Evening star., 1913-04-06


The New York Giants. for the past two
! years pennant winners in the National
League. under the personal guidance or
John McGraw. one of the games great
| est leaders, will open tWo-game series
here Monday. In these two games both
| Griffith and McGraw have one object
| in view-that of putting their best pitch
| ers on edge for the opening game OF the
season McGraw is apt to work Iesreau,
| Mathewson and Marquard-his three star
| twirlers-in the series here. while it Is
as good as settled that Johnson. Groom
| and Hughes will be opposed to them
Johnson will pitch at least five innings
necessary he may go the entire route,
while Groom and Hughes will probably
be reserved for the game Tuesday.
| Carl Cashion is not in form. His per-
| formance yesterday was the worst he has
shown since the team went into train
| ing. But his present slump is only
| temporary Griffith has about come II
the conclusion that Cashion shows to
better advantage when the weather is
warm. In the games with Charlottesville
| Cashion looked so much improved over
last season that his showing yesterday
came as a surprise to those who saw
| him in action there.
| The statement that twenty-one of the
| first twenty-seven games scheduled fol-
] Washington are with Boston and Phila-
| delphia proves to be an error and re-
| suited from consulting a faulty schedule.
The fact of the matter is that there
| are twenty-five games scheduled before
| the Nationals leave on their first western
| trip and fifteen of these are with Boston
the western trip the Nationals go. to
| Philadelphia for four more games before
returning to their own grounds
teams of entirely different caliber hap
pen to play it is really hard to deter
mine from the result which is the bet
ter team On the showing that both
Brooklyn and Boston have made here
during the past week. so far as the
results of the game are concerned the
| two visitors were. to say the least. on
an equal with the locals. and yet
neither can boast of such strength.
When the two major league campaigns
are over there will be great differ
ence in the relative standing of the
three teams. Boston and Brooklyn
will be found lowering about in the
second division unless great sur
are pretty sure of a first division
| berth.
| What is more it is a matter of fact
| that neither Boston nor Brooklyn mao
| it's strongest lineup In the games
here Both clubs are experimenting
with youngsters, yet played good
enough ball here to make it extremely
interesting for the Nationals. That Is
one Of the peculiar ppan1ns INKS tn nab he pas had
on team in game or two. for the
breaks of luck cut so much figure
Both Brooklyn and Boston proved
formidable foes In the games they
played here, and yet what an easy
race it would be if the Nationals had
nothing but teams of this calfber to
contend with all season.
| If Raw Morgan keeps up his present
gait with the bat there is not the slightest
| chance of his being benched. Right now
Ray is hitting better than any one on
| the team. In the games with Philadel-
| phia, Brooklyn and Boston. Morgan is
| hitting over 800. None OF ms hits nave
| been fiukes, either. He is hitting the ball
| hard, as was shown yesterday. when ne
| got a double and home run of Purdue.
/ Though In exceptionally good physical
| condition. considering the season OF the
wear. it must be admitted that the Ma
tionals are not yet playing the game they
are capable of. The team is really not with
in Is per cent of itself. Six weeks OF con-
slant training grind has taken mucn OF
| that vim out OF them which Will return
| only after they have grown more ac-
| customed to the present strain of work
| 1t will be recalled that it was severai
| weeks last spring before the team got
that it will make better start this year
than it did last it is not yet going at Its
best. Nothing helps a ball team as much
as a siege Of warm weather Constant
| changes in the climate is harder on an
athlete in training than on the average
Individual. 1t is but a few days now
before the season opens. In the mean
time. the Nationals Will have two games
| with the Giants. a team which Is reported
to be fit and ready. These two games
should have the effect of putting the
team on edge for the opening
George Stallings took his youngsters to
Baltimore last night. His object In gong
| there is to give his players a cnance
to see the Giants in action at Baltimore
| today. Young players sometimes nave
an exalted opinion OF teams SO wen az
vertised as the Giants. and Stallings wants
to convince some of his youngsters that
| McGraws crew does not wear horns in
| the hope that they won't get stage 1rlght
when they go against the champions early
| In the season. This is rather a novel
| procedure. but it may bring desired re-
| suits.
Manager George Stallings of the Braves
after yesterdays game. Il don't think
I it is going at it's best yet but have
| seen enough to convince me that 1t Will
| time Griff has a good pitcher working this
team will go some. l don't want to make
any predictions for it. for I am none too
familiar with the other teams IN the
league but I look for Washington to
cut big figure in the race"
! Schaefer and Altrock will do their
sketch both afternoon and evening at
the Gayety Theater today as part of the
benefit which is given for the flood suf-
ferers.
Manville, the young shortstop Of the
Boston team, proved himself an excellent
fielder in the games here. Some OF his
stops yesterday were Of the sensational
order, though he does not appear to be
very strong with the stick. His stop of
Shanks' grounder over second base was
the feature play of the day and won
the young man much applause.
When 1t comes to hitting in tough luck
Shanks has few equals. There are few
ball players who hit the ball harder and
yet get so many balls caught or stopped
Line drives are frequent from Shanks
bat. and yet majority of them are al
| ways within reach of some fielder It is
to be hoped that Shanks will not become
discouraged as a result OF his Ill luck.
for in time the luck will break with him
and a majority OF his hard-hit balls will
land In safe territory.
III Chick GandiPs single In the ninth was
:. one OF the hardest hit balls Of the game.
It went on a line to left and was returned