possible that by the
! result of these games one or the other
of the two contenders may be eliminated
from the race so far as the pennant is
concerned. Griffith is none too well forth
! fed for the ordeal upon which he will
enter today. To begin with, he is still
minus Foster. and there is no good rea-
son for placing much confidence in his
( pitching staff. In other respects the Ma
/ tionals have played high-grade ball ever
I since the team left here, but, as said be-
fore, it's hardest work is Immediately
( before it.
Either Long Tom Hughes or Joe Engel
will be on the rubber against the Athletics
today, while it is more than likely that
, Bender will oppose one or the other.
4 In he srrift fha Lotto rift
will be forced to use every one of his
available pitchers. and this means ali
save Cashion. who is out Of it with a
sprained arm. Gallia and Boehling. nei-
Their of whom has been used for anything
than finishing games. are sure to be used
| in the series. and of course much will de-
pend upon the showing they make.
| The defeat of Walter Johnson at the
| hands of the Cleveland team yesterday
| is really inexplicable. Johnson himself
4 says that he had as much stuff as ever,
and yet he was hit decidedly hard. Thir-
| teen hits, two of which were doubles and
4 a triple, show that Walter was not fool
ing any one. In fact, he was hit as would
have been some ordinary busher. The
II Maps started after him right at the out
| set, and they kept it up throughout the
4 game johnson finally quit pitching speed
/ and used his slow ball almost exclusively.
i 1t is questionable if Walter ever was hit
\ as hard in his major league career.
/ A couple of decisions helped to give the
4 Maps confidence at the very start. The
\ declaring of johnson safe at first in the
opening inning was a glazing error by
/ Umpire Hart and OLaughlin in the very
/ same inning stumbled on a decision at
the plate, when he declared Milan out
when he plainly scored on Morgan's sin
II gle to right. From that time on the Maps
faced Johnson full Of confidence, and. the
\ score shows how successful they were
H against him.
III Inon la;,
\ not effective He said his arm felt strong
H and that he had his usual speed and
II curves. but somehow or other the Maps
hit him safely whenever it was necessary
\ to do SO.
/ Schaefer will most likely be played at
| third base for the next week or so. Frank
Laporte is out of the game with a
next to the last game al Cleveland. He
tried to play Yesterday, but after going
couple Of innings was forced to retire,
Schaefer taking his place.
1t WILL Of course, be weeks before Ed
die Foster can get back in harness, but
Schaefer will fill the position satisfacto-
riiy until Laporte can play again.
II Clyde Milan suffered a complete knock
out yesterday. In the first inning he
. slid into the plate and struck his left eve
against Catcher ONeil's knee. He was
rendered unconscious. but recovered and
badly discolored eye.
Johnson. Mullin. Boehling, Acosta and
Jack Ryan did not stop off here but went
direct to Philadelphia, where one game
will be played tomorrow and two on
Monday and Tuesday. the series winding
up with single game Wednesday,
That Cleveland team is playing far
ahead of its normal gait and it is not apt
to be prominent in the race by the time
July is reached. Right now the team is
getting all its breaks. but it's success has
caused such an imitation of the heads of
the members of the team that their down
fall Is bound to come.
Birmingham has his men worked up to
a fighting pitch. They have been led to
believe that they have good chance to
win the flag and they are leaving moth
ing undone to further their interests
Rowdyism Is running rampant and there
is no hesitancy in trying to injure OPP
posing players The Maps have had a
long stay at home, but they are shortly
to take long trip. and 1t is questionable
whether the team will be able to make
as good showing as it has.
While President Wilson with his usual
good sense and adaptability to condi-
J tons has treated with affable tolerance
the familiarity with which he has at
times been saluted by persons in the au-
dience at the base ball games which he
has attended in this city. 1t should not
be overlooked that such hilarity may be
pursued until 1t becomes presumption.
1t would be well for those who are in
| clined to indulge in such expressions of
intimacy to bear in mind that while as
| an individual he might be gratifed by
spontaneous manifestations of popularity
OF even such questionable taste, II is i'm
possible to consider his status as a citi-
Zen apart from his position as the incumS
bent OF the presidential Office and that
the dignity OF the nation of which he is
| chief magistrate Is involved in the man.
ner In which he Is recognized on all &C.
| casions.
Clevelands principal strength appears
TO be at the bat. 1t Is no easy matter
right now for pitcher to hold the Maps
down, but aside from this II is far from
est weakness Is lack OF speed and intelli-
gence. but team which is hitting as it
Is is sure to win lot of games so LONG
as Its pitchers go along at a fair clip and
| this is what Bfrminghams twirIers have
! been doing. This fellows Joe jackson is
the backbone of the hitting department
He is undoubtedly one of the most nat
urai batsmen that the game has ever pro-
duced. He hits all pitchers alike and is
always dangerous when there are men on
the bases.
Evans and Hart will umpire the game
here today and will also probably accom-
pany the Nationals to Philadelphia. There
has been a general change Of the UNI
pre stan during the last few days, Presi-
dent Johnson evidently not being satisfied
with the way matters have been going.