The Washington times., 1917-04-29
CONTENDERS COMING
TO BATTLE GRIFFS
cap" Huston Will Lead His
Yankees Into Town Tomor-
row for Four Games.
GALLIA MOUND SELECTION
Old Fox to Shake Up Lineup in
Hopes of Pulling Team Out
of Fearful Slump.
BY LOUIS A. DOUGHER.

Tomorrow, unless rain prevents,
Washington fans will be given an op-
portunity of seeing promised con-
tenders for the 1917 pennant. The
New York Yankees are by many good
baseball judges believed to have a
chance OF winning the pennant.
Captain Tillinghast L. Hommedieu
Huston-and he's quite as big men
tally and physically as his name in
dicates-is accompanying his ath-
letes, hoping to see them clean up
the Griffmen in the four games
scheduled for Georgia averue. The
cap" is half owner OF the Yankees
and a dyed-in-the-wool fan. If you
don't happen to know the Gap"
you're missing an experience in life.
The Yanks hope to climb right up
on the Red Sox and White SoX at
the expense of the home boys here
and, by heck, they seem likely to do
II, too.
GaIIIa Il Selected.
Bert Gallia has been selected to
open the series with the Yankees to-
morrow. If he gets away well, he
may battle the enemy evenly, for
Bert is no slouch as a twirler.
The Griffs will very likely have
a new lineup tomorrow. Up to the
last minute today the Old Fox ex-
pected to face the enemy with this
outfit: Judge or Charity, first base;
Foster third base; Milan center field;
Rice, right field; Menosky, left field;
Morgan, second base; Mcbride, short
stop: Henry, catcher; Gallia, pitcher.
The team is "going bad" a perfect
ly good baseball axiom, and the Old
Fox will switch and experiment un-
til it happens to win a game or two
or three.
Griffs Are Hitting.
The one ray of sunlight in the
murky Georgia avenue sky is the sus-
tanned hitting of the team. While the
pitching has been wofully wobbly at
times, or the fielding has been lealxy
as a couple OF sieves, nevertheless,
the bows have been plunking the pill.
True, they haven't been scoring so
much, but that has been due largely
to bad running.
Before the season started, it was
generally believed that the teams
pitching would be airtight, and that If
hitting came to the twirlers' support
all would be lovely. But It has been
the other way, except for a couple of
games. The hitting has been good.
but the pitching has been most me-
diocre.
Foster, Judge, and Milan are all
above the 800 mark, and show no
signs Of letting up. Rice, though
down at .275, is picking up rapidly,
and should pass the mark this week.
There is no complaint about the
teams hitting.
Harper May Pitch.
Harry Harper may make his first
appearance of the season Tuesday or
Wednesday. II he is sent to the HILL
he will very likely be kept through
the game, for Manager Griffith thinks
that a lot of work will do the big
southpaw more good than couple OF
brief starts.
him at all noSg, but his arm Is weak
from lack of work. II he displays
anv class. he will get plenty OF work.
and won't have to go back to that
adorable Junk business OF his in
Hackensack.
The Griffmen are sadly in need OF
cspable Ieft-hander. Jameson mas
failed to shine and so, II he Is aole
10 work, Harper should prove most
valuable to the team.
Have Nine Contests.
Washington will have nine games
TO see before the team departs for its
initial swing through the West. To-
morrow the Yankees open a four
game series. Following them come
the worlds champion Red Sox Tor
five games. closing on May Q.
The period OF experimentation may
take all this time that the team Is
playing here. II Manager Griffith
fails to find the right combination. 1t
is expected that a shake-up Will be
in order. Several of the players are
narrowly near the minor leagues.
For the first time in five years. or
since Griff has been in Washington,
the teams aggressiveness has disap-
peared. This was mot apparent in
Boston last week, though it cropped
UT in New York the week before.
Until the boys go in and fight for
everything, they stand small chances
of winning ball games.