Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-04-01
CARDINALS LOSE
!" NERVE YESTERDAY
Play Good Ball for Five In
nings and Then Are
Helpless.
LAUGHABLE COMEDY,
Local Boys Furnish Lots of Amuse.
ment For Washington Profession
ais Before Big Crowd.

The thousand or more children o
the Alexandria public schools a
well as the several hundred fans VIII
journeyed out to the national bal
park yesterday afternoon to wit
ness the game between the Wash
ington team and the Cardinals of thi
city were treated to one of the mos
amusing baseball comedies eve
staged on any diamond. The Cardn
ais vent into the game with a badl.
developed case of stage-fright, which
increased with every inning untD
during the latter part of the gam
they were absolutely helpless.
For the first five innings they play
ed q fair exhibition of amateur bal
which was, of course, not in the re
hottest class with the game that Grit
fith's champions are showingn but
after the fifth they went complete
ly to pieces. The final score was
ID to 0, although The Washington:
endeavored in every possible way tt
let the local boys score run.
There is one thing to be said ii
favor of the Cardinals, and that was
their sticktoitiveness. They tried
hard all the way, and several of the
individuals made plays that would
have done credit to their rivals who
Get real money for their work. AS
tryke, al first, was the Cardinals
bright star, both afield and at the
bat. With one exception he hand
led all his chances with approved
style and whaled out two doubles,
VIII ch were about the healthiest hits
made by his team. Miller, at sec
ond, merited notice through his field
ing, and while he was not able to
hit. had the satisfaction of swip-
inc a base on Alvah Williams.
The Alexandrians tried three pitch
ers, but none of them could stop the
Nationals. Eighteen safeties were
made and in this smuggling Howard
Shanks was the leader.
When the Cardinals took the field,
little was known Of their strength,
so the Nationals played conservative
w. but once the lead was taken all
orthodox baseball was thrown to the
Gale that was lashing the park, and q
late arrival would have had hard
time deciding whether he was at a
baseball game of ; turkey-trottmg
class.
Nick Altrock and Herman Schaef-
fer were the conspirators who led
their team mates in the comedy
Cashion started 10 pitch but !Altrock
soon organized personally conducted
cheering section and asked his CO.
horts if they wanted him to pitch.
Ahopt five hundred in the
RIGHT pavilion yelled eyes. Then
Altrock appealed to Griffith, and the
chief gave his consent, wherupon ahe
finn started. When Altrock was not
n;+cbinp he was umpiring behind the
hat, overruling the regular umpire
chasing men off the coaching lines
and threatening the Nationals with
dive punishment unless they ceased
tho Aow of criticism that greeted ev'
cry decision he made.
Then Altrock moved over to mrs.
base, fielding his position sitting or
tho bag, while Schaefer pitched. Th'
Dutcbman declined the assistance o.
the trio in the outer gardens and call
ed them into the diamond "hiN
The regular infelders moved up
within 10 yards of the hitter I'M
whole team gathered nearer an'
nearer to schaefer until they wer'
all in the center of the diamond
The twirler then gave an order toi
company front, and simultaneous!
the eight wound up with Schaefe
and went through with the motion O.
pitching. One of the visitors caush
. slow ball on the end of his ba
and drove it past third, whereupon tn
most of the team scampered afte
the leather, leaving Altrock alone
receive the return.
One featu,e- of the contest whic
amused the crowd to no small d.