Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-26
Johnson REFUSES
THEATRICAL WORK
Turns Down Contract for $751;
600 for Ten Weeks Tour
on Vaudeville Circuit.
GIANTS CONFIDENT OF
WINNING BIG SERIES
McGraw's Men Display Differ
ent Attitude Toward Meet
ing Athletics This Year.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Speci=l Dfspafch to The SSnr-
NEW YORK. September 96-Walter
Johnson has turned down a theatrical
! engagement which would have Melted him
Sf..hL0 n ten weeks He was made a
proposition yesterday by the agent of a
booking firm here to do a monologue turn
on a vaudeville circuit at s.. 800 per week
and a ten-week contract Johnson did
not as much as give the matter consid-
Grafton. hut turned il down fat. much TO
the surprise Of the agent, who argued
that it was easy money
All Johnson was to have done was to
speak about 115 words. which would have
kindly take to anything that sayors of
the lighthght, so ne refused
Johnson is now in the same class OF
modesty with Frank Baker and Hans
Wagner, both Of whom have had such
offers, but have not accepted them John
son insists that while he is playing base
ball he is goin8 to attend strictly to bust
ness and that no sort of a proposition
can lure him to the stage. Even Griffith
would not have objected TO having John
son pick up this easy money, but the
agent found it useless to waste his
breath trying to get Johnson to sign his
contract
The appointment of Jack Egan as one
of the American League umpires for the
worlds series is causing no end of sur
prise in local base ball circles. Egan is
Dy no means considered star of the
American League staff. and it is not I'M
QerStOod why he should have been given
preference over several other more COM
petent officials. Connolly, of course, was
almost certain to get the position, for he
is not only capable but has not worked
a no
starting of the series here Tuesday. Octo-
Der .. probabl means that Bender and
Mathewson will once more work in the
initial game. just as they did two years
ago, when Matty beat the big chief.
Griffith has pretty logical argument
in sizing up the outcome of the series.
This is what he says:
The Giants may have the best of the
pitching, but they will have to have an
awful advantage in that department to
offStand the hitting of the Mackmen. II
will be a lot easier for the Athletics TO
hold the Giants in check with their
pitchers than il will be for the Giants
ting. And don [ go too strong on Bender
and Plank being all in. Even when they
are not at their best they are mighty
hard to hit
From another source it is learned that
there has been a change of front on the
part of the Giants since they last played
the Athletics. At that time not a men,
Der OF the team wagered dollar on
the outcome, nor advised his friends to
do so, while this year the players are
said TO have raised a pool which they
will bet on themselves; they appear to
be absolutely confident that they will
turn the trick. 1t is this change in their
feeling that has caused them to be in
stalled favorites in what betting has been
done here.
It is not at all unlikely that Acosta,
the little Cuban, will be Installed in left
field when the Nationals get home. Shanks
is apparently out of it for the season, and
Gedeon does not hit enough to warrant
being played. while Spencer Is ailfng.
Acosta on the other hand, has had about
three weeks of morning batting practice,
and he has shown so much Improvement
with the bat that Griffith is satisfied he IS
ready to play. and he makes the predic-
ton that the time IS not Tar of when
Acosta will develop into a first-class ball
player TIE fact that he is by far the
cleverest bunter on the team is expected
TO make him of great service, because he
will be able to keep the opposing infield
guessing, as he is able to hit to either
field.
Mcbride undoubtedly saved his team
and johnson a lot of trouble when, with
first and third occupied in the seventh. he
y
Sweeneys liner. He really made a dou-
bile play, but was not allowed the out at
first. johnson then caught Peckinpaugh
mapping off first as he was preparing to
work a double steal with Leider on third,
and as the result Zeder was nailed at the
plate for the third out without the locals
having scored a run in the inning.
Williams, the big Texan, who is playing
first for the Yankees. is a rather likely
looking player. He IS q big man, yet he
handles himself well, and is active around
the bag He did not get hit off john
son. bur looked dangerous at the bat for
all of that
Ainsmith's home run in the seventh was
one of the hardest hit balls imaginable II
was line drive which apparently SEEM
81 destined TO hit right in front of White
man, who was playing center. In fact the
fielder was setting himself for the bound.
when the ball suddenly started to rise
and curve and II passed over his head
ten feet and fully five yards to his right.
1t took a most peculiar curve and was
out to the extreme ccntertield fence be-
fore WhiteInan could realize that II had
passed him. Ainsntith. or course, had no
trouble scoring aud he seemed decidedly
proud of his achievement, as 1t gave the
Nationals the run they needed TO tie.
AS has been the case all season, the
Nationals again played their best ball.
"a they always do on the road. The diff
ference between their work at home and
on the road is 90 great that IL is hard to
realize that II is the same team. On the
road the hitting Il always much better
and the players seem 10 have more spirit
when away from horne and there is none
OF that Estless playing which often char
acterizes their work on their own
grounds.