Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-07
BY ]. ED GRILLo.


a stumbling block for the Nationals for
several years. But for their ability TO
win large majority of the games from
the Nationals during the past two cam
paisns the Grin,nen might have Won a
pennant. Three times this spring the two
teams have clashed and two victories are
credited to the champions. Mack's team
is the one that the Nationals always are
anxious to beat.
Griffith will put his most successful
pitchers against the champions during
their stay here. starting with Boehling
today Just which Of the Mack pitchers
will perform against him is not known,
but it will likely be either ShaWhey or
Plank, while there is an outside chance of
Bender working.
Games between the two rivals always
are hard fought and the present series
promises to be no exception to the rule.
The game will start at $50 o'clock.
Ray Caldwell. who shut out the Ma
tionals yesterday. is not playing favorites
in this respect this spring. Every team
he has faced to date has failed to score
on him, and he has four victories 10 his
credit. Boston has been shut out twice
by Caldwell and the Athletics once. prior
to the Nationals yesterday. 1t is no dis
grace to have a pitcher of Caldwell's eff
fectiveness beat YOU. He is a hard man
to hit, and if his habits were good he
would undoubtedly be one of the most
successful pitchers in the league.
Clyde Milan met with a peculiar acct
dent YESTERDAY, which is apt to keep
him out of the game for several DAYS.
In the third inning Holden hit n line
both started for the ball. and in passing
each other, as Milan attempted to make
the catch. Shanks' spikes struck Milan
on the kneecap Milan continued in the
game until the final inning. but this
morning his knee was SO stiff that it is
questionable" whether he will be able to
get into the game today In the event
Of Milan being unable TO play Acosta
will take his place. The Cuban substi-
tuted for him yesterday,
Jim Shaw did not have the breaks yes
terday. His support was not what it
should have been. and he was not as
effective as in his first game In the
opening inning Hartzell got double on
a high fly to right which. ordinarily.
Moeller would have caught. and this hit
developed into run. But Shaw though
beaten. displayed lot Of ability. He
was in tight place in every one of the
hrst three innings. yet allowed but two
runs. In the second inning he had the
bases full and none out. vet did not yield
a run. which speaks well for youngster
of little experience. He also had the
bases full in the third. and the best the
Yankees could do was to get one run.
Shaw gives every indication of having
the making of great pitcher. He still
lacks experience, however. as did Walter
Johnson when he first Joined the team.
Shaw has much to learn about holding
men on the bases. fault which most of
Griffiith's young pitchers have shown to
date
New York stole ten bases in the four
games here. but this fact does not re-
feet on either Henry or Ainsmith who
did the catching. There is not a chance
for catcher to hold base runners in
check unless he gets capable assistance
from the pitchers. They must prevent
base runners from getting a long lead
if the catcher is to have a chance to
throw them out and the pitchers have
been lacking in this in the series just
closed. In most instances the local
catcEers have not had a chance to get
a base runner. because the latter had so
long lead when the ball reached the
catcher that there was no chance to
make a successful throw.
At no time this season have the Ma
t:onals been more than a nose away
from the 500 mark. On several occa-
sons they have crawled out by a one
game margin. only to sbe sent back on
the very next day \ winning streak
has not Yet been encountered. and the
teams general playing differs greatly
from what it was at this time last year.
This is shown by the fact that in the
sixteen games which have been played
to date, Milan. the leagues leading base
runner has stolen only one base. and
has attempted a pilfer but twice all told.
Milan has been on the bases quite a
little in these games but conditions have
either been such that il was not policy
to steal or he has not taken the chance.
The Nationals. in fact. have not shown
their former speed on the paths But
feY steals have been credited to them
this season. while last season it was the
most daring team III the circuit.
In the face Of the effective work o.
Caldwell. Jim Shaw never had chance
to be returned winner yesterday. and
vet if the youngster had been given the
right kind of support in the early innings
he might have shown to better advantage
Caldwell is one OF the hardest pitchers i'll
the league to hit when he is in form, and
he is a consistent performer against all
teams.
That New York team is by no means
the easy proposition it was last season.
Chance has at least three pitchers who
stand a chance to beat any team and II
is a pretty fair hitting and Yielding az
gregation. Caldwell. Fisher and Heating
are three pitchers of more than ordinary
ability. That infleld is not star aggre-
cation. and yet it will hold its own as
now made UP. The outfield is not strong,
yet hits well and should improve as the
season progresses.
There should he a rule against having
a time limit on games When ii is neces-
sary for a ball team 10 make an early
train the contest that day should be start
ed early enough to make II posSipie 10
play complete game OF pail Patrons
Of base ball are entitled TO see nine m
nings at least. Yesterday il required two
hours to play seven innings. though only
four runs were scored. and II probably
would not have made any difference IN
the result if the game had gone nlne.
But 1t may happen that two teams VIII
hook up in a close struggle and that by
calling the game before IT IS finished
an unsatisfactory result would accrue.
Jim Shaw did rot have an inning yes
terday in which he retired the side in
order. In the opening round he got rid
of Maisel but llartZel got double ito
right Walsh was walked and Williams
was struck out. but Holden came through
with scratch hit. scoring flartze!l In
gan fumbled Peclinpaugh's grounder, 10
begin with. Truesdale was walked and
Caldwell beat ont a bunt. filling the bases.
Maisel hit TO Shaw. who threw Peckin-
paugh out at the plate. Ilartzeli flied TO
Moelier. and Walsh hit TO Foster who