The Washington herald., 1913-05-26
Three CLUBS
HAVECHANCE
NapIanders' Manager Believes
Fight for Flag viii Be Be-
tween Red Sox, White
Sox and Clevelands.
NATIONALS LACK HITTING
Says That His Players Have Proved
Themselves Gentlemen While Others
Have Been Chased by Jumps.

Cleveland. May 25.-That the Red Sox
must be considered as pennant factors
was the assertion of Manager Joe Birm-
ingham lust before the Maps took the
train for Chicago.
Just at present, the three strongest
clubs in the league are Chicago, Bos-
ton and Cleveland" declared the youth
fuI leader of the Battlers. IL the Ath-
letics' pitching staff were in better shape
/ would include them, but Coombs is out
of the game, thus leaving the bulk of
the work up TO Bender and Plank. and
neither is young enough to carry the
burden.
Both are great pitchers. but each is
a man who needs his rest. Plank had
trouble with his arm here and II may
bother him some more. Houck ana
Brown are 800 pitchers-no better.
Lack Batting Strength.
AS for Washington. 1t has no license
TO think il is a better ball club than
Cleveland. In the first place, It has not
the hitting strength. 1t is not as strong
in the box as Cleveland. johnson Is 0
wonder. I'd be crazy not TO admit that
Groom is a good pitcher. With better
hitting team behind him, he would win
more games than he would lose. Hughes
has lost his power TO beat us, while Null
ting club behind him. AS for the re-
cruits, 1 must see more OF them before
I venture an opinion.
why rank Boston and Chicago so
high is that they have the pitchers.
Boston began the season overconfident.
Then il got crippled and was forced
to make the Western trip without its
manager Now, it has gone home for
a long stay. Stahl will be on deck
again as manager and perhaps as a
player. Joe Wood is himself again
and he should be able to work every
fourth game. l look for him to start
another long winning streak as he did
in 1872 Look out for the Red Sox
l say. They'll be in the first division
by the time we come back from the
East next month.
We Are Trying.
What have / to say about my Owl
club? Nothing much, except that we
are out there every day trying. We
have no cutters on the club Every
man is game. We are making lot Of
blurders in the field and on the bases
but we are trying. and We are winning
What more can we do? The public mus
expect mistakes. Turner is the only rea
veteran in the infield now, and he II
playing out of his usual position. John
their first real year in fast company
while Olson, like Turner, is out Of hi!
position. The outfield is lacking mai
OF big league experience
Most. of our pitchers are youngster!
who have lots of things to learn. TheI
are learning every Gay. sometimes at tn
cost Of a ball game, Such must be ex
pected. I figure that we have heater
ourselves in six or seven games. 1 an
surprised that we have not lost more
We would have lost more had it no
been that the fellows are game to tn
last man and work to overcome tn
ground lost by their blunders.
Il will not promise that there will b
any cessation of these mistakes. Whe
a young club is working so hard an
trying to accomplish so much, bad base
ball must be looked for. All We can d
is TO excuse the ones at fault, pat ther
on the back, and tell 'em not to do
again"