The Washington herald., 1914-09-27
tigers FACE
". johnson
Grifs Open Important Series
in Detroit Today-Third
Place at Stake.
SHAW TO GO TO RANCH
Athletics Meet Nationals in Final
Games of Season Here We'd
nesday and Thursday.
SHAW TO GO TO RANCH

The Nationals and the Tigers hook up
in crucial two-game series in Detroit
today with big Smoke" johnson groom
ed and ready to take the mound AGAINST
the Jennings tribe. The big fellow has
had good rest and should be able 10
take the measure Of the Jungaleers- Three
games will be played in two days
On this series depends third place and
Old Fox Grin is more than anxious to
land the opening game. as the winner Of
the series will have good. firm hold on
third place. II the Nationals win the
opener they viii be one full game and
a half ahead OF Jennings tribe, but
should they lose they will drop TO fourth
place. A double-header Is booked for
Monday.
Should Washington take the ssries they
will be three and q half games ahead
OF the Tigers. and Grin is more than
anxious to leave Detroit with the Tigers
in the van Of the Nationals
Tuesday is an off-day for the Nationals
and they will be travelling toward the
Capital City to play two-game series
with the champion White Elephants
Wednesday and Thursday. These are the
last games on the home grounds this sea-
son. and the Nationals are out TO OCat
the champs just to show that il can Oe
done.
Word was received here from Cleve-
land that Connie Mack had been in com
mUnication with Grin and wanted him to
let Jim Shaw make the trip to the Pa
cifc Coast as a member Of the Athletics
pitching stan this fall.
The Old Fox. however. had made other
arrangements for Shaw and would not
give his consent. He will send Shaw TO
his ranch at Craig. Mont, where Jim will
spend the winter hunting and taking
things easy, getting ready 10 help the
Nationals in their fight for the flag next
season.
Shaw has been worked pretty hard this
year and Grin thinks that the trip TO
the coast with the Athletics would Do
more harm to the youngster than it
would benefit him.
The pennant has been practically
cinched by the Boston Braves in the Ma
tional League. 1t will take only three
wins out of eleven games left to play
to put them in q position from which
they cannot be ousted.
Even though the Braves dropped eight
games OF the remaining eleven to be
played and the Giants won every game
Manager Stalling's crew would still be
in first place by half of a game.
New York had better look toward
cinching second position instead OF trying
to win the championship. as the st.
Louis Cardinals are slowly closing in on
McGraws clan and they will give the
Gothamites a scare before the curtain is
rung down.
Having settled the hash of Mister Nc
Graw and his score or two OF aTh-a-letes.
We may now swing over TO the more
complex problem, IF Mack starts Plank
and Stallings starts Rudolph. IL Bill
James splitter is working right. and
Tyler's arm and so on indefinitely.
Burning the midnight electric light prom
ises to be even more popular than il has
been for some little time. and lately IL
has been quite a pastIme.
The new football rules in force this
year contain nothing radical. But one
feature will win commendation from
those who have had at heart the mini
mixing Of the roughness OF this IRON
mans game. This Is the clause which
declares that when a runner has been
tackled and thrown back. play shall be
resumed at the farthest point to which
the runner had advanced before coming
in contact with the tackler.
The frequent struggles formerly seen
were unnecessary. to say the least. and
waste of energy sometimes resulting
in injuries. They will now be done away
with. Unnecessary herceness Of tack
ling, due to the hope of throwing the
runner back several feet. may be mini
mized and the efforts of the defense lin
tied to dropping the runner in his tracks.
As the Boston Nationals have never
require some time for the officials Of
with the work. Herman Nickerson, Sec
retary Of the Braves has. however, had
experience which should qualify him for
the job of taking care OF the rush OF or
ders for tickets. Two years ago Mr.
Nickerson, as the local representative In
Boston Of the Baseball Writer'S Associa-
ton Of America, had fun charge Of the
press arrangements at Fenway Park
for the Red Sox-Giants series. He
handled that work in such an admirable
manner that he was rewarded by being
made secretary of the Braves.
Press notices sent out concerning the
coming Hoppe-Inman international bill
lizard championship match, which begins
late this month at New York. state that
friends Of Hoppe fear for his success. -
following the remarkable showing OF In
man at the 1s.2 balk line game.
Inman, it must be explained, has been
practicing dreadfully hard at the Amer
lean game for about six hours day
during the last six weeks. Hoppe, poor
fellow, has only spent about fifteen years
OF his life at It.
Inman averaged Is at balk line. in
recent 5o0-polnt contest. it is said. Esrly
this year Hoppe averaged as high as ID
for the same length OF game in cham
pionship competition. He had grand
average Of about so for all his matches
played during a period OF two or three
months.
Bill Hinchman says he doesn't want
to play with a big league club. but since
he's been drafted by the Pittsburgh
Pirates why Is he worrying?