Evening star., 1914-07-14
FIRST PLACE NOT
FAR AWAY NOW
Champion Athletics Have But
.O33 Points Advantage
Over the Nationals.
AYERS AND COVEL6SKIE
WILL HOOK UP TODAY
Connie Mack Avoids Double Headers
in Violation of League Rules.
Base Ball Gossip.
BY j. ED GRILLo.

| First place Is but two and a half games
away. The Athletics advantage over the
| Nationals is but .O33 in the percentage
| table The St. Louis Browns still have
three games to play with the leaders in
| the present series. One Of these games Is
scheduled for today and two for tomor-
| row. Rickey's men may win a couple OF
| these and if the Nationals keep up their
present stride there is chance for them
| to be at the top of the heap before the
| week is over.
| Two more games remain to be play ed
with the Tigers here. The worst to be ex-
pected is an, even break In these. and
then Cleveland and Chicago follow before
| the Nationals start on their second west
ern trip.
| Either Doc Ayers or Jim Shaw will op-
pose the Tigers in the game today, ~hile
! IT is as good as settled that Harry Covei-
eskie will be on the mound Tor the VISIT
ors. Coveleskie has proved himsei1 tne
most consistent of any Of Jennings t"iri-
ers. He faced the Nationals once during
the first western trip and on that occasion
scored a l to victory over Ayers.
Despite the fact that the rules or inc
American League plainly state that
when a game Is postponed by ram oi
other causes it must be played as
double-header the following oay'
after the first trip of the CLUB, CONNIE
Mack seldom lives up to this reguia-
ton. He manipulates his double-heao-
ers to suit himself and his convenience
and there has never been any call from
headquarters recorded as result.
Yesterday the game with the Browns
was prevented in Philadelphia, but Con-
ME. instead of playing two games to-
day. announces that he will play a
double-header tomorrow. propaoly mop
ing that he won't have to play 1t at
ali at this stage of the campaign When
his pitching staff is none too strong.
lost one game more this season than he
did during the entire last campaign. he
is on a fair way to again lead the Amer
ican League pitchers IN. IN everStmns; @ an
games. He is charged with eight defeats
to date. but at the rate he Is going 1t
is apt to be some time before another
defeat is charged against him. !
johnson has won sixteen and lost
eight to date. He has won his last four
games. his last defeat being in Philadel- |
phia, when the Mackmen made four runs
in the opening inning but did not score
thereafter. Since then he has been
scored on but once. and that was in a
game with st. Louis few days ago
Wnen ne NdQ d SeVcu1TuIl iedu III lH6 |
first two innings and was not letting |
himself out.
1t required more time this year to get |
Johnson in his best form. He did not |
reach it, in fact. until about a month |
ago. and since that time he has pitched |
most remarkable ball.
johnson took part in forty-seven games |
of ball last season. Barring accidents, he |
is sure to be in more than that number |
this season. Last season johnson was |
seldom worked with less than three days |
rest. but there has been a change in this |
method of late and Walter is now taking |
his regular turn on the rubber after two |
days of idleness. and he does not seem
any the worse for 1t.
Those who remember Johnson when
he made his first appearance here in |
1907 will recall what fielder he was. 1t |
was his inability to protect himself |
against bunts in the first game here !
which caused his defeat. Today there is |
not a better fielding pitcher in either |
league than johnson. |
He demonstrated this yesterday by two |
really brilliant plays. Once he went over |
to the third-base line and picked up a
swinging bunt. throwing out his man |
with ease, and on another occasion he |
picked a bunt off the first base foul