Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-05
BY J. ED GRILLO.


| 1t is something besides the climate
| which affects the Nationals playing when
| at home. There is absolutely no COM
| parison in the work of the team on the
road and on its own grounds. When OF
| foreign fields the team gives every lnul-
cation of strength and spirit, while II
seems to lack both in majority OF It's
games at home.
1t can be truthfully stated that there
are no dissipaters on the team. In 1ac,'
Griffith has an ideal lot of players In TINS
respect yet there is some reason why there
should be such a preceptible difference
in the standard of play at nome ana
abroad Any one who has ever seen the
Nationals in series of games on foreign
grounds finds it hard to convince MINI
self that it is the same team which ne
sees here. The greatest difference eA-
| lists in the spirit displayed. On the ROAD
| it is a hustling, aggressive aggregation
| which is never beaten and nghts every
! foot of the way, while at home this spirit
| is absolutely lacking.
| The contention has been made that
| some of the players have their work
affected by reason of the time they spend
! in their automobiles when at home. Inis
may be true in some instances, LOT II
| may be that long trips. through the
| country have some effect on the eyes. but
there are only a few of the members of
] the team who enjoy the luxury OF an
automobile, WHILE without exception,
| every man on the team plays below MS
! standard on the home grounds.
1t is. Of course, true that when the
| team is on the road Griffith is in closer
/! touch with his players. They live I'M
der one roof and are subject to strict
| discipline SO far as hours and conduct Is
! concerned. Then, too, Griffith has his
| players indulge in a meeting every morn
| ing at 10, which lasts for an hour. These
| meetings are of the greatest benefit to the
team. 1t keeps them interested In their
work. At home this time is put in at
| batting practice on the field. which is also
| supposed to have it's benefits, but the
| fact remains that the Nationals look
more like real ball team when travelling
| than they do when at home.
Griffith has blamed the climate for the
teams failure at home. To certain ex-
| tent this may be true, but there must be
| other reasons for the teams failure to
| play up to its real standard on it's own
| grounds.
| Ordinarily yesterdays game should
| have proven an easy victory for the Ma
tionals. The game was really thrown
| away as result of misplays and inabili-
| ty to hit when hits counted There were
| two occasions yesterday when the locals
! had second and third occupied with one
| out and Gandi and Morgan, the teams
most timely hitters. coming up. A base hit
| by either meant victory, yet neither came
across. Their failure to hit was, of
| course, one of the breaks of the game
| Ordinarily such conditions would result in
| numerous runs. Yesterday but one tally
er scoring in the sixth on Gandils sacri-
! flee fly to center
For Moeller and Milan this appears to
be an of year. Neither of the two out
fieiders have played up to last year s
standard. Both have shown an occa-
sional flash. but their playing has not
been consistent and they have not been
the help to the team they were last sea-
| son. This is particularly true Of their
hitting. Moeller finished the last season
with an average of .276. Many of his hits
were timely, and in many respects he
was as valuable to the team as if >he was
| hitting 800. This year his latest average
is PAS, almost thirty points below last
| years mark. Milan. too. is far below his
mark. Last year he hit .3O6, and this
year he is twenty points below that mark
| Batting slulnps usually affect a player S
general playing, and that is true of both
| MOeller and Milan.
| Unless there is a general revival of the
| old spirit and great Improvement in the
| teams batting it will be fortunate to fin
ish as well as third, notwithstanding the
| claims of Griffith that his team is sure to
| beat out Cleveland.
| On what it has shown to date it has
| only the remotest kind of a chance to
fnish first, it's only hope being that the
Athletics meet with a series of accidents
! and are forced to present patched-up
team during the remainder of the season
| If by next season Griffith can strength
| en- the offensive work Of his team he
may have the best chance of his career
to finish on top. He is almost certain
to have an improved pitching staff, but
| he needs more hitters. If he can secure
these the Nationals are sure to be even
greater contenders than they have been
| for the past two seasons
Chick Gandil has improved wonderfully
| in his hitting during the last six weeks,
| during which period he has been going
| at something like .32j gait. A local
| base ball dopester gives the following in
| teresting table of Gandil's hitting. show
| ing what he has accomplished with the
| bat every week since the season opened
UP to August l. Here are the figures:
| Dale Date