The Washington herald., 1914-05-21
NATIONALS NOW
SECOND IN RAGE
Victory Over Maps and Ath-
letics' Defeat Shakes
Up Standing.
BROWNIES HERE TODAY
Birmingham Threatens to Bench Old
Players and Give Youngsters
Chance.
BROWNIES HERE TO-DAY
ny WILLIAM PEET.

ny WILLIAM PEET.
The Nationals awoke this morning to
find themselves occupying second place
in the American League standing. by
virtue Of yesterdays victory over the
CIevelanders. and Chicaso's win against
the Athletics.
The margin Is a slender one only ten
points separating the clubs In the per
centage table. and likely to be wiped out
over night. but with Detroit. the league
leaders. battling the Athletics, and the
St Louis Browns in Washington for a
series of three games. the Griffmen have
a fine chance to stick up around the top
for the next week or SO at least.
Two games and a half separate WASH
ington from Detroit, and as these clubs
meet after the ST. Louis series. this little
race In the Ban Johnson circuit threatens
all sorts of excitement and complica-
tions.
That Manager Birmingham. of the
Cleveland club. was disguised with the
playing of his team during the first three
games here was shown yesterday when
he benched Doc Johnston and Carisch,
putting In their places a couple Of young
sters-
II was learned that yesterday morning
Birmingham called every member of his
club together and read the riot act to
them. Birmy intimated that his players
were loafiny on their Jobs and not giving
him their best efforts
.If INV old PLAYERS fail to deliver the
goods I shall replace them with young
sters. put the kids into the game and
keep them there" Birmingham Is quoted
as saying.
II was also learned from an authoritative
source that Billy Martin. Georgetown's
crack athlete had pledged his word to
sign a Cleveland contract when he grad
yates from college in June. 1915. But for
the fact that Billy expects to return to
Georgetown for football and baseball
once.
Martin has all the earmarks of a great
ball player. His friends believe that he
will make good in the big show the first
year out.
The st. Louis Browns make their first
appearance OF the season mere this after
noon. and unless he changes his mind
over night Griff will send Joe Boehling
injured list for the past ten days with a
torn lisament in his right leg. but is
ready now to take his turn with the
other pitchers
1t Is a singular coincidence that last
season Boehling was able to beat every
club in the American League except the
Browns. He has yet to score a win over
this club and hopes to break the hoodoo
today.
The Browns will not arrive in the
t. -f, Thar
stop at the Ebbett House, and the party
includes eighteen players.
Joe Sugden, the old-timer, is with
Rickey's club acting in the capacity of
coach to the young pitchers.
With the exception OF Leary at first
base the St Louis club is the same which
represented the Mound City during the
fag end of last season. but Manager
Rickey has the boys playing good ball.
and they are likely to cause the Ma
tionaIs some trouble before the series
comes to a close.
II the Griffmen can take the entire
series from the St. Louis Browns and
the Athletics make a clean sweep of the
series with the Tigers. which starts to-
day. the Griffmen vii be peacefully re-
posing upon the top rung of the ladder.
twenty-seven points ahead of the Tigers.
who would be in third place. Philadel-
phia would be second with a percentage
OF $50. three points behind the Nationals.
Little Eddie Foster has started hitting
that old pill again. Yesterday the midget
was al the plate four times. Once he was
passed and upon the other occasions clean
hits resulted. In the first inning, in
stead Of poking the ball to right field
after Moeller had reached first. the lead
ing exponent of the hit-and-run game
shot a beautiful single through the short
stops position, he having seen Olson
start to cover the bag when Moeller
started to run
That grand old man Lajoie had a hard
time getting in the way Of fly balls yes
terday. Moeller raised one In the first
inning which Jackson should have caught.
but Lajoie went into right field to
make the play and after apparently
camping under the ball. allowed it to
fall safely at his feet. In the same
inning, with the infield in close. Milan
hit little fly over his head which he
could not quite reach.