The Washington herald., 1915-07-11
Grif Puts His Recalcitrant
Second Stacker Back to
Work Again.
DUAL BILL FOR TODAY
Nationals Forced to Play Eleven
Games in West This Week.
Gossip.
BY WILLIAM PEET,

| manager Grifflth started his campaign
OF cleaning house and rebuilding his ball
cluo Yesterday by reinstatins Morgan
and placing Eddie Foster back on third
| base again.
The report given considerable public
| lily last week that the Old Fox had
| finally come TO the conclusion his club
was MUCH too weak with the stick to be
| given serious consideration any longer
has set the tongues wagging.
Rumors that Morgan. Shanks and
Ainsmith are to be traded quickly fol-
! lowed Griff S announcement that he pro-
| posed to rebuild his ball club.
What really happened and the Incl
dents leading up to Griff's statement, IL
he ever really made such a one. are about
| as follows:
Dropping six games in a row to the
Boston probably put the Old Fox in
savage mod. He is a bad loser be-
| cause his heart and soul are In the
game. Grif inadvertently stated that
his present OUTFIT would never do and
that he was going to surround himself
with fresh talent.
1t will be recalled that the Old Fox
mentioned 10 names, gave no inkling OF
where the axe would fall.
BY this time Grir is probably sorry
he ever made such statement-if he
ever did
The writer pointed out last Friday
that the only thing that allied the WASH
ington club was the addition of an out
fielder able to swat the ball at a 100
clip and an infielder capable of pulling
the same stun.
The Nationals pitching staf Is all
right. likewise the catchers. and Grin
has been looking over sand lots and
bush league talent for three years in
a vainless effort to plug up these two
weak spots-eventually they will be
filled and then the club Is going to
win a pennant-
Ray Morgan's absence from the line
up during the past two weeks has
hurt Washington's chances for win
ming games more than fans realise.
like Foster. Mcbride. Morgan. and
Gandf is busted up. the entire team
work of the club is impaired.
Morgan's suspension was lifted yes
terday. and he played against the
White Sox. The Baltimore boy has
probably gotten himself into condition
once more. and it is hoped that. for
the good of the cause. he continues In
the game.
The Griffmen play two games in
Chicago this afternoon and wind up
their stay there Monday. On Tuesday
the scene shifts to ST. Louis. where
six games will be played in four days.
two postponements when the club was
in the Mound City last May making
these double-headers necessary.
On Saturday the Griffmen open In
Cleveland and, as two postponed games
are on the books. it is more than like
ly that twin sketch will be staged.
Eleven games in seven days is the pro-
gram mapped out for the Nationals
and the pitching staff will be put
to its severest test.
With the club facing the weak sis
tres of the league this week a decided
brace with better hitting will mean
much. for it begins to look now a. IL
the Nationals would have to fight to
keep from dropping into the cellar.
With the season more than half over
and the Federal League and Organized
Baseball still unable to settle their
differences outside of court. there IL
reason to believe that the long await
ed decision in the trust suit filed by
the Feds may be handed down In the
near future by Judge Lands.
In this connection 1T might be well
to consider the decision that was
handed down by the New York State
case Briefly. the decision follws:
A monopoly to control the BUSH
ness of baseball playing in the
United States Is not within the
Sherman Antitrust law prohibit
ing the monopolies OF trade and
commerce, the term commerce
meaning an interchange Of goods
or merchandise carried on by
transportation, and the term COM
modify meaning things that are
servicable articles of merchandise
which does not include baseball
-
Grover Alexander. the Phillies great
pitcher is kicking up considerable dust
in the National League these days.
His present winning streak In figures