Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-11

were new last year are sure to show i'm
prOvement. If the local pitching staff is
in as good shape as it's showing in the eX-
hibition games would indicate there is a
good chance for the team to get fairly
comfortable lead during the first month
| of the season. notwithstanding the fact
/ that it will have fifteen games with Bos-
ton and Philadelphia. Griffiths team
will improve as the season progresses.
There are several of the teams most con-
| sistent hitters not in their stride just yet,
| and this may be. a handicap for while.
There were two occasions when Man
ager Chance protested against Connelly's
decisions. He did not think that Cree
was struck out in the first inning, when
Johnson shot over a high fast one which
dropped Cree to the ground. Cree had
| the unpleasant experience, of being hit
once by Johnson, and when he's saw the
| ball coming toward him he got out of
harms way, but Connolly called it a
| third strike.
| The next time Chance protested was in
/, the seventh, when Ainsmith was hit on
/ the arm. Chance contended that Ain
smith did not make the proper effort to
! ruling.
| President Wilson wrote his autograph
on the ball which he tossed to Walter
Johnson just before the game began.
Walter kept the ball. and later Manager
/ Griffith handed it to the President for his
autograph. which request was granted
with smile. Walter now has two balls
| bearing the name of Presidents. Mr.. Taft
signed the ball which Johnson used in
! the game against the Athletics in 1910,
when he shut them out with a single hit,
! a scratch two-bagger by Baker into the
crowd.
| Jack Ryan came up from Charlottes-
vile, where he is coaching the Virginia
college team. and donned uniform. He
Z! l1r% e1f,< I,
| reports that Jim Shaw. the Pittsburgh
lyoungster whom he has had in training
at Charlottesville ever since the team left
there, will report here today. According
to Ryan there is no doubt about Shaw
| making good with the Nationals. He is a
big fellow and in his actions reminds one
| very much of Walter Johnson. Griffith
will use Shaw in practice here, for a while
| and if he shows enough he may give him
| a trial in one of the championship games.
| Ainsmith and Mcbride are each
| charged with but one time at bat. Ain
went out at first On one occasion, while
Mcbride made two neat sacrifices which
moved up runners and hit long fly to
| center field.
Wolter had busy day in center
| field. having seven putouts. The CEN
ter fielder, who was out of the game
last season with a broken leg. seems
| to have entirely recovered from his
| injury and is showing that same flash
of speed which characterized his work
! in former years. Wolter owes his
| stay in the major leagues to George
Stallings. He was left-handed pitch
/ er when Stallinss secured him from
the Boston Americans for the New
York club, and he made an outfielder
of him.
Sweeney's throwing seemed to indi-
cate that his arm is not yet at It's best
Moeller stole two bases on him and
Foster also was successful in pilfer-
ing second in the fifth inning. 1t was
in this inning that second and third
were occupied with two out. Hartze1l
ran to third behind Moeller, and Nc
Conneu threw to the bag. 1t was
close play and few believed that Noel
Ter had been touched in time. but Um-
pire .McGreevy called him out. Presi-
dent Wilson, who had watched the
IaN closely. agreed with the umpire.
In four of the nine innings the Ma
tionals got the first man on. yet only
scored in one of them. the seventh.
when both runs came home The New
Yorks got the first man up on On five
occasions. yet only scored in the first.
1t was when he was threatened that
Johnson showed to his best advantage.
and there were several occasions when
a base hit would have proven trouble
some Hartzell and Cree, however,
were the only visitors who we're able
tn hit Johnson successfully. Cree, in
fact would have won the game but
for Shanks' brilliant throw to the plate
in the third inning.
When an 'outfield displays intelli-
gence in the way it places itself for
the various batters it does much to
decrease the chances of the opposing
team to get hits. This was demon
strated in the third inning yesterday
Had the outfield played in it's usual
position Cree would have had three
base hit beyond question, and two or
thee runs would have scored But