The Washington herald., 1913-07-25

Nearly Lulu 1anS went 10 y
the travel-stained athletes. There
reception rendered the Nationals OF
returned from that memorable w
testified to the firm grip the
Climbers have on the baseball-lov-
ing public of Washington, and the
tribute was pleasing to Manager
Griffith and his official family.
We have with US at the Florida Ave
nue. ball yard today the St Louis
Browns, than whom there Is no hardei
club in the league to beat. with the pos
sible exception of the Philadelphia Ath-
letics. Manager George Stovall has a
fighting bunch Of youngsters under his
command When the Climbers were in
St Louis recently three games out CT
four were won by the Grif clan, but
every game was a battle. The Mound
City troupers do not know the meaning
of the word quit, and when tackling tEis
outfit the game is never over until the
final out in the ninth inning.
1t is not known definitely who will
Pitch for the Browns, but according to
the dope George Baumgardner is down
to do the honors, as it is his turn.
Griff stated last night that he would
send Joe Engel to the slab, as the kid
finger seems to have gotten his bearings
at last and shapes up like a real twirler.
The Nationals made a better showing
against the Western clubs during the trip
just closed than did the Athletics. IL
Detroit, where the Climbers split even,
the Mackmen lost and won 2 In Chi
Cago the Climbers lost one game and
won three, while the Athletics split even
IN six-game series. Against Cleveland
and St Louis Washington and Philadel-
phia hung up the same records
Clark Griffith has started an agitation
among hig leaguee managers and club
owners against paying big prices for
young players from the minors The
Washington leader AYERS athletes can
be drilled in the majors. He gives as an
instance Joe Boehling.
"When.Boehling came to me he was
worthless. Most managers would have
sent him back for more seasoning. but
saw he had the T 1kings of a wonderful
swirler. and 1 put him in charge of vet
Grams like Hughes, Johnson. and Altrock.
These three gave him plenty of pointers,
and today he is one of the greatest in
either league. II he were in the minors
and gave such exhibitions 1 could not
have bought him for less than $4,000.
What is true of Boehling is certainly
true of any other player, and l intend TO
continue the Practice of training young
sters. There is only one high priced man
on my team and he is Chick Gandil.
When 1 secured Gandil l was in dire
II I'd OF an able first baseman and was
willing to pay a fancy sum.
81 could cite a dozen cases where play
ers who were in the ma jors and were re-
leased owing to lack Of experience came
back at absurd prices. Calvo and Acosta
l.
once they get started, expect them TO
amaze the baseball populace with their
proves"
Just before leaving Chicago the Ma
tionals' pitchers heard some good news.
to the effect that the American League
has decided to change its method of
scoring. Pitchers are no longer to be
rated according to games won and lost,
but on earned runs. Winning streaks of
pitchers will still be recorded. but they
will be unofficial Not a pitcher on Griffs
staff but expressed himself tickled over
this innovation. So many games have
been chucked away through errors by the
Climbers fielders that il is well-nigh i'm
possible for man to make any kind of
showing in the box. An earned run, &C
cording to Ban Johnsons ruling, is a run
for which the pitcher alone is responsible.
Hits. bases on balls, men hit by pitcher.
all may contribute to an earned run. But
any fielding error whic'. contributes to
run makes that tally unearned. No
earned run can be made off a pitcher
after there has been a chance for his
team to retire the side and failed.
Ban johnson considers this a much
fairer system than the won and lost,
and for once the players are with him.
Doc Ayres, the Richmond Virginia
League) twirler owned by the Nationals,
is going like a house afire these days.
Thus far he has won seventeen games
and lost only three.
Griff plans to have Ayres Join the Ma
tionals when the Virginia League season
closes this fall.
Doc Gessler, who last year was sold to
Kansas City, and who refused to report
until about one month ago. has been
given his unconditional release. Gessler
could not hit in the American Assoctl-
ton.
Every follower of baseball, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, will read with
genuine regret that the veteran Bobby
Wallace has, in all probability, played
his last game Of baseball. Wallaces
wrist was broken through being hit by
him declare he hasn't one chance in
thousand to return to the game. OF the,
four hundred players now on the payrolls
Of the sixteen major league clubs,
Bobby Wallace's term of service has been
the longest. He is, or was until We'd
nesday, the dean of all the major leaguers
actually participating upon the diamond.
As the mantle for long service fell upon
Wallaces shoulders with the retirement
Of Cy Young, last summer, so it is now
passed along to Larry Lajoie, of the
Cleveland club. Lajoie went from the
Fall River team to Philadelphia in 1896.
the season before Honus Wagner was
secured from the Paterson team, of the
Atlantic League. by Barney Dreyfus, then
owning the Louisville franchise.
Wallace broke into major league base
ball with the old Cleveland club in 1894
under the Patsy Tebeau regime. Presi-
dent McAleer of the Red Sox. by the
way, was one of the Cleveland Spiders
of those days, and, then and there, was
formed a friendship between McAleer
and Wallace that has existed ever since.
In his long career upon the diamond
Wallace has made many startling, daz-
xling plays but the one that will live