The Washington times., 1916-07-06
Baman Near Future Be Content 18th Second D
FANS DEMAND SOME
ACTION LEST, TEAM
FINISHES IN THE REAR
BY LOUIS A. BOUCHER.

.'' Hf by bSoAS ~
Tho Washington club has reached
the turning Of the ways.
Unless added hitting strength 10 OBJ
tanned. and obtained within = few
weeks. tho best tho team can hope
for IL n bare FIRST division ranking.
The danger OF finishing In tho second
division for the FIRST timo since 1911
- apparent to every Fan who has fol-
lowed the club this season.
The Grifmen got away to dying
start. Tho pitching stan. classed with
tho beat in organised baseball was
delivering = high-class articie OF
twirIing. Tho hitting OF Morgan.
vas consistently good so the team
won game Hfter Eame.
As soon as the campaign lenBthcn-
cd out tho high batting averages OF
the Grifrmen began to come back to
where they have boon for four previ-
Gus seasons. Tho toam continued to
win bail games largely through one
or two timely hits. but these, vic-
tories began TO be fewer In number.
The fact Of the matrsr 10 that not
the most optins!stic, has ever believed
that the team could go right out nnd
win consistently through main
strength. II has always been undor-
stood in culet way that. taking ad-
vantage of opponents' mistakes was
half OF the Grifrinen's success. In
deed. many baseball Judges. such as
,He Same U.ai has. a Called the oriiimsn
tho smartcst toarn in the league"
This opinion WAS formed after seeing
their readiness and spead In over
coming a stronger foe who was maxi
But in the American League Of 1910
sS.e2Se nns aes,n WI ht nHs 20 sc s sea
Ssniseh ,hTouT lor 'uS SsbSn.n e'ehns sae
either of omission or commission.
Unless the Washington club obtains
at least one consistent slugger within
q few weeks, 1t will have to satisfy
Itself with taking the backwash Of sew,
with no better pitching but with far
superior hitting. Tho Washington club
has about reached the turn In the road
who when snrS %s, an g sdsps
The New York Club. finishing its series
os s ssnsos
p pSeaass Is r,diGSoa. for n %a.hins
ton fans to spd q, th Yankss , Seh1p sno
rs p Snnsh f III. Sstns s"f sssvisr
hsrdcr; and more rs,,, timely; .,,o ,,,,,.a
With good pitchers. are rapidly climbing
Ead aee collins 5HR STe st,ns othsr tnss
wise With the came kind Of Hitting.
The Boston Red Sox,. Boosting an air:
tight pitching crew. Is winning ball
games because OF its hitting when hits
The Cleveland Indians. without much
of pitching stan, are still ahead Of
The tGriTmen because speak nniir San NIL
when they drive runs across the plate
Eyerywhere you 20; ;, up ah hdh down .d ane
pitching that brings the honors.
Sending boy on q mans Grand is
IN old phrase. but nothing better de-
ecribes the turning over of Henri Ron
deaf for Merito Acosta. as an effort to
strengthen the Griffmen at this particu-
lar stage In the race.
Acosta is left-hand hitter. 80 are
Turney Barber. Zeb Milan: Dan Moeller,
and Charlie Jamieson. shdnks is tho
lone outfielder who hits from the right
side OF the plate. Sam Rice has been
mentioned for trial in the outfield. He,
where the recent custom has ben to
take out all left-hand hitters except
Milan when opposing southpaw pitch
er. It is difficult TO see who will play
the garden In the future.
Today the Washington club Is carry
ing several players who, are of .abso-
,lutely no use to the team, at least, SO
cerned. The daily lineup OF yesterday
team, for instance, Is identically the
same SO far as the players are named
as that Of 1912, barring only Joe Judge
and Charlie Jameson.
Turney Barber. lacking batting prac-
.tlce for a month, was played In New
York for two days and has now re-
= - ~
ED Charity caught four or five in
,ningr couple Of months ago. He is sit
ting on the bench.
Eddie Aipsmith catches Walter John
con. who pitches every four or hve
Jim Shaw has yet to finish a game
he has started and does little more. than
pitch to batters. though he has tried his
hand as n relief pitcher once or twice.
doc Ayres is getting fat shining up
the bench. -,
There is no intention to use personal
e ert,slS against " the players or Manager
Griffith. The players take their ORDERS.
Manager Griffith. tangled up In a tight
pennant race, has used every means at
hand to win ball games. he would
rather win a game than obtain the
mona Lisa"
But the fact remains-and II Is a big
fact. getting bigger avery day-that the
they have since 1911. unleBs something
radical is done within very few weeks.
Where other ball clubs in this league
spent money In improving their clubs
the Washington club has stood still.
Manager Griffith says that he has
been paying money for young PLAYERS
hoping to develop them. This Is true
But none or these youngsters nave
bioomed into large sunrowers yet lney
are sun shrinking violets.
Connie Mack Is pursuing the same
theory In Philadelphia, signing up a mil
lion sandAotters and collegians, hoping
that he Will find more stars. mat
why the Athletics are tailenders today
Ihe Mackmen, with green players, can
not hope to contend successfully against
such machines as the Red Sox, Yankees
Iigers, or White Sox. But the Mack.
men have given the Griffs all the argu'
ment they could stand, which might hi
taken to indicate equal weakness In the
Grifrmen.
The Grifrmen are not weak as a major
league ball club. On the other hand
the team is so strong that the addition
OF but one reai hitter might swing tn,
balance In their favor. But such a hit
ter cannot be obtained for money, M
patter how great n sum during m,