The Washington herald., 1914-07-13
Johnson May Pitch
Griffmen Up a Peg
Witt Has Broken ARMY
Cobb Likely to Play
Today.
OTHER LOCAL COMMENT

| Walter johnson may be asked by
Manager Grifith today to pitch the Ma
tionals into second place at the expense
Of the Detroit Tigers,
johnson only worked FIVE innings Fri
day, and will be able TO come back strong
! today IL he is asked to hurI. In case
| johnson does not toe the slab. Doc
Ayers will do the honors. and the way
| the Virginia Sawbones is going, he will
prove hard pickings for Jennings crew.
The Tigers will have either Covaleski
or Dubuc. Which ever works, a real ball
game is assured the fans this afternoon
at National Park.
Ty Cobb will more than likely get into
the lineup today, as his injured thumb
appears to-be o. X. once more. With
Cobb in the batting order. the Detroit
club is greatly strengthened. and the
Nationals will find the going little
tougher the remainder of the series with
the crew from Jungletown.
Oscar Witt will be out of the game
for some time. An X-ray examination.
taken yesterday morning, disclosed the
fact that Wits arm is broken below the
elbow. Purten will hold down the hot
corner. now that both Moriarfty and Yitr
are on the injured list
John Henry and Sam Crawford. rep
resentatives OF the Baseball Players
Fraternity. were in New York yester-
day attending a meeting Of that body.
Both players returned home late last
night.
Chick Gandil and Eddie Foster will
be in the battle array this afternoon. as
Gandil Is able to see with ease again,
and is not bothered by the cut under
his eye.
In the American League the race is as
exciting as ever and any one of the first
six clubs has a look in for the pennant.
Each Of these has a winning percentage
OF 500 or better.
The White Sox have made as sensa-
tional a spurt In the American League as
did the Cubs in the National and IL the
pace is continued are likely to be out in
front before another two weeks. Detroit
certainly handed the Athletics the sur
prise of their lives in the series just con-
cluded. 1t seems that Jennings is in the
fight to stay.
One of the most remarkable features
OF the American League race is the
wealth OF fine pitching possessed by al
most every club. Sterling box work has
been one of Ae chief reasons Of the White
Sox srurt and so long as Callahan is
able TO keep his corps at its present fine
edge he Is bound to be a real menace to
all rivals. So far Ed Walsh has been
little missed. But the grand old man is
just about ready to make a bid at the
comeback stun, and II he proves himself
Callahan's club should be the favorite Of
the field.
1t would be a very good thing for base
ball IL the White SoX were to win the
pennant The East has had the worlds
series to itself for little too long. No
one outside Of Chicago fandom would
care particularly TO. see the fall classic
confined to the Windy City as IT was in
1906, and of which there is a slight pos
sibility just now.
Connie Mack's worlds champion Ath-
letics have never been very popular with
the general public. Mack has one of the
finest collections ever assembled. but one
that reflects the disposition of the silent
manager. That team lacks the dash. show
and aggressiveness of such teams as the !
Giants, Nationals, Red Sox and White |
SoX. The Athletics are brilliant in a sort |
of melancholy manner. Even their dust |.
colored travelling uniforms appear sad.
Dan Johnson mas eNtenoed the day OF !
grace for the Federal League until the !
end of the present month. The big czar
declares that surely by that time the |!
Federals will have folded their tents like |
the Arabs
1t has been learned on very good au-
thority that five of the eight clubs are |
sorely pressed financially and that they |
have been kept in line only in the hope |
of securing major league talent before |
the close of the season. The players OF |
organized baseball might relish the I
bonuses that have been offered for de-
sertions, but just now they do not wish |
to take any chances of losing steady en-
ployment. They do not believe that Gil
more and his associates would care to
throw away money for idlers such as
Chief johnson. Hal Chase and Marsans