Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-24
NATIONALS HOPE
FOR EVEN BREAK
If Team Wins Half of Six
Games in Present Series, 1t
viii Still Be Contender.
JOHNSON AND BOEHLING
TO FACE MACKMEN TODAY
Present Race Is Closest in History
of American League Struggles.
Moeller Bats Better.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

BYJ. ED GRILLo,
| If the Nationals can break even in the
| SIX games they are scheduled to play
with the Athletics during the next four
| days the team will still be in a position
| to be classed among the contenders in
| the present race. 1t has been many a
year since the American League has fur
nished so interesting and close a race as
the present one. Only few games sepa-
rate the first five or six clubs and. judging
them on past performance. no team is
going to have an easy time landing the
flag this year.
But for the slump which the Nationals
encountered on their recent western trip
that team would have been near the top.
An even break in the west, in fact. would
have placed it in the lead. and though it
won but five of the sixteen games it
played it is not so far out of the run
ming that it has not a chance.
Much depends. of course. on its show
ing in the present series with the Ath-
letics which opens with a double-head
here today There win be a single game
tomorrow. and then the teams travel to
Philadelphia, where three games are to
be played in two days. In the past the
Mackmen have always had something on
the Nationals. But few games have been
decidedly questionable whether the pres
ent series will bring better results.
While the Athletics had much better
trip west than the Nationals, they also
found the going rough in St Louis, dupli-
eating the Nationals showing there by
winning one out of four. On the whole,
the Mackmen do not seem to have been
going at their best speed. though this
does not indicate that they will not re-
gain their stride in the games with the
Nationals. when they are usually at their
best.
On numerous occasions Connie Mack
has called off games in Philadelphia
which should have been played. He has
manipulated the schedule to suit his con-
venience and on one occasion would not
let the Nationals enter the park, though
the sun was shining brightly. because his
pitching staff was crippled When Crit
fifth notified him few days ago that there
would be a double-header played here
today, Mack protested and Ban Johnson
took a hand in tie matter. Griffith. how
ever, did not weaken and stood up for
his rights. Yesterday the Athletics PLAYED
an exhibition game with the Cubs at To-
ledo and there was no excuse for their
not coming here in plenty Of time for to-
days games.
If the champions could afford to stop
off at Toledo for the sake of playing an
exhibitor game they should have been
forced 90 proceed here and fill their en-
gagement. This was Griffith's argument
and it carried.
Being anxious to get flying start in
the series with the champions. Griffith is
sure to work Walter johnson in one of the
games today, and it is not unlikely that he
will work Joe Boehling in the other. This
pair of twirlers. judged on their recent
form, Is apt to give the Mackmen a
warm argument johnson will also be
used in the final game of the series and
worked. though he will be given a few
days rest, because he has been working
out of turn good deal recently.
Shawkey and Wyckoff, two of Mack's
most successful twirlers. reached here
last night in advance of the team. and it
is believed that they will be used in the
games today. Griffith will use his reg
ular lineup, with Milan batting second
and Foster third. This combination has
been successful in the last two games in
Detroit
Ava Williams is sure to be seen more
often at the receiving end of the Ma
tlonals' batteries in the future. The
on the team, besides having caught
brilliantly, makes him a more valuable
man for the team at this time than
either Of the other catchers neither of
greatest value to a team to have a
strong hitting catcher in the game, and
Williams is surely all of that. On the
western trip Williams caught but few
games. but was used almost exclusively
for pinch hitting. at which he made
good with a vengeance. The Nationals
cannot afford TO have so strong bat
ter sitting on the bench more than &C.
ca sionally.
mr. ;v,
Dan Moellers batting of late. On the
western trip Dan held up his end with
the bat. showing to better advantage
than he did earlier in the season.
Moeller is one of the chief run getters
In the circuit. his record comparing
favorably with any of the other play
ers who are noted for this feat, though
he is not at the head of team which
Ty Cobbs cratic temperament is very
apt to cost the Detroit team pennant
Jennings club has not won a game since
other day. nor is it apt to. He is sure
to be out of the game for two weeks
with his fractured thumb, and in the
meantime the Tigers are apt to slump
enough to put them out of the running.
Within the next few days the Tigers
have series with the ST Louis Browns,
a team which is the surprise of the race
With Cobb out of the lineup. the
DroWns are very apt to put sac Tigers
out of the running.
II there was one spot in the major
league circuits where 1t was believed the
Federal League would be apt to get a
good foothold. it was ST. Louis. Condi-
tons seemed ripe there for the invaders
because the Mound city had been sup
porting two losing teams for years But
when both the Browns and Cardinals
showed an unexpected squirt and made
themselves contenders in their respective
races, sentiment in ST. Louis changed to
them and the Feds We're deserted The
attendance at the Federal League
grounds in that city is so low that not
enough money is being taken in at the
gate to pay the salaries OF the park at
tendants. let alone the players
Pittsburgh. Kansas City. Indianapolis
and Brooklyn are doing business on a
similar basis. and there is no doubt
that the Federal League is losing great
deal of money, notwithstanding the fact
that it is pooling its receipts.
The Athletics are due to arrive here
about l o'clock, and will go direct to the
ball park. The team left Toledo last
| night and will have a strenuous trip
across the country. though this does not
necessarily signify that they will not be
| at their best.
Pacific cOaST IEAGUE