The Washington herald., 1916-08-11
Griffmen Make a Sorry
Showing in the West
Nationals Have Won But Four
Out of the Last Eighteen
Games Played.
OTHER SPORTING GOSSIP
By WILLIAM PEET.

By WILLIAM PEET.
Manager Griffith and his official
baseball family are speeding eastward
today after one Of the most disastrous
! trips ever encountered on a jaunt
around the Western wheel of the
American League circuit
-Four victories out Of eighteen
games played was the best IN. Ma
uonals could accomplish and this is a
sorry showing. but the New York
Yankees could do little better while
the Athletics lost every game except
one.
Bill Carrigan's Boston Red soI car
ried the fight TO the enemy and neatly
put the skids under the fast travel
ing White Sox, trouncing this club
at a time when every victory counted
and incidentally using the Rowland
tribe as a stepping stone 70 frst
place.
Today Washington is down in sew
enth place and starting tomorrow
the club opens three-game series IN
Boston, before returning 70 the Capt.
tai. where the Western clubs will sp-
pear in order.
With the exception of Boston. the
Eastern teams were badly outclassed
by their Western rivals on the long
road trip which closed yesterday, but
when the Western teams come East
next week the tables may be turned.
while there is reason to believe that
Joe Judge will be back again on frst
base for the Nationals.
The results Of yesterdays games
caused a general shake-up among the
American League clubs. The Red Sox
strengthened their hold on first place,
the White Sox dropping 10 third.
while the Cleveland Indians advanced
to second. and Bill Donovan's Yankees
flopped down to sixth, while St
Louis and Detroit moved up.
It's some race, all right-take it
from US!
Oscar Horstman. the young pitcher re-
Gently acquired by the 81. Louis Cs-di-
mails from the Los Angeles Coast League
team. owes his success this year to men
tai suggestion, according 10 a story from
Los Angeles 1t seems that the young
ster was very wild Frank Chance asked
Clarence Brooks, the Angel catcher. what
was the reason Horstman couldn't get
control.
If you can make him believe be has
control he will be the best pitcher in the
league said Brooks. but you have to
make him believe it
Chance had been listening 20 some Of
.
Southern California, and he decided TO
try it on Horstmsn. He got him In q
corner
You are what you think you are said
Chance to the young pitcher. II you
think you can do a thing you can DO Il.
I II you think you are a bird you can ~.
II you think you are dog you can bark
/ and chase rabbits
! So Horstmsn got the idea He also got
! control This is the way he works II.
When he goes into a game he has a set
formula something like counting beads
He repeats TO himself:
Il amt wild: I've got perfect control.
amt wild I've got perfect control"
And sure enough he has.
!
! The story goes that all Connie Mack
received for Stanley CoYeleskie, the In
dians' winning pitcher. ~ a barrel OF
apples. After pitching a few games for
Mack. ''Covey'' was sent to Portland
Z Ore, On an option. The Portland club
( changed hands afterwards the retiring
manager failing to protect Nack's claim.
/ Cleveland got him and all that Comics
! protest got him was a nice barrel Of ap-
4 pies from the new owner.
With the Giants working double steals.
taking extra bases on the hlt-and-rln
and attempting to steal home. il begins
| to look as II the speed fever had seized
| McGraw's club and is in fai- way to
/ slide in within respectable distance OF a
championship There IS little genuine
overcome BroOklyn's big lead. but they
can. at least. get close enough to bark at
"Robbie's heels. And they are on the
way.
! IF ] had had this speed combination
early in the season." said NcGraw We'd
nesday, growing enthusiastic about DsNv
Robertson, Benny KauT and TTerzoC. we
could have romPed IN. As il Is 7 don't
think there is a chance OF beating Us out
next season. We still have chance this
year. you know" he added. but It is a
long one"
| Said Joe Villa in the New York
Evening Sun last night:
After four hours Of discussion be-
! hind closed doors yesterday the Ma
tional League magnates passed a resolu-
tion favoring clean baseball. They SOL
EMMY agreed to put a stop TO unnjrs
| batting. They promised to prevent the
use Of abusive language by their play
| ers. to protect visiting teams from In
| suit and intimidation and to uphold the
| decisions Of the field officials In other
words. they indorsed the methods OF
President John X. Tener, who called the
/ maEnstes together TO have q showdown.
As usual no detailed story OF what hap
pened in the star chamber was handed
| TO the newspsper after adjournment
! The resolution adopted by the club own
/ ers was the only official news. But Il
was learned last night that the behavior
( Of the Boston Braves and the Chicago
! Cubs in recent games was the leading
J topic
. IF players OF any club continue 10
/ bully the umpires or shout uu7riuts-
/ bic words at their opponents il will be
up to their employer to punish them.
/ Rowdy baseball. which President Tener
! has been trying to stor ever since hs
| became boss OF the National League.
/ must be eliminated At once The mag
mates can help President Tcrrr and his
umpires by fuinE their manaEers or
| players IL the rules OF fair play and
| deCemcy are violated in the future
! 'If there are more outbreaks against
| the National League Umpires from the
/ Braves. Cubs or any othe~ team. the
/ baseball public will expect summary ar-