Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-11
JOHNSON'S PITCHING
|SBELOW STANDARD
Nationals Star TWirler Is Not
as Effective as in
Past Years.
CHANGE IN HIS STYLE,
WITH REDUCED SPEED
Griffmen May Not Be Able to Break
Losing Streak While in
Windy City.
BY j. ED GRILLO.

CHICAGO June 11.-Walter johnson is
not the pitcher this season that he has
been in the past. Though still great
performer. his work does net compare
with that of other years. Walter is be
ing hit harder than he ever was before.
That fast ball with the jump on it. which
has made him unhttable heretofore. is
in evidence only rare occasions. HIS
style of pitching seems to have under
gone a change He does not appear 10 get
as much of a body motion behind MS
arm as he did formerly. and his wind-up.
too seems to have been reduced to a min
imum. There We're few occasions in the
past when leTt-handed batters pulled
Jonnson's speed into right field: now TINS
happens frequently. Denmit yesterday
pulled two into this territory. and botn
were made on fast balls. which shows
that Johnsons speed was not up to his
old standard Barring one or two occa-
sions johnson has been hit much more
freely this spring than ever before Now
and then he has shown a flash of his old
form but on the whole his pitching does
not compare with that of former sea
sons Not that he is not still a remark
able performer but he has not proved
himself the Johnson of old
In Yesterdays game the White So@ MT
Johnson hard. Good fielding preNented
him from being scored on more oIteh
II was noticeable that his actions on the
rubber were not as smooth as theS ueeu
10 be and as a result the ball did not nave
that tremendous momentum II uSsd 10
have. Iohnsons rather mediocre showing
in st Louis last Saturday was attriputeu
to the fact that the weather was sizzliis
hot but weather conditions could not pe
,ad YESTERDAY.
of course there was never chance Ioi
him to win. But he was hit hard-haroef.
perhaps than the local cluo mas ever M
him since he first broke into the American
League.
II is decidedly questionable If the Ma
tiorals will be able to break their losing
streak here Callahan's pitchers are 60
ing better right now than any IN the'
league No-ht and one-hit games APP
near to be their speciality. and runs are
apt to be very scarce for the Natlonais-
J. Renz. Scott, Cicotte. Russell and Faber
are five twirlers that of late have shown
such excellent form the SoS nave peeh
asked to get only run or TWO 10 ndhe
victory possible. Callahan Will nave
star pitcher on the rubber in every one
AZ the remaining three games and IN
less there is a let-up in the work OF one
Of these it is going to be no easy matter
to break the losing streak OF the 6rin-
men
Joe Boehling is slated to do the pitcn.
ing TODAY The chances are that ne VIII
be opposed by either Russell or SCOTT.
and then Cicotte and Faber remain to
look after the Sox interests in the re-
manning two games
Pitching such as Benz is doing Is al
most impossible to beat. A week ago
SUNDAY he shut out Cleveland w1thout
hit. and since then he went nine innings
arainst Detroit without allowing them
safety. Aside from the technical hit
with which Ainsmith had to be credited
yesterday Benz once more pitched mt
less game of ball. He did not give a
pass and with perfect support would
have retired the side in order in every
Timing but the last. when Ainsmith Sc
cured that scratch hit There was only
one inning in the nine-the seventh
when more than three men faced Benz,
and while the Sox were charged with
three misplays. their fielding on the
whole was of the best and helped Benz
materially.
Shanks played a wonderful game in
left field. Every one of his four chances
was a long running catch. and his cap
ture of Chase's liner in the eighth was
one of the best plays seen here In some
time But Shanks is not hitting like he
did. In fact. he seems to have fallen
into a discouraging slump with the stick.
and on two occasions yesterday struck
out without fouling the ball.
Weaver is a ball team in himself. The
Sox shortstop is playing by far the best
ball of his career. and he has become
dangerous man at the bat. too. Chase.
who was going poorly during the eastern
trip of the Sox. seems to have recovered
his best form and PLAYED like a whirl-
wind in yesterdays game
Chase by the way-it was rumored as
coming from a Federal League source in
st. Louis-has given his promise to jump
the Sox some day this week. The story,
of course, is ridiculed here but those