The Washington herald., 1915-07-09
Sure the Old Fox Will Re-
build If He Can Find
Two Singing Players.
OTHER SPORT COMMENT
Jim Shaw Slated to Face White Sox
in the First Game of Series
To-day.
(By WILLIAM PEET.)

| All the talk about rebuilding the
Washington baseball club for 1916 IL
rather interesting. and just how far
Manager Griffith goes in this direc-
ton remains to be seen.
The Old Fox was yesterday quoted
as saying that he is at last convinced
that he needed more hitting strength
and also more pitchers able to keep
his club up in the pennant fight.
What Is Grin going to do: Get
rid of of all his players a la Connie
!, Mack and assemble An entire new
ball club?
This bunk about rebuilding the
Washington ball club is Just plain
bunk-when you stop to consider mat
tiers.
Has Griff ever denied that his club
needed more hitters and more winning
pitchers?
Is it not a fact that ever since he
has been in charge Of baseball affairs
in the District he has tried valiantly
to strengthen his outfield in the mat
ter of batting also to surround himself
with pitchers who could win three
fourths of their games?
Sure the Old Fox is going to re-
build in 1s16-just as he has been try
ing to rebuild the past three years.
1t occurs to the writer that such
men as Milan, Gandil. Foster, Mcbride
and Shanks would be hard to replace
on short notice. Catchers Henry and
Ainsmith are also very handy re-
ceivers. while johnson. Joe Boehling,
Jim Shaw. Bert Gallia and other
members of the pitching staff are
fairly good hurlers as boxmen go.
What the Nationals need Is a smuggling
infielder and just one more hard-hitting
outfielder. The pitchers have already dem
; onstrated that they can deliver the goods
with ANY kind of hitting behind them.
GrifitN needs just two players to make
his club pennant winner, an infielder
and outfiCder able to sting the ball at a
ever since he has been here in Washing
ton. and when the spring of 1916 rolls
around the Old Fox will be as busy as
a one-armed paperhanger with the itch.
looking over his talent for the purpose Of
trying to plug up these holes. Failing to
do this. he will be forced to depend upon
his veterans once more.
The calamity howlers are already clam
oring for a change in managership be-
cause the Nationals dropped six straight
games to the Boston Red Sox. These
same calamity howlers will be declar-
ing Griff the greatest manager in the
world II his club should win the majority
of games throughout the West on the
present trip.
a fan is the same the world over. II
the team wins he is pulling for it strong,
if it loses he YIELDS his hammer as no.
body but a fan can do
In Chicago this afternoon the Nationals
clash with the Chicago White Sox In the
first Of a four-game series, and Jim Shaw
is the likely pitcher.
Rowland's club by its fine showing thus
far. has sent the fans crazy out in the
Windy City and with Saturday and Sum
day included in the Nationals sched-
ule previous attendance records for
the season will likely be shattered.
II cannot stand for the bad umpiring."
said Fielder Jones the other day when
he announced that he had resigned the
management of the st. Louis Feds When
Jones, after several years in retirement.
accepted this position it was stated that
his contract called for $4,000 year and
that he. had received $4,000 worth of
stock in the club For that reason Jones'
unexpected resignation has caused much
surprise in the baseball world Did
Jones quit because he learned that he
could have managerial berth in one
of the big leagues next year?
Joe Villa. Of the New York Evening
Sun. asks the question: What is the |
matter with baseball?' This appeared |
over the following bit of comment:
"One of the Eastern clubs in the Fed
eral League took in s3o75 on Tuesday. |
Seven persons bought box seats at 81 !!
each, seven paid IS cents each for seats |
in the grand stand. sixteen give I'D 80 |
cents each to enter the pavilion and |
forty-two paid Is cents each to sit in the |
bleachers. The visitors share Of the |
spoils was s1s.75. What is the matter |
with baseball. President Gilmore?'' !
Six straight victories over Washington !
in three days is something to boast of. |
The Red Sox, who won both ends of an
other double-header with the Griffmen |
Wednesday. left for the West one game !
behind the Chicago White Sox Clark |
Griffith declared yesterday that IL the |
Red Sox pitchers were able to continue |
their present work the White Sox soon |
would relinquish the leadership. The
White Sox have good boxmen-Scott, |
Faber. Russell and Benz-but they must
be used in turn to hold the enemy In
check. Grinith, however. is not afraid i
to express the opinion that the Red Sox
have a much stronAer pitching staff in
Wood, Shore. Ruth. Foster. Leonard,
Mays and Gregg. The Red Sox open in
Detroit today, where the Tigers are pre-
~i~ 80 = t.