Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-22
LOCALS MAY TAKE
LEAD THIS WEEK
White Sox Not Figured Capa-
bic of Stopping Griffmen in
Series Opening Today.
HARPER AND JIM SCOTT
SLATED TO PITCH OPENER
Joe Judge Seems to Have Hit His
Stride, Being Big Factor in
Victory at Cleveland
BY J. ED GRILLo.

The Nationals will entertain the Chicago
White Sox at league park for the next
four days. Harry Harper was slated to
oppose Jim Scott today. and very IN
teresting struggle was expected. The Sox
are not very strong against left-handed
pitchers, while Scott is by far the clever
est of the Sox twirlers. He always Is
hard proposition to solve.
The White Sox have been the disap-
pointment of the present campaign. The
team has been foundering around the
bottom of the list most of the season, and
has won but a very few games. Yet it is
composed of some of the games greatest
stars. Eddie Collins, its second baseman,
is one of the greatest ball players the
game has ever developed. Fourier is a
batter par excellence, while Joe jackson.
Eddie Murphy and Happy Fetsch are
players of national renown. But the COM
binaton is not winner for some reason
or other. and while it was picked by
many as having the best chance 10 win
the flag this year, it is not at all proml-
neSt. and is not apt TO be.
Joe Judge seems at last to have hit
his stride. He now is playing the sort
of ball that convinced Manager GRIT
fifth he could we'll spare Chic Gandil II
he could obtain Joe Judge. He was
bit slow getting into form TINS spring
but seems now to be in good shape. HIS
game at Cleveland yesterday is describ-
ed as being responsible for the Grill
mems victory. 1t was his tWo-baggerS
that put the team in the running, ana
a play that he made on ball which
iris Speaker hit over the first-base Dag
al sy1f
of the game from Cleveland. and not
only robbed Speaker of a hit, but the
Indians of at least one run.
With Judge going at his best now,
there will be a big difference in the Of
fensive strength of the Nationals. Ron
deau, too is coming forward mighty
fast and ought to be hitting his stride
within the next few days.
The Griffmen, as a result of getting
an even break with the Indians. are
once more within half a game of the
lead. It looks like a certainty that they
will forge TO the front during the stay
of the White SoN here. while the Cleve-
games at Philadelphia and is sure TO
find the going there rather rough.
Mack's team is playing better ball now
than it did earlier in the season, and
the leaders. in the race will have their
hands full to get an even break from
the sTackmen, who have habit of
beating the teams which inquire on peat
ms them.
The wonrisSful winning streak of the
New York Giants has allowed the Nc
Graw team to crawl up into the first
division in the National League. The
other clubs of that circuit which are
believed to have chance TO win have
rea sons to be frightened. for once Nc
Graw's team gets within hailing dis
lance it is apt to go to the front be
fore June Is, and win the pennant in
common canter.
NcGraw has one of the best hitting
teams that has ever been organized.
and with his pitchers showing class it
would not be at all surprising to see
him break all records for consecutive
victories on the present trip
The Giants, as of old, again are draw
ing immense crowds in every city they
play. and when they get on their own
grounds they again will be the favor
ties of New York base ball patrons.
When it comes to making fortunes
procession. No other club has ever
drawn as many people as the Nc
GRANTEES. when the team is prominent
in the race.
Eddie Ainsmith appears to be ready
to take his regular turn behind the bat
again He was a factor in the game Of
yesterday, in which he got TWO hits.
He handled Johnson's delivery perfect
w. Gandil stole a base. but there was
a man on third at the time and it was
not believed wise to take a chance on
a throw to second.
Ainsmith will catch johnson in all his
games the remainder of the season. The
Cambridge boy handled johnson better
than any catcher ever has, and he is of
great help to the team because Of his
ability to hit and is faster than any of
his teammates on the bases.
The trip to Cleveland yesterday was
one of the most profitable ever made
by a ball club. All records for crowds
were broken in the Ohio metropolis, and
the receipts exceeded anything ever
recorded at the Cleveland park.
Cleveland was not a good town last
season because Of the weakness Of the
team. Most of those interested in base
ball patroniZed the amateur games
there, and as many as 10000 spectators
have seen the amateurs play on Sun
days, there being natural amphi-