Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-22
RED SOX SHOULD
PROVE REAL TEST
Present Series Apt to Give
Correct Line on Ma
tionaIs' Chances.
GROOM TO PITCH IN
FIRST GAME TODAY
Change in Scoring Rules Eiim-
mates FieIder's Choice.
Base Bail Gossip.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

! mere for four games, and the result OF
| these Will, to a certain extent show Just
! what the Nationals chances to win a
| pennant are.
/ TO date Griffith's team has played all its
| games with New York. a team which is
lar below the standard in this circuit In
| these games the Nationals have easily
| outclassed their opponents; in fact. they
| nave played so much better ball than
/ Chance charges that it was hard to be-
! IleVe that the teams We're in the same
! race. For the next two weeks, however
the real test Will come. Beginning TODAY
| the locals will be pitted against Boston
ana Philadelphia for twelve straight
! games. That should prove the real fest
| Boston does not play a better grade
| or ball here than it showed at PhiIade1-
piId there Is good chance for the Ma
Iouais 10 win q ma jority of the games
GlliIIth team has been going better than
II uiu at any time last season in the
series IN New York and there is no GOOD
| reason why it should not keen I'm tbie
pace Tor some time to come
'Ioom Is Grifith'S selection for
eooaS game while Leonard may be
sent 10 the slab by Jake Stahl.
PRESIDENT Wilson and Vice President
1,iarShalI Will attend today's game nh
Iresldent has been much Interested in
the winning streak of the Nationals and
si2nified his intention of poin~ 70 ' nv
ody game this morning
wee president Marshall never misses
a game if he can help it.
1t Joe Engel can pitch as goad hall
! every time he is worked this season as he
dld yesterday he is sure to have = his,
balance on the right side of the ledoeT
at the end of the campaign 1t was not
n-nsel Iauit that he had to be retired
Yesterday TO save the game In the five
innings that he worked he was hit safely,
but twice. and there should have been no
runs scored in the fifth inning when New
YORK got three and Engel was relieved
by Hughes.
Umpire Hart put the yo,Inpster in h.d
by 1a1iing to call strikes which were over
the center of the plate and on another
occasion Ray Morgan allowed Hartzeu to
peat out a grounder which was hit right
| at hlm which should have been an easy
out.
Griffith. of course. did not want to take
any chances when things began to look
bad and lifted Engel but he pitched a
good game of ball at that. In that inning
in which New York scored EngeI had
two men out and one on the bases be-
fore run was scored and with an even
break would have gotten away without
allowing d run
this spring that he has enjoyed in many
Years was again demonstrated yester-
day. Though he had but two days rest
since he pitched a full game against New
York. he came into the game yesterday
and in over four innings allowed but a.
single hit, and that was a scratch
Hughes has a free delivery this spring
and a lot of stuff In his first game he
was wild. because he had not been in a
game for three weeks bat he had perfect
I control Yesterday nd ba Gil IL
order in every inning. with one eXcep-
ton. Hughes is one of the pitchers who
can be relied upon this season.
Eddie Ainsmith had peculiar record
in yesterdays game. He was up four
times Yet is not charged with time at
bat. His first two trips to the plate re-
suited in his being hit. He was hit a
third time, but Umpire Hart would not
allow it, and then he walked. The last time
up he drove out long sacrifice fly.
Ainsmith has added lot Of strength to
the batting order this spring. He is not
only hitting like a fiend but he is almost
constantly the bases. and when he
reaches there he does not block them?
Umpire Hart had more trouble yester-
| day. There was no end to the arguments
F., which the Nationals gave him. yet nc
one was banished from the game. There
was long delay in the fifth, because OF
arguments With Young on second Dan
iels was walked. Mcbride left his po-
Sition to talk to Engel and Hart walked
out into the diamond to send Mcbride
back. Young suddenly started for third
and Engel threw there, the throw being
wild, and Young eventually scored. The
Washington players claimed that wher
Hart left his position behind the plate he
automatically called time. and that YOUNG
should be sent back, which. however he
refused to do, and there was q LONG
drawn-out squabble. which delayed tho
rgame, but had no other effect.
| Russell Ford is far from being himself.
; He appears to be tied up in the shoulder
! and his motion is labored and appears
| forced. notwithstanding This fact he
was not hit so very hard his. defeat be-
| ing due principally To some costly errors
But Ford does not give promise of be-
| ing of much help to the Yankees this
! season.
! 1t was the best day that Howard
1 Shanks has had this spring IN the sec
| ond inning he put his team in the lead
with home-run drive which produced
| three runs, and later in the game he led
/ off an inning with II Screectng triplc
/ which, however, did not result in any
thing. In the field he PLAYED IA brilliant
i game. his star play being a great for
ward running catch off Cree's bat which
/ he turned into Il double play by throwins
/ out HartZell at first, the latter being OF
MS way 10 lfilrd WNefl the eaten was
made.
| The fielders choice has been eliminated
I from the scoring rules by Il rule which
has Just been passed by the base bal
writer's association and adopted by boil
/ major leagues.
! In the future when with one or more
men on the bases. batter hits a ball tC
/ one of the intielders, who throws to pre-
] vent "A base runner nearest the HON,
i plate from advancing and fails To do So
! the batter shall be credited with a bias,
! hit. providing that no error figures in tn,
! play. For instance, if with q man on frs
+. the batter hunts and the ball be thrown
] to second too late to fo-ce the base-rUn
/ ner. the batter would be given credit fo
/ hit. This was formerly scored Il field
! er's choice but by the new order o
i things this play is entirely eliminate,
from the scoring code.
| 1t is not likely that Joe Wood will b,
able to appear against the Nationals dur
ing the Red SoX stay here. The era cl
i twirler of the champions had his hanc
| split in the game at Philadelphia yester
/ day and ii Will be several days before n,
will be able to pitch again.
1t looked for a time yesterday if thu
Nationals winning streak was To bt
L \. for hot,