Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-08

BL UNDERS ON BASES
FEATURE FIRST CLASH
Johnson M0Ws Down National
League Champions With
out Much, Effort.
BY J. ED GRILLO.


| the second game with the Giants. it is
announced that Carl Cashon will he
ptted against the champions for the
first part of todays game. while Joe
Boehling is TO do the finishing. This
appears to be the program unless there
is change of the managerial mind.
Griffith believed after Cashions poor
showing against Boston that he was not
cold weather pitcher. and now he seems
inclined to believe that the only way to
get Cashion i'm form is to give him plenty
of work.
Just which of the Giants pitchers viii
be sent to the slab seems not to have
been decided. though it is not likely that
McGraw will want to use either Mathew
son or Vanguard because of the cold
weather 1t is more likely TO he one of
the several young twriers that the
Giants leader is trying out
There never was more unfortunate
batter than Howard Shanks. Every day
he hits two or three balls hard enough
to warrant his getting hits, but they are
always HIT right at some fielder or one
of them makes circus play on the
drive and Shanks is retired Yesterday
this was again evident for on two diff
ferent occasions he hit the ball hard,
but has nothing to show for ii in the
base hit column. If Shanks could have
any luck in placing his hits he would
have very respectable batting average
at the end Of the season.
Nick Altrock umpired very salts
factory game of ball. There was not a
single objection to his rulings, and he
conducted the game llne an expert arbi-
TRAITOR. If the day ever comes that Nick
cannot draw a salary in his present ca
pacity some league president could so
farther and fare worse than by placing
him on the umpire staff
laundering base work was INDUCED
in by both teams, and but for the
seventh inning they would undoubtedly
have tied the score, and had a bril-
liant chance to win the game. The
Nationals erred on the paths in the
third and cheated themselves out of
several runs. but their mistakes were
not nearly as fragrant 8 those of their
opponents What is more the locals
made up for their early errors by
some really brilliant base running in
the sixth. which gave them the runs
they needed to win.
The chances are that the Giants in
the games they have been playing
through the south have not found 1t
necessary to exercise any judgment on
the bases and they did not realize for
an instant that they were on major
league soil.
Though Walter Johnson was most
effective during the five innings that
he officiated on the slab. any one ia
miliar with his ability must have real
lied that he was not going at top
speed yesterday. Johnson had whole
the slightest strain, simply because he
did not have to be. That is one thing
about Johnson's pitching-he never
cuts loose at top speed unless he Is
n n hH- hrn fop
tiCns.
Damon Runyan. the New York Ameri-
cans base ball expert. sent the following
story to his paper regarding Johnson:
1.-THE Giants entered big league terri
tory this afternoon for the first time on
their homeward hike. and at the same
time they encountered wonderful Walter
Johnson, otherwise known as the jay
hawker thunderbolt. the general result
being much cruel, cutting lawfter from
G. Griffith and this wholly cherries tale.
The score was to ..
'It was the first defeat encountered by
the Giant regulars during the training
season. They had torn off eighteen
straight victories while browsing along
through the tangled increases of the
minors.
ut appears that this is the last season
OF Walter Johnson's S7,OO0-a-year con-
tract. and there is a strong suspicion
hereabouts that he intends winning Il
large. number of games in 1919. so he will
be in a position to utterly devastate the
silver squirrels bank roll when he signs
for 1914. The Weiser wonder is in mag
nifcant shape, and he held the Giants
speechless for the five innings he breezei
them through
1t will be several days before Joe Engel
will be able to pitch again. \ hot drive
from TeSreaus bat split one of the fingers
of his pitching hand.
+ This prevented Engel from pitching the
final inning. Barring the seventh inning.
when Joe temporarily lost control. he was
most effective against the Giants.
Tom Hughes had chance yesterday to
prove that all that has been said of his
being in splendid FORM this spring Is true.
He worked in the final inning agains the
Giants and retired the side in order. He
struck out Snodgress to begin with. threw
Shafer out on a little grounder and then
famed Burns.
years when Hughes has displayed the
good form he has this spring. There is
no doubt that he is going to be of great
help to Griffiths pitching staff this year.
and having benefited by last years ex-
perience Griffith will not give the veteran
twirler too much work during the coming
campaign. With the proper amount of
rest between games Hughes is sure to win
large majority of his games this season.
Twice during the last few days the Ma
tionals have baff1ed their opponents with
clever play. which they pull with man
on first and third The other day Morgan
scored while .;insmith drew throw to
first from Hess the Boston pitcher and
yesterday Mcbride purposely allowed HIM
self to be caugh. off Of first, and Shanks
ran home from third. This play, of course.
is not an innovation. 1t has been worked
before, but there appears to be better
understanding among the players this
year how to work it to advantage.
Notwithstanding the facts that the
Giants were beaten yesterday, it is very
evident that McGraw has great ball
. team 1t did not show to it's best al
vantage yesterday, but that was proba-
bly, due to the fact that the team has
been playing lot of opponents not in
the same class and as result has grown
careless The change at shortfield. where
Artie Shafer is now holding forth in
place Of Fletcher. seems to have i'm
proved the infield considerably, for Shat
err seems to have all the earmarks of a
splendid fielder and looks to be better
hitter than his predecessor. There is no
| doubt that the team which wins the Ma
| tional League pennant this year will have
| to beat out the Giants. and II they get as
| good a start this spring as they did last
| they viii be just as hard to catch during
| the closing weeks of the season as they
were last Year.
T. l1x- |, l,i