The Washington herald., 1916-05-19
NOT
GOOD AS TOUTED
Indians Fail to Impress as
Champions, Although Club
Is Playing Great Ball.
OTHER SPORTING GOSSIP
Gallia or Dumont Slated to Twill To-
day-Nationals' Catching Staff
Is Crippled.

Yesterdays defeat at the hands Of the
Cleveland Indians has failed to take any
confidence out of the Washington play
ers. If anything the upset was a bless
ing in disguise, for it will make the
Griffmen work all the harder to gain re-
venge, and the series has yet three more
games to go.
AS league leaders. the Indians are not
very impressive. 1t cannot be denied that
they are playing good ball at present,
getting fine pitching and also the breaks
"a winning team usually makes its own
breaks, and the Indians are winning.
Speaker and Gandil have added con-
siderable strength to the Sixth City ag-
gregation. The addition of these players
has put lot of confidence and fight into
the others, which qualities have been
sadly lacking ever since Joe Birmingham
in 1918 piloted a club which ran wild
through the league until Washington
checked it here, early that fall
On what the Indians showed US yes
terday Washington should beat them out
in the race which grows more interest
ing AS the season advances.
For the second game Of the series here
this afternoon. Griffith will pitch either
Dumont or Ga!lia, while Bagby may be
sent back at the Nationals or possibly
Guy Morton put to work.
Chick GandIl made a sensational ous-
hand stop Of Milan's grass-cutter in the
seventh which virtually changed the
whole complexion OF the game. Gan
oil grabbed the ball back of first base
with his gloved hand and held Johnson
on third base. Had the ball gone past
Gandu Walter would have scored, and
there is no telling where the rally would
have ended incidentally, had Pitcher
Pa oh hn Tpb nd Ersf
base, Milan would have been robbed Of
4 hit.
Both John Henry and Eddie Ainsmith
are laid up with damaged digits. Henry
was hit in the thumb of his right hand
last Wednesday and cannot grasp the
ball tight enough to throw. Ainsmlth is
nursing split finger, the second digit on
mis- right hand, as the result OF stopping
a foul tip last Saturday. A!nsmiths in
jury is more serious than was at first
supposed for he Is going to lose the fin
ger nail, and 1t may be several weeks
before lie can again go behind the bat.
When Walter johnson famed iris
Speaker in the first inning It was the
'ourth time iris has whitfield this season.
recording to Ernie Lanigan, the demon
staustlcian Of the Cleveland Leader.
Williams, OF the White Sox; Erickson. OF
the Tigers, and Ray Fisher. OF the New
York Yankees, were the other pitchers
besides Walter Johnson who turned the
trick.
Bagby, who finished the game in the
box for the Indians, once wore a Cincin-
natl uniform. He was shunted to New
Orleans and came from that club to
Cleveland.
Bagby is ambideXtrous. and once in his
sweet young life won a double-keader
pitching right-handed the first game and
employing the port-side delivery during
the second combat 1t is not recorded
that he pulled this trick in the major
leagues, but while in the minors
Paul Des Jardien, the former Univer-
sity pitcher. is here with the Indians and
worked against the batters in practice
before yesterdays game. Des Jardien is
a big. rangy chap. throws right-handed
and apparently possesses a whole lot of
stun. He may get a chance to display his
wares against the Nationals before the
Indians leave town.
1t Is Just barely possible that Ed Char
rity will be sent behind the bat today,
although Alva Williams is the logical
choice. Williams was a bit off in his
throwing yesterday, but that's because he
mas not caught many games lately. and
any time an opposing team figures they
can run wild on the bases while he is be-
hind the bat it has another think COM
ing. Rippy possesses a good enough arm
to turn any of EN- back, and has so
demonstrated more than once this spring
WILLIAM PETIT.