Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-18
BY J. ED GRILLO.

The Nationals arc in the worst bat
| ting slump they have experienced this
| season, which accounts for their poor
| showing in recent games. Ever since
/ the team finished with Cleveland, in
: which series the hitting was excellent
! there has been a material falling OF
/ in the stickwork, and consequently but
| one game out or the last five has been
won.
! Not a single man in the lineup is
hitting up to his standard and about
| the only chance one OF Griftith's pitch
er's has to win right now is to smut
out the opposition, for any time he al
lows run or two he Is apt to be
beaten, SO weak is the teams offensive
work
There is no remedy for these batting
slumps. \ team is apt TO drop into one
of these weak-hitunG spells at any
time. ard ii is just as likely to emerge
from il without notice. But when a
team is not hitting il always looks
weak for there is no doubt that under
such conditions few players are able to
do themselves justice in their general
work.
! Gandil and Morgan, the teams bat
ting mainstays. are not hitting any
where near their real stride, and their
I failure to do so is handicapping the
i team as much as If Cobb and Crawford
were out of the Detroit lineup Just as
! long as the batting slump is on the
| chances for victories Will be slim, for
| Johnson is probably the only pitcher
who can mold the opposing teams down
TO such an extent that Il run OF two
! can win him :: game
sim" Love looks more impressive
with every appearance and ii looks very
| much as if Griffith had added very
valuable pitcher TO his staff when he
| secured him. The best feature of Love :
! pitching i the fact that he apparently
| has perfect control. lie seems able to
! put the ball over whenever he wants.
/ has good speed. a deceptive change OF
4 pace and handles himself like = finished
! pitcher lie worked il four and two
thirds innings in the fcst game yesterday
and held tn. Tigers in ci.ccs<. On what
Love has shown IN the several appear
/ aaceS he has made on the SAB here
4 llsds to the belief that ne is entitled II
J start a game for the Nationals ere long.
! lie seems To stand as good j chance oi
1 winning as any of the youngsters.
I In all OF Boehlings recent games he
/ has been hit hard in the first or second
4 inning after which he would steady
/ down and pitch in his old form. 1t WAS
/ so yesterday. when the Tigers scored all
/ OF their four runs In the first inning, att
! CT which they could not get another run
: Whether this carly weakness IS the re-
/ suit Of 4 lack OF warming up or not is
! of course. not known. but there must Ii
| some reason for the poor start that
| BoeLliDS makes and some experiments
I, should be tried to find the cause.
| r. COBB lad Il very good day at the
! bat and gained setera, points on Joe
/ Jackson. The Detroit star got tive hits
/ in the two games in eight times at bat
and his homer in the first inning of the
| second game which cleared the bases
| gave the Tigers all their runs.
| The most remarkable bit of sprintins
| of the day was accomplished by Cobb III
/ the first inning of the first game. With
Crawford on first and two out the hit and
! run was on and Cobb singled to center
4 The bad was handled none too rapidly
and Crawford dashed all the way for the
plate. Spencer's throw nailed him there
/ but Cobb was not more than two yards
| behind him. though Crawford was well
on his way to second before Cobb hit the
| ball.
/ Those III charge Of Mcbride day have
= fixed September - as the day that the
| Nationals shortstop is 10 be honored
| The Athletics will be the attraction here
| that day and details to the testimonial
| are TO be made public later.
| There was considerable criticism