Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
BY j. ED GRILLO.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
DETROIT. May 1I.-Based 'on the fact
that lie has seen every team i'll the league
in action. barring Cleveland. Clark Grif-
fifth gives it as his opinion that his team
stands an excellent chance tn finish In
front this season He realizes, Of course
that he has been seriously handicapped
by the absence of Foster and Gandil, but
having more than held his own during
their idleness. he figures that he Will
| make rapid progress once these players
return to the lineup.
The other teams in the league have
been a disappointment to Grinith. and he
insists that if his team had been intact
on the present trip it would now be lead
ing by goodly margin.
1T is true that we have not Yet demon
strated that have the pitching
strength to go through this campaign,
said he. but it is hard for me to believe
that none of our young pitchers are com
ing through this year. look for two of
them to be winners before the season is
much older. and then. when oster gets
back in the lineup look out for us.
In the games we have played to date
We have absolutely outpiayed our OPP
ponents. and with crippled team. My
team when it has its regular lineup in
the field is the best defensive team that
! have ever seen. barring none. and l
have been in base ball for twenty-five
years. II Is not a great hitting team I'll
admit. but it plays a high grade of inside
pail and makes its hits count 1t has
been hard luck to have the club crippled
DEt there is hope that it will recover from
this setback and that we will have bet
ter breaks later on. Our pitchers get
oriiiiant support. Our infield is fast and
strong i'll the field. and there is no out
Held in this league which can cover as
much ground or throw better than ours
incidentally the team is fast and uses
judgment on the bases. 1t is i'm this re-
Spect that we have absolutely outplaved
our opponents this spring. We have made
some OF them look foolish on the paths,
ana L repeat that / still see good
cnance Tor US once we get all our play
ers back in the lineup"
II the team can make anything like the
squirt 1t did last June this year it is sure
to be contender right to the finish if it
aces not land on top 1t will be recalled
that it did not show any signs Of hav-
ing chance last season until the first
of June and from that time on held it's
pWn with it's rivals This year the
chances are that by fine time June / is
reached the team will have percentage
at least 100 points higher than it could
boast year ago. The season is very
young yet and the chances are the team
Will play even better ball later.
There has been material Improvement
in the ranks. Moeller. for instance is a
30 per cent better ball player this year
than he was last That is almost true of
Shanks. too. No player could have i'm
proved more than has Morgan. while
Gandil is sure to have good year Nc
Bride, of course. is most consistent
player and plays up to the standard year
in and year out. though it must be said
for him that he is hitting decidedly better
this spring than previously.
So far as the catching~staff is concern
ed it is the strongest in tie league. Ain
smith. Henry and Williams make won
derfdl trio. Even though there is not
much praise to he showered on the pitch
ing staff as whole on what it has shown
to date. Griffith has the greatest ever i'm
johnson and pitcher who classes we'll
up in Groom If he can develop one or