The Washington times., 1914-06-24
NAPLANDERS EVEN
WITH GR|FF'S BOYS
Beginning Next Week Capitol
ians Will Play at Home for
Almost Entire Month.
By THOMAS KIRBY.

now hold an advantage over the Ma
tionals on the seasons interclub series
while with Cleveland It is g stand on
The Athletics have taken four out OF
seven games. with another tie, Boston
has captured six out OF eleven with
the Grifmen. while St Louis has fn-
ishe6 with the long end of the score
four times In seven starts. The wholly
unexpected reversal at Cleveland on the
"Trip just closed has evened 1t up between
the Maps and the Nationals with four
apiece.
WASHINGTON has won FIVE out OF nine
from Detroit. FIVE out of seven from
hicago and four out Of seven from the
New York Yanks.
After the present set with the Ath-
letics has gone down into history the
Nationals viii he here for nearly a
month while the Western clubs are
guests on Georgia avenue.
The Athletics were forced to hurry
AL the way TO get here in time for
the first game today. While they will
ne quartered at the Pellevue during
their stay, they did not get chance
10 visit their hotel, but were rushed
from the station to the ball park.
Connie Mack appealed to Ban john
son to have one game today and two to-
morrow, but Griffith declared II was
not his fault if the Athletics tried to
pick up some loose change by an exhi-
hition game at Toledo, so he wired that
he would insist upon living up TO the
original program
Griffith is planning to take his club
over to Philadelphia tomorrow evening.
ordinarily the jump would not be made
until the following day. but the double
header will probably lead him to going
over Thursday evening.
While they failed absolutely to come
within expectations on the trip which
ended in a sweltering ride OF more than
twenty hours yesterday and the night
before, the Nationals are still not far re-
moved from the contest for supremacy.
While their position is fourth, the Grins
are less than five games behind the
pace-setting Philadelphians and a good
week or ten days might carry them TO
the summit
Griffith considers the series opening
today the most important on the sched-
ule thus far. In place of a victory
counting only half game in lifting the
Nationals, every win over Philadelphia
amounts to a complete game. There
fore, II has a more vital effect on the
battle which the Nationals intend to
make, than If they were facing some
other club.
No matter how well or poorly the re-
spective teams have been travelling since
Griffith has been here, the Athletics
have usually predominated. At times II
has appeared as though IT was utterly
imposs lble for the Gf1ffmen to get any
sort Of. break against the most
dreaded team in the race, most OF the
defeats being suffered after Washing
ton had obtained Lead that was ap-
parenuy safe.
Chill and Sheridan are the umpires
who will work here this afternoon.
without appearing over loyal to the
band with whom we have travelled
through the greater part OF a month,
il must be said that the one thing that
has never wavered has been the spirit,
confidence, and general morale of the
cub.
When the Nationals left here they
were sure they would wiz not less
than half of their games, some thought
two-thirds was not overestlmatins the
probable showing, while some Of the
more enthusiastic figured on just the
sort Of d stretch OF victories as was
such a potential factor in carrying the
club up toward the front last year.
But when defeats came whore tri-
umphs were expected, the men grew
more desperate, morning meetings were
more prolonged, shouting from the bench
vas Increased. and the slightest slip OF
an umpire was sufficient to bring the
whole squad dashing to the plate 10
fle protests
No matter what can be said about
poor work at times-and those who
looked on on foreign soil saw plenty
Of mediocre performances-there was
never a time when the determinaueh
and gameness of the team could be
questioned. And SO II is today. TIE alh-
letes are practically unanimous that.
even in spite Of the setbscks they have
received in the past, that they have as
strong or better team tnan the Mack
arH Wi lfltn AL contests
with that idea uppernost In their
minds
DEVELOPMENTS of the past week have
increased the chances OF The Ma
tionals 10 move UP through mfsfor-
tunes that have overcome the De-
troit Tigers, who must be seriously
considered in talking Of winners and
contenders.
The day following the night that
Ty Cobb allowed his temper to get
the better Of him and he engaged In
q series OF alterations, every Ell
fort was made by the Tiger officials
10 discount the occurrence While |
II later developed that Cobb had |
fractured q thumb and would be out
OF the game for a couple OF weeks
Detroit that Cobb had escaped prac- |
tICaIly unscratched.
With Cobb out the Tigers are de- !
prived of their most valuable of- 4
fensive asset. and now comes the re- I
port that George Moriarity will be |
out for several days as a result of /
injuries. This combination of un-
foreseen incidents will initiate |
against Detroit more than many will
imagine. II is bad enough for a |
club to lose a man Of the admitted |
ability of Cobb, but then TO have the |
infeld broken up by the absence OF
q captain IL is likely TO prove dis
astrous. especially as the Tigers are
just starting on a trying road trip.
Among the Nationals there is the
strongest suspicion that the 81. Louis
club will not stand the gan. Although
the Browns are now in the van Of
the Nationals. the feeling among the
Grifhthian clan is that the team now
in fifth place will prove far more
formidable than the Mound City
tribe.
Much of. the Missourians' success
has come from the general excellence
Of the work of the pitching corps.
Should these moundsmen slump,
something that must be expected
from any pitchers at any time. the
Nationals would expect 10 move UP.
S6Qe Boston has apparently just