Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-05
MAY NOT: WORK
JOHNSON TODAY
Walter Likely to Be Saved to
Open Series With White
Sox Wednesday.
ACOSTA MAY SOON
BREAK INTO LINEUP
Griff Figures That Cuban's
Ability Is Such That He Will
Win Regular Job.
BY j. ED GRILLo.

Special Dispatch 10 The Star.
BOSTON, Mass, May 5.-While there
may be no good reason for not working
Walter John toady and virtually cinch-
ing the final game of the series with the
Red SoX. it is by no means assured that
Griffith will work his star twirler in the
final game. 1t all depends on how Walter
feels about it when time for the prelimi-
nary warm-up rolls along this afternoon.
If he thinks that the warm-up and sew
eral innings of hard work Saturday have
left no i'll effects he win undoubtedly be
sent to the slab. but on the other hand
if he is doubtful about himself one of the
other twirlers will have to shoulder the
task.
Griffith has his own ideas about work.
ing Johnson. Though it is almost a GER
tainty that any game ne pitches will be
victory, Griffith does not propose to
overwork Johnson, and he is careful to
use him only after he has had three or
four DAYS rest He argues that the
strain a pitcher Is just as great after
he warns UP and goes couple OF innings
as IL is to pitch an entire game, and for
this reason he may decide to hold Walter
day.
If this is done ii is likely that Carl
Cashion will get crack at the cham
pions today. and this would allow John
son to come into the game during the
closing innings if the Nationals have
lead which they want to preserve.
Wood may pitch for the Sox. though
that is doubtful. since his thumb is still
sore and weak. II ne does not Collins
will most likely be the choice.
1t is going to be several days before
Chick Gandil will be able to resume his
position at first base. Chick has badly
bruised big toe. as the result OF his
collision with the second bag In Satur-
days game when he attempted to
steal. The member is black and blue
and so sore that he can hardly navigate.
Hot applications and rubbing by Trainer
Martin it is hoped will have Chick right
again in a few days. but in the mean
time Alva Williams will cover the initial
station.
John Henry is indeed in hard luck.
In the first game he caught here. Friday
Larry Gardner slid into the home plate
and turned Henry's left hand so that 1t
has swollen to twice its natural size. and
il will be some time before he will be
able TO take his turn behind the bat.
This. together with the fact that Will
liams is needed at first base. puts all the
work on Ainsmith. for a while at least.
1t is not likely that either Wagner or
Lewis two of the Red Sox cripples. will
break into the game today. a fact which
is not causing the Nationals any concern,
however. The injury to these PLAYERS
is the first setback that the Sox have
had in some time.
Joe Engel is to be worked more regu-
larly from this out, and his control is ex-
pected to greatly improve as a result.
Barring single inning in which he pitch
ed In the opening game here, Engel has
not been in a game since the team was in
New York, and naturally he was badly
in need of practice when he went into
Saturdays game. But the fact that he
did not allow hit In the six innings or
more that he pitched was convincing
proof that the youngster has a lot of stun
and Will be winner when he gets con-
troll of the ball. This he is expected to
have the next time out, when he should
snow lot OF Improvement In his work.
Engel undoubtedly established a record
In the game Saturday, for 1t Is QuestiOna-
bic If any pitcher after giving ten passes
and hitting man ever got away with but
a single run being scored against him.
Ihis. OF course, was due to the fact that
Boston could not hit Engel when he did
get the ball over. Nothing that resembled
a hit was charged against the Washing
ton boy.
Manager Griffith is satisfied that the
time is not far off when little Acosta
Will break into the lineup. He figures
that the Cubans ability is such that
room will eventually have to be made
for him. Just as soon as the team
gets back home Grin will assign a
pair Of pitchers to put in their entire
morning to pitch to Acosta. He will
be tried out at two styles of batting.
First he will be tried with a choked
bat. and if that is not successful he
will be allowed TO stick at its
full length. Since the team has been
on the road Acosta has not had a chance
to get any batting practice. Calvo has
batted with the team every day. so that
he would be ready TO go in in a pinch.
Had Mcbride not struck out with two
on in the seventh Saturday, Calvo would
have faced Bedient. Acosta has been
doing nothing more than indulging in
fielding practice. but he is to have his
turn at batting when the team gets
home.
notwithstanding the fact that neither
CaIvo nor Acosta has been in champion
ship game this season. their doings are
eabled every day TO Cuba. Since the
two boys have Joined the Nationals
they have been accompanied by one or
more Cuban newspaper men. Up 10 the
time tIat the season started Victor
Munoz of the Ell Mundo and Jose Mas