Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-18
LOCALS TAKE LEAD
IF v|CT0RS TODAY
Walter Johnson Slated to Try
to ToppIe Cleveland From
Head of List.
LEE FOIL NOT MAKING
ANY CLAIMS FOR TEAM
Harry Harper, Handicapped by Suns
Rays in His Eyes, Is Removed
Because of Wildness.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

The Cleveland Indians are just half d
game ahead of the Griffrnen~ in the
present pennant race. A victory for
the locals this afternoon would mean d
change in the standing of the clubs, the
Nationals passing into the lead.
The two teams are to play four
games three here today, Friday and
Saturday and one in Cleveland Sunday
when one of the largest crowds in the
history of the game in the Ohio me
tropolis is expected to be on hand
II also is believed the crowd here to-
day will be much larger than any the
club has draw this spring, excepting
perhaps, opening day.
While it is certa in that Walter John
son will be pitted against the Indians
today. Manager Foil has not announced
which one of his pitchers he will send
I to the mound 1t is likely to be
SOx southpaW, who has been showing
d lot of class to date.
Manager Foil and twenty four mem
bers of the Cleveland team arrived la st
night about o'clock. The team is in
good shape and ready TO play its best
ball and while there is no one connect
ed with the aggregation who is doing
Q
manager are confident they will make
a satisfactory showing in the games
here.
My team is playing good ball and /
am sure will do so for the remainder
of the season. My players are doing
their best work all the time. and there
is not shrker in the makeup of the
outfit. We have very good lot of
young men who are interested in their
work and ! am very glad to be identi-
| fed with them. We will give the Grin-
men as hard fight as possible, and
We hope to win.
! While it is true John Henry was hurt
| on the thumb in yesterdays game
! when d foul tip hit him. it is not be-
tleved this fact viii prevent him from
| catching Walter Johnson today. The
, local catching staff is not in as bad
way as il has been reported, for Aim
! smith is ready to resume his place be-
! hind the bat. his two injured fingers
Having entirely healed. He is particu-
larly anxious to work in todays game
! Manager Griffith was undecided this
morning as to which of his catchers he
would use.
| Something should be done TO shade
, the pitchers mound on the local field.
| At this season of the year about the
time the seventh inning gets under way
the mound is untenable, because the
| sun is directly in a left handed pitch
| er's eyes Harper was handicapped in
/ this respect yesterday and after he was
taken out of the game he said he could
not see the catcher or batter, let alone
the home plate, and that this caused
his wildness.
The suns rays came in under the edge
of the roof There should be some
| sort of a shade put up there so as to
keep the suns rays away from the
| pitching mound. This could easily be
done and would give Harper chance
nj ..h RI hi
entire nine innings.
This is "Ciandil day AT the ball
ipark. and the former first baseman of
the Nationals, now one of the most
| valuable men of the Indians, will, in
all probability, be remembered by his
friends in a substantial manner.
Gandil has many friends and admir-
ers here and they sure to be on
| hand roofing for him to make good in
his new position.
| Yesterdays game would never have
| been in danger had it not been for the
sun. which interfered with Harry Har-
! per's pitching during the closing in
nings of the struggle. Harper was
going at fast clip all through the
early innings. He struck out five, in
GLIDING Cobb. Up to the eighth inning
he had held his opponents to three hits
and had not walked a man.
| Dealer and Ernest Lanigan OF the
| Leader are travelling with the Cleve-
| land club. Lanigan is one of the clev-
crest writers Of base ball in the Cir
| cult. and his stuff is being widely read
now that the Indians are playing a
prominent part in the present race.
| The Indians lineup today will be
| Graney left field; Turner, third base;
Speaker. center field Smith. right field !:
IGandiL. first base; Howard. second base ;
Wambsganss, shortstop; ONeil. catch
| err: pitcher,
| That the Detroit team is in bad
way for pitchers was again shown