The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-05

lCIl impressed WIFI lilC SllO"iiS VI
in practice yesterday, and it would
mot be at all surprising if he sent
the youngster in against one of
the Western clubs during the pres
ent invasion.
The Nationals have but two left-hand-
ers at present. Joe Boehling and Nick
Altrock, and If Wilson should turn out
10 be find" there would be great re-
joiCing.
An esteemed afternoon contemporary
| takes a wicked fling at Umpire O'Lough-
lin. and adds that the poor work Of the
| jumps and also the poor playing of the
| Nationals has caused a marked falling
of in attendance figures.
So far as the umpire question Is con-
cerned. IL is bad form TO start panning
the indicator handlers. Little can be
gained by SO doing, especially through
the medium of the press. When an UNI
pire is SO rotton that Ban johnson is
appealed to by the majority of his league
managers and others, said umpire is
quickly removed.
| AS for the Nationals playing poor ball.
this is not true. Considering the Grip
Pied condition of the club. the Griffmen
| have certainly given u good account of
themselves.
tt was not poor playing that lost the
second game Of the double header
against the Athletics last Monday
rather weak hitting and the usual
break of luck which always goes 10 the
Mackmen when opposed to the Nationals
The Nationals deserve every encour-
.agement in the world for the good work
they are doing under existing conditions
Nearly half the regular team is in the
hospital. yet the St Louis Browns have
been beaten twice, and no fan can claim
that the Philadelphia Athletics, in spite
of their great team. outclassed us here
Monday, even though they did grab
of both games.
IT is not poor umpiring. neither is it
poor playing that keeps the crowds away
from the ball park. After Mondays
double-headet there was bound TO be a
and the Nationals, and will never desert
the team just because things have been
breaking badly.
Washington rooters are the most loyal
in the world.
Manager George StovaIl. or the Browns
announced last night that for today's
game he would present changed batting
order
StovalI has shaken up his team in great
shape. Brief the first sacker, and Dee
Walsh. the young shortstop, will both
warm the bench today. and in their
places will be Manager StovaIl himself
on first and Mike Balenu. the Indian. at
short stop.
Shotten. a left hand hitter. leads of.
Stovall. a right handler hits second. while
Johnston. a port side swatter, follows
with Pratt. right handler. behind John
ston. TheA comes Compton. Balenu.
Austin, and the battery.
This changed batting order puts left
and right hand batters up alternately.
For today's game either Leverenz or
Mitchell will be in the box for the
! Browns. and for the Nationals Manager
Griffith announces that he will work
either Tom Hughes or George MuIlin.
Unless a person has witnessed a
ball game in the historic Polo grounds,
New York, little conception can be gained
as to the distance the ball must have
travelled yesterday when Joe Jackson
dubbed one of Russell Ford's shoots over
the right wing of the immense grand
stand
This drive has never before been dupll
Gated, and as a record smash is likely to
stand for some time to come.
Travelling with the Browns is Herman
Weeks. the word painter of the ST. Louis
Times MIR. Weeks declares that of the
Western clubs. and the Browns have met
them all. Cleveland is easily the strong
est.
Yesterdays game was two hours and
ten minutes. while the game on Tuesday
lasted almost as long.
Ban Johnsons scheme of ordering the
umpires to throw out new balls every
time one happened to be hit over the
stands or into the crowd, for the ex-
press purpose of shortening the games
does not seem to make any material diff
ference.
Many fans like to sit out two hours
for a ball game, while others would
rather witness a speedy contest.
According TO several National League
baseball scribes, with whom the writer
has talked. the games in the parent or
ganization are all played in less time
than consumed by the Ban Johnson cir