The Washington times., 1914-07-26

, for, the Bostons and make them consid-
erablv stronger on the infield. Janvrin
will strengthen the club at second
| base. too. Carrigan can use him there
while he hits and then switch in steve
Yerkes when the youngster happens 10
strike a BATTING slump that makes 1t
| look as though he wanted rest.
This Is not a bad idea, either, haVins
| two men for a position, for there are
| some players who cannot seem to stand
| the strain of working every day. jan
vrin does not appear to be a strong
! fellow, and II 1t becomes necessary TO
J let him lay off a few days. Carrigan
will find 1t very handy to have Yerkes
ready to step in Davy Jones. the Tor,
mer Tiger. was a player who needed
! a vacation every little while. He would
play phenomenal ball sometimes Tor
few weeks. and then go into slump
simply because he had not the physique
to stand the strain. After a week or
so on the bench. he was able to go
back to work and give good account
! Of himself.
Davy was a very unlucky fellow, too.
getting hurt oftener than any other man
who always seems to have something
the matter with him. / used to think
myself mighty lucky in escaping in
juries, but / am beginning to believe
that I got away well for a long time
Just so that all my bad luck could be
missed almost as many games this sea-
son as I did in all my previous base
ball experience, counting the times that
didn't report until late. too.
Nobody is half as anxious for me to
be in the game as I am to get busy,
so the people who insinuate that took
my time about returning malign me.
The very fact that I played in Wash
ington before / was really strong
enough to go in had lot to do with
the length of my absence on account or
a fractured thumb. If 1 had waited
two or three days longer / might not
have had to lay of the second time.
One of the queerest things in baseball,
to my mind, Is the way Cleveland has
been beating Walter Johnson lately
be called a particularly dangerous club
by any means, yet they have given the
greatest pitcher of the age two trim
mings this season. And both OF his
conquerers were twirlers of little re-
pute The victories were due to good
have had to show more than its normal
run-making capacity to have saved
either.
L am willing to bet, however, that the
Maps didn't get the big Swede" on a
dark day. We tried to hit in Wash
and sprinkling and the fellows who got
fouls became all swelled up on them
selves. The Tigers swore that he had
as much this day as ever they had seen
a pitcher show and we got only three
hits, two Of them scratchy. 1t is likely
that he ''had something when he
pitched against Cleveland, but the Bir-
mingham contingent has come to the
conclusion that he is its heaven-sent
prey now and goes in against him with
all the confidence in the world.
John McGraw is probably little
worried because of the medicre work
of his Giants on their Western trip. In
fact, John admits that the club Is not
playing the sort of ball 1t is capable of
and he is making desperate efforts to
convince his men that they haveh't any
lead pipe cinch on the flag and are like
ly to find somebody ahead Of them un-
less they get move on. New York
managed to pull its0f together and get
an even break in Chicago, which, Of
course, helped sone, but aside from this
one series, the work was not up to spec
ifcations.
Now is the time for the champions to
make a bid for a lead that will cinch
It They are at home fCr along series
be In a nice safe position before going
on the road again. The home club
seems to me to have every advantage
in games played at the Polo Grounds.
The grandstaSd is SO bis there that
light conditions both for batting and
pcSulldI- CLOVIS WHO play
there all the time can accustom them
selves to the shadows and the gloom,
but for the visitors II is a tough spot
I must admit that I am very sur
prised at the way the Cubs have been
going. / couldn't see how this club.
dpnuded of so many stars, could hold
up in the race but II is doing so. and
is turning McGraw's hair gray I no.
| tice that the attendance IN Chicago has
returned to a satisfactory point, too.
The Sans who s~ore that they were
| through with the Cubs forever because