The Washington times., 1914-04-30

Those who admire the Nationals as
their greatest exponents OF the coun-
trys leading sport. would have felt
proud Of their fayorites in the victory
OF yesterday.
II was not SO much the fact that the
club was able to cop the long end OF the
score as the fact th8 the spirit that
r.ervaded the whole collection could not
have been improved upon. When tne
crowd arrived here. Griffith, Altrock,
Schaefer. Mcbride and some OF the
uthers OF the older set talked 10 the
team in the clubhouse. impresslng upon
the players the facr tnat Wasninston
has been the dog for the Athletics
year In and year out
That incompetent umpirins robbed the
Nationals Of a victory ON Tuesday is
now pretty generally conceded here.
b,It. Yesterday the Griffmen showed to
such an advantage over their opponents
that no single decision could have al
tered the outcome.
Viewing the showing of the Nation
ais here purely from the critical stand
point: the most encouraging feature
has been the hitting. While some OF
those who have been depended upon TO
add TO the offensive strength have not
vet delivered, the general average of
the whole club Is most encourag gins.
Yesterday four Of the team-Foster.
Gandil Henry and Shanks-eanle
through with a couple Of hits each.
From Charlottesville the predlcnon
was made in theses columns that Ed
Foster was in for the greatest year OF
his baseball career. As each day goes
oy il becomes more evident tnat Fos-
Ter is to give the best of them battle
for the place of third base on the ny
pothetiCal All-American team.
One of the most severe criticisms thAt
are ever aimed at Foster is the charge
that he is in Indifferent; While the
general attitude of the player on tne
field NAV give what appears 10 be good
grounds for such charge, II is not
born out by watching his work in the
resent series For the first time since
his advent in the big league, Foster
had run-in with an umpire wheh ne
Questioned the narrowing decision at
third base While fighting the arblteT
rannot be taken as an indication OF
tight. still il shows the general atu-
IGde of the one who has been such a
r.Ta11ount factor in all of the VIC
'Nries that the Nationals have thus far
there IS no comparison between the
Uork Of Foster of 1914 and Foster ol
1913.
No more difficult problem confronts a
baseball writer than attempting 10 form
lust and equitable estimate OF Joe
Engel .,ao,.-
IDlG ADVERSE CIllgSlellI lIOlA
sTe backing the Griffmen to win.
here is no one who stands higher IN
The esteem Of his boss than the nsuEe
WasaIngtonian Yesterday Engel stafI-
ed o!It like he was 10 wreck ever 81. -.
o.riOn of those Athletics, but as soon as
re commenced 10 blow in the sixth
Griffith would take no more chhnces.
nIt rushed in Ayers, who had peeh uii-
dergoins course Of preparation, III
Hnl I'e ~ controI alone ca aused The
bsnishment OF Engel, Tor whenever ne
.ot the ball over he could mold the op-
7osiiion in subiect!on. but Mhsn ne
Vas forced to groove the oa!! III s0'
MO trouble
He looks like mighty sood pltchef
10 me-" was the sto!ca! comment
the taciturn Connie Mack nhen ~
ahIle he was hiking back 10 the Cluo-
mouse after the game yesterdaf.
Ayers record in the Virginia Ltasu55
showed thai he is master o. CONF u
md Yesterday he pitched the most : g
e-essive sort OF a game, never pitcn-
inK out TO the batiers. put heeplhs
Il over and having so nuch SUIT on
me hall that he was able 10 hold tnem
down.
While going into ecstasies over the
winning of the game OF EesterdaH :.
don't overlook the fact that II was
tnal triple pldN bH Ni'Sh "eNIii
Having been canned bS Chicago.
here is not another club in the league
that Gandil would rather beat than
the White SoX. still there is no Cne'
with the possible exception Of Grit
9TH who derives more sinful satsfsc-
fiCD cut OF an overthrow OF the Atm
Ieics than does Gandil.
like Foster. Gandil has been forced
10 endure criticism Of alleged indif-
terence in his fielding, still! no one
could charge anything Of that sort
against the bsat first baseman in the
american league during the set thai
n still Under way.
Before the first inning was complel ed
.esterdsy The perspiraLion had turned
the Uniform OF the player TO a da rk
blue and until the last minute rhe
voice of the biz fellow could no heard
Seating around Shibe Park. ''Shl kc
ciBsiZ methods Of eXhOrtatiOn which he
shot al the men Eho were winning
seef the champions OF the baseball
univsrse.
wsiie adverse criticism has often
sounded The death knclI of many a
promising ball player. this condition
does not seem 10 hold in the case OF
Dan MoelleT
Al Cha rlottesVills and during the eX1i-
bition series at home, the right fielder
nas iB the tlToes of one of the worst
batting siumps ever suffered BY q
PLAYER pee Griffith has been in charge
csossfe.. ed and commences to bark,
Moeiier. lcouraged by his fellow
Players. like 10 see him in the
ZANE. TO hit. ape now every