Evening star., 1914-04-15
Nationals Look Strong Enough to Be Real In For
VICTORY SHOWS
NATIONALS ARE CONTENDERS
Players Seem Be in Splendid Condition, and Their
Work Generally Is Much Above the Average John
son Starts Nell-Boehling Pitch Today.

stood two to in favor Of the pitcher,
and when Gandil took another swing he
thought the inning over and started to
walk off second base for his position.
u course. it was only matter of sec
onds when he was touched out and the
inning ended.
Foster made the first hit of the season
Tor the Nationals and some one compl-
mented him on this after the game, but
his retort was: And I also pulled the
first bone.
If ever a lot of ball players wanted
to win il was the Griffith crew 1t is
questionable whether any manager has
ever before been blessed with a more
sincere bunch than Griffith can boast of
this spring. The tension on the players
previous to the game yesterday was per
ceptible 10 every one who came in con
tact ,;. with them Their desire to start
the season with victory was para
mount in their minds: they talked and
wished for nothing else. Most of them
refused to cat any lunch for fear that
best at the ball park, Once the game
got under way their interst in it was
beyond description. Every man was
constantly on the alert. and when vic
tory finally was assured the PLAYERS
gave vent to their joy by cheering loudly
The first game, OF course does not
count any more, far as the race is
concerned. than any of the others but the
that they stand good chance to win
the Tag this year if they can manage
TO get an early lead and have the other
teams chase them to the wire II is
assured that 10 team will ever hustle
more than will the Griffithtes this
spring. They would like nothing better
than to make a clean sweep of the two
series away from home. and they will
40 everything in their power to bring
this about 1t seems that every man in
the squad sees an incentive to try this
spring. and if the team should be fortu-
nate enough TO break out in front it
would be very apt to lead its rivals to
the finish.
| Griffith is Of the opinion that his team
! mas something on all the others in tie
matter of condition. After the game
yesterday he expressed himself as de-
/ lighted with his teams showing. which
ne attributes to its advanced condition
Despite the fact that the players have
4 had comparatively little outdoor work
since they went into training, early in
March. wonders seem to nave been ac-
comnlished. There is not player in the
I squad who is not capable of giving the
! team his best. and this is particularly
/ true OF the pitchers. not of whom is
making any complaint about the cond-
ton of his arm. Some of them max need
a few games to get them at their best
but. on the whole. they are already TO
90 good work, according to their chief.
l.
| TONERS in base ball has been proved in
! the three years that he has had charge
OF the team. He always sends his play
ers to toe the scratch in condition. and
that. too. without having them spend a
lot of time in an extremely warm climate
Up to the time that the Nationals re-
turned to their own grounds they had
had just about four days of outdoor work
and after getting home they were com
PEELED to play in weather that was never
intended for base ball And vet Griffith
| managed to get the entire squad in good
shape. so good. in fact. that he figures
ne will have an advantage over some of
his strongest rivals during the early
weeks of the campaign.
There We're two occasions when Ain
smith plainly showed that his throwing
arm has by no means lost its cunning
but the third strike. low curve on the
inside. got away from Ainsmith and
Gardner was safe at first. On the very
next ball pitched Gardner tried to steal
and Eddie had the ball in Morgan's
hands waiting for him before he was
within Yards of the bag. In the eighth
inning. when Hooper reached first on Il
hit. he tried TO go to second when Ain
smith had a half-passed ball. but Eddie
recovered the sphere. ard nailed him at
second with splendid throw. Ainsmith
had hard game to work. johnson had
world of stuff, and a less active back
StOp Nouiu nave Deen una Ole TO f0lIOW
the ball as it shot across the plate
| 1t was Johnson's hit to right field in
the third inning that started the rally
which eventually Won the game. There
was one out at the time. but johnson
came through with a clean single after
| he had made two ineffective swings at
| the ball On the two other occasion
| that he faced Collins he struck out.
4 1t is Very peculiar coincidence that
/ nearly all the games in which Johnson
1 and Collins have met within the past
/ two seasons have been shutouts and the
! game yesterday not an exception
i 1t y, Of course. true that Collins has al
| ways pitched good ball against the Ma
I tionals. but. in addition to that. he has
j had all the breaks, and for a time yes
/ terday it looked if he We're to be IA
vored again. The mistake of Foster in
walking off second in the first inning
when there were but two out. helped to
! save Collins. for Gandii was up and
! looked dangerous
In the third inning it seemed that Mi
/ lans lit had been wasted. for Lewis. by
splendid throw. had the ball at the
i plate long before Johnson, who was try
i ing to score from second reached there:
\ but johnson, in collidine with Carrisan
/ knocked the ball from his hands and
/ three runs resulted. where but for this
accident. no runs would have been scored
/ on the three hits which were made in
| this inning off Collins