Evening star., 1914-07-06
TOUGH TIME AHEAD
!. FOR THE NATIONALS
Contending Teams to Make
Appearance Here for Some
Time to Come.
JOHNSON PICKED TO AGAIN
HUMBLE BOSTON RED S0x
Defeat Today Would Drop Griffmen
Into Second Division in Closest
Race in History.
BY J. ED GRILLo.

BY J. ED GRILLo.
1t is possible for the Nationals to drop
the final game of the series this after
| noon the Red Sox will jump into third
place, while the Nationals will drop into
| fifth place and be Just one point in front
Of st: Louis. The western teams will all
! be idle today. so that they cannot make
any change in their percentage
Realizing the closeness of the race
Griffith will pitch Walter Johnson against
the Sox today. Walter has been work
| ing regularly Of late with but a two-day
| rest. and he seems to be none the worse
| for it. 1t Is more than likely that Coumbe.
| the young southpaw who one day last
week let the Athletics down with three
| hits, will be pitted against Johnson. and
, if he is in form another real pitchers
battle can be looked for.
The present series is a tie to date each
team having won two games Three Of
| the four have been close. hard-fought bat
ties, the Nationals winning the one game
which was one-sided, 12 to o. 1t was the
| first game Of the series which johnson
pitched. In order to allow the Sox to
get an early train for Boston todays
game will be called at 3 o'clock.
Not word Of any kind was received at
local base ball headquarters this morn
ing anent the suspension of Manager
Griffith or Germany Schaefer, both of
whom have been suspended for more
than week. The impression Is growing
that Griffith will be kept off the field for
the remainder of the season, though if
we're punishment it is strange that he
continues to remain silent and does not
send some sort of a communication to
Griffith notifying him of his position. The
suspension Of Schaefer has been a mys-
terry. 1t is a matter of fact that in that
forfeited game Schaefer took less part
in the wrangling than any Of the other
players, and no one seems to understand
why he was picked out for punishment.
The Nationals will have a hard row to
hoe for the next ten days or more. all
ther games being with contending clubs
until Cleveland comes here. July 16. Fol-
lowing the game with Boston today the
st. Louis Browns come for four games.
and it is needless to say that that team
will not be easy picking. After the st.
Louis series Detroit comes for three
games. and the chances are that Ty Cobb
will be back in the game by that time
and Jennings team will be at its best.
Cleveland may not prove troublesome. but
the western invasion is ended with Chi
cago and that team has been showing a
lot of class of late. There is some en-
|couragement to be found in the fact that
Griff1th's pitchers have been showing
splendid form of late. In the Boston
games here the pitching of the locals has
the Nationals may be able to make
good showing against the western teams.
Luck is sure to cut a decided figure in
the present pennant race. The team
which gets the better Of the breaks from
now on not only in the games, but in the
matter of having its team intact. is sure
to have an advantage over its rivals.
Luck and gameness will decide this flag
race. A team which is inclined to quit
will not have a chance. 1t will require a
fighting aggregation which will battle
through every inning, regardless Of what
the score may be. to get to the front at
the finish Gameness in base ball is one
Of the most important qualifications.
The team which takes chances under all
circumstances is the one which Is apt to
pull games out of the fire when it ap-
ly has the luck, too. which is so essen
tial.
There was no noticeable difference in
Joe Engel's delivery in the game Satur-
day and the one he used In the forfeited
game in Philadelphia. though no COM
plaint was made against him here. Hugh
Fullerton hits the nail on the head when
he says that the balk rule Is a joke, be-
cause it is violated by most pitchers
and the umpires allow them to get away
with 1t. Fullertons article appears in
another column of this issue.
Just why there is such a general fall
ing off in batting in the American League
| this season is not plain. There are now
the entire organization. which is just
about half the number to finish over the
coveted mark during the last campaign.
! In the natural course of events it is to
be expected that the batting will improve
as the season progresses. for there is no
reason for believing that the pitching this
year is more effective than 1t was in
other seasons. In fact some of the star
| twirlers have not shown their usual
| form to date. Walter Johnson, for in
stance, got a poor start. while Joe Wood
| just recently got back into the game.
There never was such pennant race as
| the present one of the American League.
| Six clubs are punched so closely that
game or so can change the entire aspect
I Of the standing. Philadelphia has a two
| and a half game lead over Detroit, while
| the Tigers are but game and a half in
| front Of Washington and Chicago, which
| teams are tied for third place. with Bos-
ton just one point behind and St Louis
any one of the first six teams at this
| time though It be OF short duration,
would put 1t In first place.
| The second invasion of the east by the
western contingent. which opens tomor-
| row. may make quite difference in the
standing by the time it is over The
western teams may be at a disadvantage
while on the road. but. Judged on the
good form that at least three Of the four
| teams have shown to date. they are not
apt to lose much ground while in the
| east.
| The squirt the Chicago White Sox have
| shown is All absolute surprise. Early in
the season that team did not give prom
Use Of being very prominent in the race.
yet it has been winning consistently OF
late, and is now tied with the Nationals
in the race. Callahan's team has been
winning ever since Hal Chase deserted.
This may be mere coincidence. but the
fact that Fournier, who took Chase s
place, Is hitting like a f1end. also has had
its effect while the Sox pitchers are
going in splendid form.
st. Louis. after creating the impression
that 1t was bound for the second divi-
sion. braced up, took a dual fall out OF
the Tigers yesterday and managed to re-
main in the contending fold.
| The Browns open their invasion here.
| starting a four-game series here tomor-
row. Detroit which clashes with the Ath-
ieics in the meantime, follows the Browns
hare. and then come Cleveland and Chi
caeo in the order named. after which the
| Nationals start on their second western