Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-29
FOSTERS ABSENCE
IS MUCH NOTICED
Should Player Be Out a Long
Time Teams Pennant Hopes
Would Be Affected.
WESTERN CLUBS ARE
STRONGER THIS YEAR
Eastern Managers Are Not
Likely to Find Easy Pick
ings Out There.
BY j. ED GRILLO.

D Ell 0IS1AAO.
Special Dispatch to The Star
PHILADELPHIA, April 29-Eddie Eos
ter's absence from the Nationals
lineup is sure to prove severe
handicap. and if his illness should be
protracted it might seriously affect the
teams pennant chances. All hope of
Foster being able to play within the next
few weeks has been dispelled by the in
formation which has reached Manager
Grifiths that the little infielder is in dan
ger of being stricken with typhoid fever,
which, under the most favorable condi-
tons. would prevent him from playing at
all this season.
Fosters value to the team must not be
underestimate. In many respects 1he
proved himself one of the most capable
men under Griffith. Not only is he a
splendid fielder. but he is a scientific
batsman. who did much last season to
make the Nationals brilliant showing
possible. Laporte, of course. will hold up
his end with the bat, but he is not the
third baseman that is Foster, and his
hitting is along straightaway lines. Noel
Ter and Foster were wonderful inside
combination last season. They worked
smoothly together, and did much to up
hold the teams offensive strength. No
other pair of players in the American
League had the hit-and-run play down
better than they, and it was because of
the unexpected things they did that op-
posing teams had reason to fear them.
With Foster out of the lineup this COM
bination Is broken up and the team con-
sequently weakened.
Nothing that has happened to the team
is regretted as much by Griffith as Fos-
ter's absence. and, while there is still
hope that his present malady will not
keep him out of the game very long one
or two of the defeats the Nationals have
suffered to date can be directly attributed
to the fact that Foster was not playing
third.
Another double-header was put on the
National list yesterday when the game
here with the Athletics had to be called
off because of the incessant rains which
fell all day Sunday and until noon yes
terday. While it cleared about that time,
the grounds were unfit for play and the
game was called off. This gives the team
six double-headers to look forward to,
! and five of these will have to be played
on the home grounds, which is consid-
cred some advantage. So as not to have
his pitchers get a setback. Griffith had
all his batteries out at Shibe Park dur
ing the afternoon taking a good. stiff
workout johnson was the only pitcher
excused, because he is slated to face
MACK team tCQdy, Out the OtH6TS were
sent the route and were we'll tired when
they returned to the clubhouse.
That Griffith has some doubts as to the
strength of his pitching staff is indicated
by his desire to add Joke Lake to his
staff. He believes that in time his young
twirlers will develop, but he recognizes
the fact that most of them are yet too
inexperienced to be relied upon, and that
he must have at least one more veteran
49, r-l-
of them can go part of the route and do
well, but appear to weaken during the
closing innings and it is for just such
emergencies that Griffith figures Lake
would earn his spurs. Lake would be the
only one of the Nationals twirlers who
relies on a spit ball for effectiveness.
and it would be the change from a curve
ball pitcher to splitter which would
help his effectiveness. it is figured. As
yet he has learned nothing as to whether
Detroit would turn Lake over or not.
but he has filed his claim and Is await
ing results. OF Griffith had one more classy
pitcher the going would apparently be
easy. Add a fellow like Hamilton of the
Browns, for instance. to the Nationals
staff and the team would have all the
earmarks of pennant winner. But such
pitchers are not available, and 1t is up
to Griffith to do the best he can with
the material on hand.
the two western clubs who threaten Il
be prominent in the present race. The
Maps are showing much better form thar
their most sanguine admirers expected
while the Browns are showing enough
| to warrant the prediction that they will
not be near the bottom at the finish OF
the race. Stovall seems to have bull
up an almost entirely new ball team a,
ST. Louis. and. having a rather smart Sc,
Of pitchers. he is apt to upset all cal
cUI4ftOnQ a contender
this years race. Chicago has already
proved a disappointment. There seemed
| to be a chance in the early spring of thu
| Sox making another good start and get
| ting a lead. but the team. II anything
seems weaker this year than it was last
i, principally because Ed Walsh is not go
ing as he did in former years.
not seem to have much Of team. AND
yet he has a hustling lot of youngsters
and with Cobb back In the lineup the
Tigers are always sure to be dangerous
though. of course. they do not appear tc
have the strength to finish in the frs
division. On the whole. it is very plaiT
that there will be no easy picking in thu
west this year. The teams are stronger
as a whole than they were last season
and some interesting, things may develop
when the eastern teams make their in
itial tour through that section.
But one of the local sporting writers
failed to take a fall out of Eddie Ain
smith for blocking McInnis at the plate
In Saturdays game. All the others con-
demned the play. though 1t lis absolutely
legitimate. A catcher who would not at
tempt to prevent a run from scoring
when he had chance to prevent II by
blocking a runner does not belong in the
major league. 1t requires gameness and
| some judgment, and is not easily pulled
II the base runner is alert and can dc
the fall-away slide McInnis slid straight
away. and Ainsmith by taking long
chances blocked him until he could reach
the ball and then retired his man.