Evening star., 1916-07-31
|CLEVELAND'S PENNANT HOPES
GO WITH INJURY TO SPEAKER.
with Great Outfelder Out of the Game. Due
to Sprained Ankle, Indians Seem to Have
Little Chance for League Title.

will be a lot of other games played in
which Speakers wonderful fielding will
be missed.
Joe Boehling will, in all probability
| be sent against the Indians today
though Manager Griffith will be gov
erned in his selection by the manner in
which Harper and Boehling warm up
ought to be in his best form when he
| gets into the game the next time.
Ainsmith caught brilliant game be
hind Johnson and it was his hit which
brought in Rice with the tying run. But
the husky catcher was showing the ef-
fects of the terrific heat and was not as
agile in the last few innings he caught
as he was during the first part of the
game; so Griffith sent Henry to hit for
him and a double play resulted.
Walter Johnson should have been
supplied with a dry playing shirt about
the sixth inning. for the sweat-saturat-
ed one he was wearing was fully ten
pounds heavier than a dry one would
nave been. Such precautions should be
taken in hot weather. for there is moth
ing more tiresome for a pitcher than to
have to work in a heavy shirt. which
puts extra weight on his arm and ham,
perS his motion
There was much regret expressed by
the players over the accident with
which iris Speaker met Speaker is one
ol the most popular players that ever
broke INTO the game, and Lee Fohl, the
manager of the Indians received con-
uolehces from all sides, for it seems to
De generally conceded that Speakers
place cannot be filed
The American pennant race is one of
tne most remarkable base ball contests
that nave ever been witnessed in the his
tory OF any league. Despite the fact
that the Nationals have been in five
game slump, run of five victories
would again make them real contend
ers, and now that Speaker is out of the
ranks of the Indians, the Nationals un-
doubtedly stand a better chance to win
majority of the games which are
belnS played here than if Speaker had
remained in harness
The Chicago White Sox have been
going to the front at fast clip They
nave won two double-headers in two
days, and have two more to play be-
fore they pass up the Mackmen This
should give the Sox a big lead, for the
chances are they will win all the games
from the Athletics, though they should
be badly tired out club when the. Ma
tionals visit there
New York seems to be slipping. The
Yankees are badly crippled, but may be
able to hold their own until their in
jured stars are ready to resume their
positions on the team; then Donovan
will be able to compete with his rivals.
Merito Acosta has been sent back to
the Minneapolis club. 1t seems that
Joe Cantillon is in a bad way for out
felders. because Massey sprained his
ankle day before yesterday, and Grif-
nth, in order to help him out, has sent
Acosta to join that team. He will re-
turn to the Nationals just as soon as
Cantillon's players have mended and
are back in the game.
Ever since Griffith has been in
charge of the team he has forced his
players to get up in the morning at
: o'clock. call was left at night
with the hotel clerk. and promptly at
8 in the morning the room phones
would ring for the players to get up.
This rule has been rescinded by Grif-
nth, however. In the future the play
ers can sleep as long as they want, pro
Vlded they live UP to the rule to get in
bed by II o'clock at night. The new
ruling is pleasing to the players, who
prefer to sleep late, as it is hard for
most OF them to put in their time
when they get up early.