The Washington times., 1914-04-25
GRIFFITH REFUSES TO
CHANGE BATTLE LINE
DESPITE COMPLAINTS
Until Some of the Regulars Fall Down Old Fox Will Keep Present
Lineup in Action-AItrock Gives instructions
to Shaw and Ayers.
Bv THOMAS KIRBY.

est team at our command in the
held. If any of the youngsters show
they can displace any of the regulars
of course l will shift, but otherwise
will stand pat"
This was Clark Griffith's unquail-
ned answer today to the unauthor-
iZed announcement that AcoSta or
Paid Smith would take Moelier's S
place.
An interesting sidelight on the work
of lin Shaw came today when he
donned his uniform for practice. On the
back OF the white suit there are at teast
a score of blood spots. These came frefn
yhe two splits in the fingers OF lne
nitching hand of the 'twirler, who work.
I'd without complaint The decorations
ON the digits have failed TO heal. ana
whenever the Pittsburgh lad tried a
tight grip on the ball before lettlIiS II
are that Shaw will get plenty OF time
10 iaave the wounds entirely heal oeIore
ne is started again.
The regular Nationals, with couple
Of the Young pitchers, will go to Balti-
more tomorrow for an eXhibftion game
with the Orioles.
Chick lIanOll Hdu
fcientIy recovered from the indisposi-
ion which kept hin, out of yesterday
game TO notify his boss that he Wouto
ne ready to get into the lineup TINS
afternoon. s ,
severe cold which yesterday developed
INTO chills and fever. The IeVer had
,:isappeared today, anu while the pay
er still has cold, he declares ne Is
ready TO get back into the tray AS
soon as his chief grants permission.
After the half-holiday season opens
in the Federal departments 1t is
likely that all Saturday engagements
viii begin at O'Clock. although this is
a matter that has yet to be DECIDED
Earring the pitchers the eight men
who represented Washington agalnSt
Boston in yesterdays game, which cul-
minated in q defeat by to 3. nave
grand batting percentage OF Ios
II is not necessary to go further 10
find the cause for the unexpected re-
verses that have set thousanos 10 GIliin "a,
ing since the club has failed TO win on
The home soil.
True the Nationals outhit the Rec
Sox by more than two 70 one, eo. so.
time and time again opportunities Lor
coping the long end OF the score was
lost simply because OF the I1l1antne
weakness of the men who were a'
the plate 1Or Ine tITlIIUtcH.
Today the Nationals are at me DOL
,om of the first division in the race,
md while there club percentage Is -0oo
I is the I59 in the line OF hitting.
that most effectively chronicles Ine
cause of their failure. Eight games
lave been played, but there are only
our marks on the night side OF the
ledger.
The game yesterday went the wroINs
way because of the wildness of Joe
Engel From the outset the native
WashingtonIans showed lack Of c"n-
troll that caused apprehension among
those who so well know this fatal fait-
ing Of this particular pitcher.
For two innings he got aWay Win
but one base on balls. but in the th:rc
he started a process on thai was on!y
interrupted by his summary removal
sfter he had jammec the paths with
three consecutive passes.
With three on and none out. DOC
Ayers was sworn in 10 save the SIT
nation. The first two to face him he
turned back without damage, but then
Came Duffy Lewis. No. 1, on the bos-
ton batting order, with tWo-oase
smash that drove in three runs. The
next man was struch out, but from
that juncture on washington WAS nev-
er able to catch up with the gallopinS
hose
While Ayers did as Well as might
ne expected considering the trying con-
dttions when he was sent TO the front
lTe might have even retired the visitors
scoreless but for blow on the hand
which was injured in his start the 9TH
"r day at New York Speaker hit a
line drive which Ayers ATTEMPTED to
spear with one hand. He did knock
the bail down. and make a force play
at the plate. but the effort showed in
his work during the remaining innings
on the diamond.
After Lewis waIlop Ayers disposed
OF the visitors without tallies until the
seventh when he was relieved to al
low an emergency hitter TO take his
place Then Jim Shaw was trotted
out 1t was Washington's first chance
Of the spring TO take q look al the
one about whom so much has been
written and he thoroughly justified all
the complimentary things that had
been said about him until the ninth
when he crowded all sorts of erratic
Sitching into one session.
The first man up hit and was sacri-
1Iced TO second. Then came a passed
bal THAT put him on third and when
the next hitter rolled towards first
Shaw tried an impossible play at the
plato and two were safe, one at home
and the other at first. Shaw walked
The next to face him and then there
was a double SteaI which ended up
by one crossing the plate 3nS the other
Tslling up at second. IN Trying to hold
The man on second Shaw made a pal
the runner up. After all this excite
rncnt Shaw settled and retired two
Shaw seemed as nervous as a bride
and as uncertain as a woamn's mind
but when he did get down to real
work he buzzed them over so the op-
position was helpless.
Engel was wild, Shaw was better and
ayers was best.
Ray Collins, who was withdrawn the
day previous rather than risk a pos
: ble defeat before Walter johnson,
etched a peculiar game for the Red
Sos yesterday. He was hit often enough
rGt when il came to the show down
he vas almost invinciole for IN only
.ne of the earlier innings-the sixth
were the Nationals able 10 get more
tlan one hit a session although in the
ninth was the situation well in hand
and two out Mcbride and Ainsmith
sach whipped out hits after two were
Tut This gave a run, which brought
Se total to three. but then Collins
ightened up and ended the game.
Considering the fact that he was
showed in at the last minute. after hav-
irg but a limited amount of work al
the position Wally Smith made an eX-
client substitute for Gandil. He went
through the afternoon without an error,
although several OF the throws that he
vac forced to receive were difficult, to
say the least. -.
All yintss we saw columns predicting