Evening star., 1913-08-08
BY J. ED GRILLO.

The superiority which the Athletics
have shown in the present flag race
threatens to be even greater next year.
for there are reasons for believing
that Mack will be better fortified by
that time than he is now.
There is every Indication that his
pitching staff will improve instead Of
deteriOrating. as was hoped by those
who had ambitions to beat out the
Athletics this season. Mack's young
pitchers have shown SO well with but
little experience that the chances are
he Will have a great pitching staff
next season. even though both Bender
and Plank should not be at their best
by that time.
Then. too, his outrield, which is most
ly made up Of youngsters, is sure to go
even better. and there is no reason for
fearing that that wonderful intield will
be any weaker
The Athletics are so much stronger
than any OF their rivals that it is not
possible for any Of them to strengthen
sufficiently to put themselves on an
equal basis with the Mackmen in a
single year. Good ball players are too
scarce to make such an Improvement
possible. The Nationals for instance
would have to undergo many changes
! to make them as strong as the Ath-
, letics, who, as said before. are apt to
| be stronger team next season than it
has proven itself in the present cam
paign, when it has easily outclassed
all it's rivals
Failure to keep up their batting
standard has caused the slump of the
Nationals There are so many players
on the team hitting below their usual
stride that one cannot help but wonder
that the team in still in third place.
Griffith must have more hitters before
he can have any hopes AS matters
| now stand alright pitching is neces-
| sary most every day to give the Ma
| tionals a chance. Any time a pitcher
allows three runs the team is pretty
sure to be beaten. The offensive
strength which has never been of a
high standard here, is weaker now than
1t has ever been, for the very good
reason that just about five of the reg
ulars are suffering from a batting
slump.
The outfield. which last year gave
promise Of being one of the best in the
circuit is much too weak with the
, stick IT is here that Griffith must
make changes before another cam
paign opens. Defensively this depart
ment is classy enough. but it's speed
is of little value because of it's in
ability to hit
Rumors that Jim McAleer would like
to secure George Mcbride to manage
the Boston team next season and also
to fill shortfeld undoubtedly resulted
from a wish that the Boston magnate
expressed. but there is no more chance
for Mcbride figuring in any trade or
sale than there is for some club to Sc
cure Walter Johnson.
Mcbride ranks with the best stort-
stops in the country today, and it would
be no easy matter to fill his shoes on
the local team 1t is, perhaps true
that Mcbride is not appreciated here
as he deserves. but ever since he has
been a member of the team every man.
ager for whom he has played has rec
ognized his ability.
McAleer needs to rebuild his ball
team. The team which won the pen
nant and worlds series in 1912 has
ments in the history of the game Pri-
marily the failure of Joe Wood to
come through from the start hurt the
Red Sox chances and. barring Collins
none of the other pitchers has worked up
to last years standard. There is no doubt
that that long series of games which
Boston played with Pittsburgh AT Hot
Springs, Ark. this spring put both clubs
out OF the running. Neither recovered
from this strain, and 1t had a partic1-
larly detrimental effect on ali the
pitchers.
McAleer will not find it an easy matter
to rebuild his team into a winner He
has had experiences with losers hotb In
- i|oui' oiiu hSi g anu ne was not much
of a success at turning them into win
ners. and material appears to he even
scarcer now than it was a few years ago.
Some of the greatest outfielders were
pitchers when they broke into fast COM
pany, SO that Griffiths efforts to develop
Carl Cashion into an outfielder is by no
means an innovation. Jesse Rurkett, in
his time one of the greatest hitters and
outhelders. started as pitcher and was
then snlited TO the outfield. Harry VOL
terS oi the new York Americans was