Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-04-01
BY ]. ED GRuLO.

: Doc Ayers feat of striking out eight
consecutive batters will go down as one
of the remarka Bile pitching feats of the
| year. Incidentally it shows that Ayers
must be reckoned with when the Ma
tionals pitching staff is being considered.
| Ayers struck out the last two men to
face him in the opening round and then
followed this by striking out the six men
who faced him in the second and third
innings. During the five innings that he
officiated on the slab he allowed but one
hit and gave single pass. The lone hit
charged against him was a grounder
through the box which Smith barely
reached with one hand. Cutshaw, the
first man up in the fifth, got that hit.
and as result of a steal and poor
throw by Henry he got as far as third
where he was left while Ayers retired
the side.
Ayers had almost perfect control and
he also resorted to the use of a spit ball
on three or four occasions, though most
of the time he went through the prehml-
nary motions of using the moistened de,
livery and used something else. Ayers
performance was not fash 1t IS. or
course, not to be expected that he Will
duplicate the feat of striking out eiShl
men in every time he Is placed on
is going to be one of the teams sue
cessful pitchers.
While it may never happen again
that Ayers will strike out eight men
in a row. his performance yesterday.
however. was in keeping with his REG
ord last season while a member OF the
Richmond Virginia League team. Dur
ing the Virginia League season Ayers
established a. strike-out record which
perhaps has never been equaled in the
history of base ball. in that he struck
out 800 batters. a mark which easily
outshines that held by Rube Waddell
and Walter Johnson though. of course,
II was made in a minor league
According to the official guide Ayers
struck out $50 batters in 3ie innings
last season. This is an average over ten
men per game. which undoubtedly is a
record. There is, of course. great diff
ference in the strength of the Virginia
and American Leagues. yet Ayers by his
performance last season showed him.
self to be head and shoulders over the
company he was in incidentally his
record last season shows him to have
remarkable control. for he gave but
twenty-nine bases on balls in the 342
innings Walter Johnson in 346 innings
last season gave thirty EIGHT bases on
balls and struck out 243 There can be
no doubt about Ayers ability even
though he fails to keep UP his minor
league mark in fast company.
II is ESTIMATED that IL Will be TOUR or
five days before Eddie Foster will be
able to resume his place at third base
as a result of an accident with which
he met yesterday morning when Lee
spiked him in the foot in sliding into
third base.
A game was on between the Vets and
Colts and in the final inning, with two
out and Lee on third. a throw from the
catcher caught him off and he slid back
to the bag. In so doing his spikes came
in Wit otttf frp
through the shoe and flesh to the bone.
The injury was painful but as it is a
clean cut it is believed that it will heal
rapidly.
Dick Williams showing against Brook
lyn was disappointment 1t was evil
dent from the outset that he had one Of
those days when he could not do himself
justice. He pitched as if he was tied up
in d muscular way and did not display
any of his usual stuff. He was hit quite
freely. and Vet. with a break. would
have gotten out Of the sixth inning with
out being scored on.
The Brooklyn team is in fairly good
shape and showed to decidedly better
advantage than did the Phillies. The
game yesterday. however, by no
means gave correct line on Robin
sons aggregation. It had the breaks
in the matter of hitting at the right
time and looked good in the field. Rob
1nson deserves credit for the spirit he
has injected into his players. They are
all hustling and seem determined to
put forth their best efforts.
Manager Griffith had his players at
work under the grandstand for several
hours this morning. All the pitchers
took a workout and the rest. of the
squad managed to keep in action
enough to get up a good sweat There
will be no work done this afternoon.
Kid Elberfeld was much in evidence
on the coaching lines during yester-
days game. Elberfeld, who is acting
as Manager Robinsons chief adviser
and coach. is looking younger than
ever. Robinson is very much impress
ed with Elberfeld's value to the team.
The Nationals will wear their new
travelling uniforms on the trip to Gin
cinnati. Griffith is particularly anxious to
have his team make good showing in
the city where he used to manage and he
also wants his players to look spic and
span.
According to Philadelphia critics who
have been in touch with the Mackmen
all spring, Rube Oldring is destined to
have the best year of his career. 1t
seems that RUDE is taking the game more
seriously this spring than ever before. In
fact. he came to this conclusion after the
worlds series. when instead of buying
diamonds or automobiles with his worlds
series money he spent the winter quietly
on a farm. RUDE is said to be hitting
harder and running faster than ever be-
fore.
When John McGraw was trying to
get up a team for the worlds trip last
fall he did not find it an easy matter to
persuade players to join his forces and
he finally decided to make Mike Donlin
one of the party. 1t seems that this