The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-18

NATIONALS TRIM YANKS;
BOB GROOM IN FORM
Hghlanders Are Helpless Before Great Hurting of
Toothpick Star Climbers Pound Mcconnell
And Lefty" Schulz Gandl Shines.
by WILLIAM PEET.

ny WILLIAM PEET.
New York, April Irregular big league
baseball weather greeted the Nationals
and New Yorks here this afternoon.
calling out a crowd of 5000 fans, who
groaned and threatened and then jeered,
as they watched the tribe of Frank
Chance hit the toboggan on the Polo
Grounds with dull sickening thud.
Final count: Nationals. 3; New York 3.
1t was opening day. too and Peerless
Leader Frank Chance, before the COM
bat started, was fairly buried under
meath all sorts of floral tributes. Later,
Mr.. Chance watched the Griffmen bury
the Yanks with an avalanche of swats,
bang-up baseball. and brilliant pitching.
Figuring that Slim George Mcconnell,
who was dangerously effective against
the Nationals in Washington one week
ago today, could repeat Leader Chance
elected the human icepick to mound duty.
For five innings the Griffmen did NOT
ruffie the tall finger to any extent
but in the sixth they clawed him for
three runs, chalked up another in the
seventh, and when the ninth opened,
Southpaw Schulz was on the mound.
schulz Is Hammered.
Schulz is the guy the Savannah club,
of the South Atlantic League, last fall
tried to palm off on Grif for 5000 iron
men. The Old Fox refused to snap at
the chance, and New York grabbed him.
1t is just possible that some day Schulz
will be a regular pitcher, but his major
league baptism today will not be for
gotten in hurry. The Griffmen had
him on the run from the start: they
hunted on him, ran bases at WILL and
when hits were needed the swats ap-
peared. Five runs was the extent of
the damage inflicted, and when it was
al over kind friends gathered up ten
derby the remains of young Schulz and
carried them away
To the mastery twirling of Bob Groom
more than anything else do the Nationals
eve victory. Needless TO relate, Sh
Robert was there three ways from the
ace, and the support his pals accorded
him was sight for sore eyes. nothing
that could possibly be construed into an
error was charged against the gang from
Washington. Shanlls contributed hair
raising catch. Gandil dug bad throws
out of the dirt, and Eddie Foster was the
candy kid on third. Mr.. Chick GandiI,
with three safe blows out of five times
Up, led with the war club.
Groom i'm Form.
All told the Nationals got to Mcconnell
for eleven hits. Groom allowed but four
and kept them so far apart that he Wa
never seriously threatened. Bob gave out
half a dozen passes, and one of them
paved the way for a Yankee run, but he
also struck out half a score and in
variably frightened up in the pinches.
The New York twiriers were not en-
tireiy to blame for Washington's healthy
run total, as ragged fielding at critical
stages helped materially to bulge the
Nationals tally table.
Random came forth in goodly numbers
to pay tribute to the first formal ap-
pearance in Gotham of Frank Chance
since his adoption 10y the Junior major
league.
Twenty-Five Thousand was the con-
sentative estimate. Contrary to custom.
no one was invited to throw out the first
bah. and at the last moment Chance
himself decided that he would not play.
Henry Catches.
John Henry went behind the bat for
two innings, just to try his bum knee.
After pegging out Hartzell, when the lat
ter attempted to steal. and taking one
crack at the opposing pitcher, the collie
gian decided that he had better not SUBJ
ject his weak prop to any more strain,
and retired i'm favor of Ainsmith. After
the game Henry declared that he felt
great, and that the next time he dons
the pad and mask he will stick around
for five innings or more.
Twirler Mcconnell, of the New Yorks, |
to get his "spitball" breaking
around the shoe tops of our noble young
and for five innings he looked
like the best pitcher in the world.
face the Griffmen. started after McCon-
nell in the Sixth, intent upon committing
murder or sudden death, and when the |
chapter closed a big figure 't3'' adorned
the inning space OH the scoreboard.,
Bob Groom was the trouble maker for |
the home team when he started the |
sixth by rolling a bunt along the third |
base line. Hartzell fumbled, and before |
he could shoot the ball over to first |
Groom had crossed the bag. Dan Noel |
Ter walked. Foster singled through the |
box. scoring Groom. Milan whitfield, but |
Chick Gandil met the first ball pitched |
on the nose. and sent il shriekng into |
center field, Moeller and Foster count |
ing on the smash.
Shank. Hits Safely.
Howard Shanks opened the Nationals |
seventh with safe hit. and moved up
TO second when George Mcbride nearly |
tore an arm off Mcconnell with vicious |
drive. Groom laid down a bunt, advanc-
ng Shanks and Mcbride each base |
Moeller hit a grounder to Mcconnell and |
Shanks was thrown out at the plate. |
Mcbride moving up to third. Moeller |
elected to steal second in order to draw |
The throw so that foozle would have |
given Mcbride chance to score. Hal |
chase took Sweeney's peg and slammed |
he ball to Hartzell at third in an at
Tempt to catch Mcbride mapping, but the
ball got away, from the Yanks' third /
'acker. and Mcbride walked home
AS Chance sent in a couple of pinch |
hitters when the New Yorks came to bat |
in the eighth. McConnell's labors for
the day were over and Heinie Schulz
opposed the Griffmen in the ninth, when
reTwas promptly kicked full of holes.
.Ainsmith, the first of the Washington |
crowd to face Schulz. drove a long sin
gle to right center. Shanks laid down |
bunt and beat the throw to first Nc
Bride also hunted and Schultz threw poor
" to Hartzell in an attempt to head off
Ainsmith. Everybody safe. Bob Groom.
TO the surprise of his teammates singled /
cleanly to right and Ainsn1ith came
home. Danny Moeller slashed to center,
and when Wolter fumbled the ball
shanks and Mcbride counted. Foster
went out, Hartzell to Sterrett, Groom
scoring. and Moeller pulling up at third.
Milan sent up fly to Wolter and on the
put Moeller crossed the plate with the
Nationals fifth run.
1t is expected that Walter johnson will
A