Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-09
NATIONALS SLUMP
BECAUSE OF HEAT
Abnormal Temperature in St.
Louis Is Reason for Deteri-
GRAFTON in Players Work.
'ENGEL TO PITCH FINAL
GAME OF SERIES TODAY
Joe Has a Record of Three Vic
tories Over the Browns
Last Season.
BY j. ED GRILLO.

! aiilS oNeTHtdteu CITY. " men pdtl pidSciS
are deprived of their rest they are hardly
i to be expected to do themselves justice.
| and there has been little rest for the
| Griffmen since they have been here The |
| hotel at which the team is stopping has a |
| temperature much like that of the aver
age furnace, and, though there are fans
in the rooms, the air which is thus moved
about is about as hot as that which es-
capes from a bake oven. The result is
that the players are getting little or no
sleep. and are not fit to do themselves
justice AS early as $50 o'clock in the
| morning many of the players are up and |
about. having given up their efforts to
get real sleep.
1t has been abnormally hot here. and
the player who can go through a ball
game without faltering must be at
his best physically. Yesterdays game. |
an affair which required three hous
and thirty-tive minutes to be set
tied was the most unique exhibition in
many respects ever seen on a major
league ball field. Though only ten in
nings We're played they required more J
| than time enough for two full games. !
The weather was so hot that the players
| We're forced to loaf as much as possible, |
and then there We're other things which |
delayed proceedings The changing of
pitchers. the arguments with the UNI
pires, and a desire on the part of all |
pitchers to hold the base runners close
to first base took up whole lot of time
so that the game was, perhaps. the long |
est drawn-out ten-inning affair in the
history of base ball.
Had Jim Shaw been able to control
the ball he would not have had a |
very hard time winning his game. But
he was decidedly wild and was in |
trouble in five of his six innings His |
fast ball would shoot in all directions, |
.,,,l l.
pranks. SO that he could never tell |
just where the ball was going. So, |
with the Nationals a run to the good |
in the seventh. Shaw was derricked |
two balls on Austin, and Ayers was
substituted. Ayers picked Shotten off |
first and then walked Austin. He
struck out Pratt, but E. Walker rolled !
one in front of the plate which Henry
threw wild to first and Austin scored. |
Walker going to second. 1t was the in
tention to walk Clarence Walker, but |
while this was being performed E. Walk |
er stole third. Henry's throw going far |
over Fosters head because his hands
were sweaty at the time. Clarence |
walker followed with a triple, but was
left while Leary was being thrown out |
by Foster. Those were the runs which I
eventually won the game for the Browns.
At one time, in the beginning of the
fourth inning, the score stood to 0 in
tied the score in the fifth and took the
lead In the SIXTH only to be tied up
again in the last half of this inning.
They forged to the front again in the
seventh. but were again passed in the
last half of this period. The score was
tied in the NINTH and in the tenth the
Browns got the run which won them the
game.
Joe Engel, who had three victories
over the Browns to his credit last sea-
son. is slated to do the pitching in the
final game of the series here today.
While it is more than likely that I
Hamilton will oppose him. there is still
"a chance of the Nationals getting an
even break here. and that will be
fairly good showing. all things con-
sidered. Once out of this town there is
a good chance for improvement, for
there is no question about the climatic
conditions here having played havoc
with the Griffmen.
Douglas Neff took his first workout
with the team yesterday, and he show
ed ability enough to warrant the pre-
diction that he gives much promise.
Neff not only covers lot Of ground.
but he has a wonderful throwing arm
and splendid pair of hands 1t will,
of course. take time for him to be de-
veloped sufficiently to fill a regular
place on the team. but in the meantime
he viii be used for utility purposes.
AS result of conference Manager
Griffith had with Marsans. the Cuban
outfelder Of the Cincinnati team who
Is staying here during his term of sus-
pension. it is more than likely that the
difference between the player and the
Cincinnati club will be patched up.
Marsans got in communication with
President Hermann of the Cincinnati |
club during the day. and it is under
stood that he will join his team with
mirer of Griffith, and he is willing to
do most anything that his former man
aser suggests. Hence he came here as
much for advice as anything else. The
story that he intends to sign with the |
Federal League is denied
This st. Louis club has always been a !
thorn in the side Of the Nationals. 1t
has done more to upset the hopes of
the Washington aggregation than any
other team in the circuit.
1t was the Browns who stopped Walter
Johnson's winning streak a year ago. and |
the same team also stopped his long run .
of consecutive scoreless innings. Time |
and time again when the Nationals had |
hopes of something the Browns have |
stepped in and stopped them. Right now |
the local team is stronger than it has |
been in years and while it may not win |
a pennant II gives promise of proving a |
stumbling block to those clubs that have |
ambitions. The Nationals rivals will |
have just much trouble here as have |
the Griffmen.
| Foster had a great day with the bat |
getting two doubles and two singles in |
| five trips to the plate. With any sort |
| of pitching to help them the Nationals |
| could not have lost. for the team had no |
| trouble making runs off the Browns !
| pitchers but neither Shaw. Ayers nor |
| Bentley could hold the opposition in !
| check.
| Otto Nye. the young infielder has |
been released to the Scranton club of |
the New York State League. for which |
lefty he leaves tonight.
| Shaw yielded four runs to the Browns |
| in the first three innings. In the second |
E. Walker singled and so did Clarence
Then Shaw walked Leary, and Wares
came through with a base hit. In the
third inning Shotten started with a
scratch hit and Austin was walked.
Pratt's out moved them up and p.
| Walker again came through with a hit.
Walks to c. Walker and Wares and
| scratch hit by Rumler. a pinch hitter.
gave them another run in the sixth. and
/ a walk to Shotten and Austin, after the
former had been picked Off first and two
wild throws by Henry netted two runs
in the seventh. After that Bentley held
them in check until the tenth. when
| Leary singled and Wares who is sun
posed to be the weakest batter on the