The Washington herald., 1914-07-20
Final of the Series
Will BE Played Today
Southpaws Joe Boehling and
and Mitchell Slated to Do
the Twirling.
OTHER SPORTING GOSSIP
Milan Will Be Out of the Lineup for
a Month-Semi-pro Twirler
Reports to Griffith.
BY WILLIAM PEET.

Birmingham's Maps play the final game
of the series here this afternoon, and in
dications point to a battle between SOUTH
paws, as Joe Boehling will do the pitch
ing for the Grifmen and Willie Mitchell
will be in the box for Cleveland.
Griffith last night stated that he would
stand pat on his present line up, but
there is a possibility that he will use a
right-hand hitter in place Of Acosta, pro-
viding Mitchell starts for the Maps.
The Grifmen and Maps have met
: eleven times this season, Cleveland win
ming six of the games
There is this much to be said for
Birmingham's, boys this year The CleVe-
= land pitchers have all given good ac-
count Of themselves, especially the
youngsters.
In years past the Nationals usually
found the various slabmen offered by
the Ohio State crowd the softest kind
Of picking. but not so this season
Judging by the numerous close scores
of games played against other American
League clubs the Nap twirlers have done
effective work elsewhere.
Stevens, a semi-pro pitcher who has
been working with an independent club
in Hagerstown. Nd. the past month, re-
ported at National Park Saturday, and
was given a try-out Stevens is a right
handler with plenty OF smoke.
CIvde Milan has his lower jaw all
wired up and for the next ten days will
be about as happy as Old Man Job.
It is expected that by the time the
Nationals return from the next Western
trip Milan will be able to take his old
position in the lineup.
Tony Sousa, a thirty-third degree fan
fH,a pf Agriculture who
frequently writes pieces for the papers.
puts over the following:
Did you ever notice the expression
on the face of the fan. who catches
foul tip while seated in the stand? When
ever a ball parabOls into the audience
there is apprehension in the minds of
very one there, the feeling prevailing
hat somebody is going to get hurt.
Then when the ball is either caught or
has hit without doing any one damage.
the crowd invariably laughs and Oftimes
makes remarks to the fellow who sue
ceeds in coralling the ball.
But the man who successfully catches
the sphere is most interesting to look
at just after this performance. and he
usually looks as though he thinks that
all Of the other fans must consider him
a sort Of hero. OF course he is ap-
plauded and several of the rooters are
insistent that he be signed at once.
The first thing he thinks of is that the
ball ought to belong to him because he
now possesses it. but the eagle lamp OF
an usher soon locates the ball and he
is Obliged to give il up. He takes Som-
fort in the thought that he really caught
the ball and that it did not sting his
hands so much after all Then he dreams
Of the yester-years when he played on
the old back lot, speculates on his wasted
years when he might have gained all of
iG iaH tn
Cobb. Johnson and all of the other great
players. All, il he had only kept il up.
Had he only realized that he was a
natural born baseball player. That little
sting in his hands has shown him that
baseball playing would be most easy to
him, and just to think he had thought
before that the players hands must suf-
fer tremendously by the swift throws
and smashes that they are obliged to
receive. Pshaw. how easy it was for
him to catch that ball! Must certainly
get out on the lot with the kids and
try himself out. Probably does it the
very next day. but in the meantime
every one he meets has TO be told Of his
great achievement in catching that foul
tip"
Not in a number of years has such a
battle been waged in the National and
American leagues as marks the pennant
races in both organizations at the pres
ent time. 1t is also the first time in a
number of years that the leading club
in each league has not carried a per-
centage OF over 900. The Athletics have
just reached the 500 mark, after winning
Saturdays double-header from the White
SoN The Giants, leading the National
League, have percentage of .592, with
Chicago trailing them too closely for
any degree of safety. with a mark Of .54s
In the history Of the American League
b.
than the dash which five clubs are now
making. There are less than 50 points
separating the first five teams In the
race, which is an unusual state of af-
fairs at this stage Of the season. Last
year at this point of the contest the
Athletics were showing the way with a
percentage Of .103 with a big margin of
ITO points beyond Cleveland. their near
est competitors. In 1912 the Boston Red
Sox were out in front. with a percentage
of .sS4, while Washington, in second place,
had a mark OF .6C5. In 1911, on July IS
Detroit had a big lead over the Athletics
Their percentage was .707, while the
Athletics were .642.
The close competition in both the
major leagues has been a big factor in
staving off the invasion of the Federal
League. Baseball men admit that II II
were not for the fact that the races IN
both leagues are so exciting the Federal
League this season would have raised
havoc with the patronage at the turn
stiles OF organized ball
At the outset of the season, the Federal
Deaguers were jubilant over he promise
that both the Giants and Athletics would
run away with the pennant in each or
ganization and kill the interest How
ever. both the Giants and the Athletics
have proved to be much weaker than they
appeared on paper when the season
opened. and neither club is so sure of
winning that it is anything like the GER
tainty it has been in former years u