The Washington herald., 1913-04-16
Nationals Management "Stung"
To Tune of $4,000 by Rain
Postponement of Four Games in Capital Proves
Costly, Besides Sowing Big Crop of Double
headerS-Other Comment.
BY WILLIAM PEET.


The steady downpour of rain since las,
Friday has robbed the Washington base
ball club of at least $4,000 i'm real money
possibly more, with no chance in the
world of getting it back, besides sowing
a big crop of double headers to be har-
vested later on in the season.
BY some trick of fate the Nationals
were able to open the season, the rain
holding off on that day, since then the
skies have weeped copiously, fans have
grumbled, players raved and managers
stormed and roared with impotent rage.
The weather-man has always been good
to Capital fans on the opening day, even
the Oldest inhabitant cannot remember
when a Washington baseball Inaugural
ton had to be postponed on account or
rain.
The immense throng which packed the
concrete coliseum last Thursday gave
noisy testimony to the wholesale inter-
est in the 1913 Nationals. But for the
rain a fair sized crowd would have at
tended the festivities Friday with a
monster crowd sure on Saturday.
Monday and yesterday with Connie
Mack's Athletics as the attraction, the
games would surely have drawn well ana
in placing the financial loss at $4,000,
as the Washington clubs share, this
sum is not excessive.
to be played later in the season. and
these games will be well patronized but
comparatively only few dollars more
will be realized. nothing like the amounts
collected for games which were sched-
uled for last week.
Connie Mack. of the former worlds
champions is beginning to worry. He
said last night, This enforced idleness
is not doing the team any good and may
hurt tbay,o than the baseball pubic
imagines Besides it is piling up double
headers that will fall due when the pen
nant race should be at its height. How
ever, like the other sufferers, We will
look at the prospects from the bright
side ard hope for better breaks"
II was thought sure that the ball game
between the Nationals and Athletics
scheduled for yesterday could be played.
Both teams jumped into togs and, picking
out dry spots, proceeded to toss the Dali
back and forth.
In a desperate attempt to dry off the
playing field, the corps of workmen at
National Park burned several gallons OF
gasoline on the diamond, but the steady
downpour since Friday had soaked the
turf so that il resembled huge sponge.
Water oozed out at every step. Old Jupi-
ter Pluvius had done his work well, and
Manager Griffith himself called the game
off about , o'clock.
The Nationals pitchers warmed up and
a little batting practice was obtained, but
a ball game was simply out of the ques-
ton. Every effort will be made to play
today Griff stated last night that the
contest would be staged, rain or shine, ~
the footing was firm
Paul Musser the young twirler carried
by The Nationals during most of the 1912
season. who has been farmed out TO
the Atlanta club of the Southern League.
won his first game for the Crackers last
Saturday, holding Kid Elberfeld's Chat
tanooga team scoreless and allowing
them but two scratch hits.
Musser's one fault while with the Ma
tionals was his lack Of control, but this
he has evidently mastered as Chat
tanooga newspaper in commenting upon
the game, said
An amusing, or perhaps rather pa
thetic feature Of the game, was the
manner in which the locals took
strikes on Musser trying to wait him
out, seeming to realize their helpless
ness in the swat department Strike
after strike, so perfect that there could
be no kick was called, many of the
nine whiffs being on called third strikes"
Pitcher Jerry Akers. with the Nation
ais q short while last spring, and who
finished the season with the Rochester
club of the International league, has
been suspended by the Rochester man.
asement for failure to report
In a letter to the writer last winter,
Akers said he had landed a good job
i'm Quincy. ILL.,, and that he was think
ing seriously of retiring from the dia
mond.
At the time ASers was not taken seri-
ously, but he has evidently made good
his threat.
Connie Mack believes he has the fast
est outfield in the American League, at
least he told Baseball Writer Toughhll.
OF the Philadelphia Telegraph so. and
the scribe yesterday had the following
to say regarding the matter:
Connie Mack. peer of all baseball
sharps, firmly believes he has the best
i'm either league. He bases his belief
on the remarkable feetness and hitting
ability Of the three men who are sta
toned in the gardens of the Athletics"
"Oldring, Strunk and Murphy form the
trio that Connie classes ahead of any
possessed by any one team, and the mas
ter of the house of Mack did not mince /
words in discussing the merits of the |
three youngsters that are to look after /
things on the far side of the diamond.
Many times have | read of the $780,
600 infield that wears uniforms bearing |
the letter A. said Manager Mack but |
j have yet to read a story placing a |
valuation on the outfielders. 1 don't |
know why the baseball experts have
overlooked this most important part of
my baseball machine.
IT certainly have a wonderful group
of infel6ers in McInnis, Collins. Barry
and Baker, which / think the best in
the business. but I also have a wonder
full trio of outfielders. the best procur-
able and one that would bring any price
on the market. Look them over.
"Oldring in left field cannot to my
way of thinking, be duplicated. He is
not only a hard and timely batsman,
but an al fielder, sure on flies and line
drives and has an arm that makes Cobb,
Milan and the other phenoms think twice
before trying to stretch a hit with him
in possession of the ball.
'Strunk is a marvel. He is one of
the fastest men that ever broke into
baseball: so fast, as a matter of fact,
that most of the fans fail to realize
just how speedy he is Not only that,
Strunk is a great hitter On the road
he invariably leads in driving in runs.
and as for his fielding abilities too much
cannot be said He is all over the field,
and with the acute knowledge of the
game that he possesses he is one of the
most valuable assets that ball club
can own.
Murphy quite a youngster, but a
sure born ball player. As fast as a deer
on his feet and q sure man On O hall