The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-05-12
CRIFFMEN ARE due
FOR CELLAR BERTH
Every Combination Has Been
Tried Without Success.
DUMB BASEBALL DISPLAYED
Players Asleep on Bases in Second
Cleveland Battle.
DUMB BASEBALL DISPLAYED
ny LOUIS A, BOUCHER.

CLEVELAND, May IA cellar posi-
ton for the Grffmen seems assured this
season. judging from the game they have
shown thus far. Manager Griffith is
facing a serious situation. HI has tried
every possible combination Of the play
ers on his roster to no avail The only
move left is to get new players. and en-
deavor to find other combinA tons that
may bring victories.
ScrappinE the whole team, keeping q
handful Of the best. requires time and
money. with the country at war. There
is not any too much time before baseball
may be compelled to suspend II the
past teaches anything Griffith has about
as much money as he has time to bring
about the necessary change.
Team Fails To Hit.
Given good pitching. the team fails
to hit. Behind mediocre pitching. many
hits are wasted daily. A sad lack Of
aSEresslveness has been noted by many
critics, both in Washington and other
cities- Yesterday lack Of ordinary base
ball brains stepped In and Joined the
other reasons for defeat
The scouting system which brings only
second rate players, is no scouting sys-
TEN for a big league team. but the
Washington club has picked up no first
class players in several years. barring
one or two pitchers. The team now is
losing games because Of inherent weak
nesses sometimes difficult OF finding.
but ever there at the critical point
Makes No. complaint.
Despite his dissatisfaction, Manager
Griffith 10 making no complaint. He
intends lighting along the same line
even II it does take all summer. He
realizes that the gan in the Ameri-
can League is getting too strong for
HIS team, but lii - in the league and
must go through TO the end.
Dumb baseball proved costly In the
second clash with the Indians, though
luck played a part in the tragedy, II
must be admitted Had the Grinmen
kept their heads up, they might have
run away with the contest, which, as
played, was won by the Indians, 4
to 3.
Evil luck appeared in the fourth.
when. after passing Graney, Chap
mans puny pop ny fell safely in
front Of Morgan- Then Speaker
showed another weak hy that fell
safely just behind 4 oster, filling the
bases. Roth's double to right scored
all runners ahead Of him
Failed To Move Along.
The dumb baseball came at other
places. In the seventh Rice tore a hot
one safely through Morton Grsney's
running catch OF Smiths fly was
pretty. Morgan singled TO right, Rice
reaching second Two passed balls
II OMAN 1nGfnU
sight OF the. sphere, but Rice was
never awake to his opportunity and
stayed at second base. The result
was that he went TO third as Leonard
forced Morgan. instead Of scoring.
In the eighth johnson doubled.
Judge fouled. Morton failed to cover
nrst In time on Fosters slap at Guisto.
and johnson scored as the midget got
a life. Speakers great running catch
robbed Milan Of q bingle.
Rice's double put Foster on third,
and Rice scored on Smiths double.
With one run to go to tie the tally
and Morton visibly weakening az the
strain told on him, Morgan came to
the plate. Smith was on second, eager
to 20 further. Three Cleveland pitch
ers were warming up, and II looked
like curtains for Morton. Instead Of
making Morton pitch. to him, Morgan
poked at the arst ball for q pop, ny
10 Guisto, and the rally ended with
the Griffs one run Shy.
AInsmith II Asleep.
Ainsmith singled in the ninth. after
one was down, and stole as Johnson
famed. Morton was having q hard
time getting the ball over for Judge,
but Ainsmith was caught asleep on
the cushion on q quick snap to Chap
man, ending the contest.
Counting the collision between
Foster and Ainsmith on Turner's foul
in the third, which amounted TO moth
ing because the batsman abruptly
famed, the Grihs gave four examples
OF bush league baseball during the
afternoon. Such playing cannot con-
tinue, II the team Is to make even q
passable showing this season, for
every team they have faced thus far
f. as strong as last year, II not i'm
proved. Last year the Gri1men I'm
ished in seventh place in an eight
club league.
The score:
"Ssb an aoAE olev ssaoAv