Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-19
BY j. ED GRILLo.

For the first time since the Nationals
pitching staff has been increased by the
| addition of a lot of youngsters one of
/ them will be given a chance to start a
game today. Doc Ayres, former Rich
| mond star. who has worked In several
! innings since joining the team, will start
/ against the Tigers today. Ayres had
done a hard seasons work when he
reported here. and in order to give him
a fair chance to show to his best advan-
| tage Griffith has rested him up, so as to
have him fit for his initial performance
| today.
If Ayres goes good he will go the route,
but should he slip Joe Engel will be kept
in readiness.
Jennings will very likely work Com
stock. a youngster who has shown up
we'll since joining the Tigers. He is a
prOtege of Joe Cantillon, for whom he
did much this summer to keep the Mil
lers in the race. Comstock relies to a
large extent on a spit ball for his effect
iveneSs, and he has quite a number of
strike-outs to his credit in the games he
has worked for the Tigers.
Hughey Jennings. though he has a
losing team, displays just as much gin
ger on the coaching lines he did in
the days of his pennant winners. There
is not an inning that Hughey is not on
the lines encouraging his players, and
one might be led to believe by his antics
that there We're hopes for his team to be
a contender in the race.
If he is fortunate enough to build up a
strong pitching staff, which is likely, he
is apt to have a good team next season.
for there is no doubt that he has the
nucleus for winner
The ST. Louis Browns open their final
series here tomorrow, and the chances
are that Walter Johnson will pitch
against them. The Browns are a much
changed team since their last appear
ance here, there being no less than four
| or five new players in the lineup.
Jennings is trying out lot of his
youngsters this fall. Yesterday he used
Renter and Harding. two young pitchers,
and he is catching Gibson, young
catcher. regularly in order to get a good
experimenting with his outfeld. how
ever, playing Cobb, Crawford and Neach
regularly. He has several young out
fielders on the bench, among them being
Platte, secured from Providence, and
High, who has filled the utility roll all
season.
Though Sam Crawford is one of the
veterans of the American League. nav
ing been a major league player Tor
fourteen seasons, there is not the
slightest deterioration apparent in his
playing He is still one of the best
hitters in the league, and as right
fielder compares favOrably with any In
the circuit 1t was intmated last year
that Crawford might retire, yet he has
come back this year and played as good
ball as ever. and the chances are that
he will remain a fixture in the Detroit
outfeld for some years to come.
When it comes to covering ground
there are few shortstops in the same
class with DOME Bush The little
| shortstop of the Tigers has remarkable
agility. and seems able to go as far to
one side as the other. while his throw
ing arm is decidedly strong. On a
winning team Bush would be sure to
shine with the cracks in the league.
His fielding in the present series has
been little short of marvellous, particu-
larly on balls hit to his right
Ben Spencer is proving himself quite a
good hitter The Petersburg outfielder is
getting his share of hits and is doing
rather clever work in the outfield. If he
can continue his present pace during the
remainder of the season he will be pretty
sure to be started in left field next spring.
for to date Spencer has proven himself
just the kind of a hitter that Griffith has
been seeking for.
Spencer is really playing under handi-
cap. for his health is not of the best, yet
he has been making good.
Luck did not favor Ty Cobb yesterday,
and as result he went hitless In four
| trips to the plate. But he hit two balls
! hard. The first time up he drove sharp
| liner to center which Milan caught. and
| the next time up he sent a line drive right
| at Mcbride. Groom struck him out in the
sixth and in the ninth Foster threw him
out at first.
| BY their victory over the Tigers yester-
day and the defeat of the Maps in Boston
| the Nationals are again within a game
| and a half of second place. If the i'm
proved hitting which the locals displayed
| yesterday continues they ought to win
more games from this out than they
| have during the past week, in which
\ event they will stand splendid chance
| Of gaining the runner-up position In
/ the race.
| After the Maps finish in Boston they
| go to New York, and Chances team
| has been fairly successful against the
| Birmin CHAM crew this season.
| Bob Groom's trouble this season has
been that he has not performed con-
| sistently. At times he has pitched as
1 good as he ever has in his career. but
| he has sandwiched some poor games
| between his good ones. Yesterday. for
| instance. Groom was at his best and
| Groom has not had the breaks this
| year. There is nothing wrong with his
! arm. however and he may prove a
valuable pitcher again next season.
Williams. the Helena. Mont. pitcher.
put in an appearance Yesterday. He is
| a good sized chap and is reported to
have enormous speed. All OF the young
sters who are to report here this fall
are now on hand
In the hope that Carl Cashion's in
iured arm NAV be mended the big
| pitcher left for Youngstown, Ohio.
| last night. where he is to consult
| Bonesetter Reese. Manager Griffith
| believes that one OF the tendons in
| Cashion's arm is out of place, and thai
4 Reese will be able to cure the trouble.
| Cashion will proba bly, be allowed to rest
1 the remainder of the sea son, in the hope
/ that he will be in shape next spring.
! 1t did not take the Nationals long II
| establish the fact that ii was their turn
, tn win Before Young Renter had got
| ten well settled the slab the locals
| had chased enough runs over the @late
| to assure victory. Groom, while he al
| Alt. ALONE YESTERDAY.