Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-05
INJURIES HINDER
GR|FF|TH'S TEAM
Nationals Might Have Won
Pennant But for Star Play
ers Being Out.
ABSENCE OF GANDIL
AND FOSTER HURT
B0ehIinq and Johnson Will
Pitch Doub|e-Header
Today.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

With the present pennant race drawing
TO close 1T becomes more apparent
that If the Nationals had been intact
from the outset of the campaign that
they would have had an excellent chance
to finish in front. Under favorable con-
ditions the team might have gotten as
good a start as did the Athletics, and it
is the advantage which the Mackmen
gained early in the race which is keep
ing them In first place, Notwithstanding
the fact that their gait has been but a
little over the 800 mark for the past six
weeks or more.
Mack's team is not going at a cham
pionship clip It's pitchers are not show
ing proper form, and the general playing
Of the season is by no means sensa-
tional. But it has so long a lead that
the chances are it cannot be overtaken.
If Griffith had had Foster and Gand.l
in his lineup during the early weeks of
the race, his team would be i'm a much
better position to make fight now. and
it would not require much of a squirt
to upset the Athletics if they were hard
pushed. AS matters now stand there is
hardly chance for the locale to better
their position in the race. Mathemati-
cally. it could be figured that the team
still has a chance to finish first, and it
might be second but the fact must not
be overlooked that during the past week
the Nationals have let down consider
ably, and are not going as good as they
were. Yet Griffith has a good ball team
when 1t is intact and 1t is sure to be con-
tender again next season, and would
have a splendid chance for the pennant
IL Griffith can add one more real hitter
to his outfield. The prospects for much
improved pitching staff next season arc
excellent. There are several youngsters
on the list who promise to make good by
next season. strong twirling depart
ment is a great asset, and teams have
been known to win even though they
lacked offensive strength. AS a defensive
team, the Nationals have no equal, but
there is no getting away from the fact
that the acquisition of one more real
hitter would do wonders
Just where such a player is to be Sc
cured is a matter of conjecture Only
one outfelder has been purchased for
fall delivery, Spencer OF Petersburg.
None are to be drafted, for those that
have not already come up are not be-
lfeved to be worth while. Perhaps it
will be possible to make some sort of a
deal during the winter but that is but
a, remote chance. for the clubs who
possess strong outfielders hold on to
them, even though they have surplus
of material.
Considering the fact that it was the
first time Bert Gallia has been given a
chance to start a game he gave a very
satisfactory account of himself. With
break he would have won. His team
mates did not get him enough runs to
make the sailing easy. and an error at
a critical stage did much to give the
visitors the runs they scored at Gallia s
expense.
Jim Shaw. one of Griffith's best pitch
! ing prospects, worked out before yester-
day. game and made excellent inn
preston. Shaw is a husky youngSter
built along Walter Johnson lines. He has
! a long arm and a sweeping motion similar
TO that of the games greatest pitcher and
| it was evident in the workout that he
| does not lack speed. Shaw is still in his
teens, but he is well developed and seems
| to have been greatly benefited by the
| years he spent in the minors. Griffith
| will undoubtedly work Shaw in one of
| the games here, most likely against New
York.
| Failure to purposely walk good hit
! ter to get up a weaker one has cost the
| Nationals several games of late. In BoS-
| ton in the eleventh inning of the re-
| markable game Johnson pitched. CARR
| gan. a dangerous hitter was allowed to
| hit with a man on second, and won the
| game where If he had been walked Col
! Inns would have had to do the hitting,
/ and Collins had struck out three times
i that day.
| Yesterday Sweeney should have been
/ walked in the seventh, and a chance
/ taken with Fisher, but Sweeney hit safe
/ ly and Won the game for his team.
| There is great improvement in the ap
| pearance of the New York team. Frank
/ Chance has made a lot of changes in his
lineup since he took charge and he seems
to nave a better nucleus for a winner now
| than when he opened the season. Chance
| has ridden the team of lot OF dead
wood. He has gathered about him a lot of
| ambitious and fast youngsters, who while
they are not all stars are giving the team
their best efforts. In time Chance will
have a winner in New York. He has the
liability to lead and II he can have the luck
to dig up few good ball players he
will have a team which will cut some
figure ere long. Chances ambition right