Evening star., 1918-04-14
Team Deserving of Support.


win eyince In their representative in
the American League this season re-
mains to be seen. II II depends upon the
artistic quality Of the game put up
by the team the attendance should
prove good, as Manager Griffith is
plotting an aggregation of fast, in
telligent players. who are imbued with
the spirit to win and can be counted
upon to put up a scrap against any
odds. In Shotton, Mil-n and Shanks
he has one of the speeo1est and most
capable fielding trios in ~sSSe. circuit.
The loss of Rice will weaken in at
tack. but Shanks has few equals and
not more than one superior as a fly
chaser, and his custom of punching
practically all his hitting in the
spring of the year is expected to make
up in measure for Rice's absence, at
least for the first couple of months of
the campaign.
form as neat an inner Gordon as any
club IN the business today can boast. The
addition of the former Brown sEortstop
has speeded up the entire set, and has
had particularly beneficial effect on
Morgan, who is displaying more pep
around second than for several sea-
sons. This pair, Morgan and Lavan,
should start more double plays than
any duet Washington has had at the
Keystone sack in years. Foster is as
epry as ever, and Judge now shows
but little effect of the injury to his
ankle. The batting average of this
quartet should compare favorably with
that of any infield in the league.
The ability of Ainsmith and Char
rity to take care of the catching de-
partment is too well known to require
any comment while Johnson, Harper
Ayers. Shaw, Du Mont, Yingling, Craft
and Waldbauer form hurting corps
that is expected to prove the teams S
most valuable asset.
! In the face Of discouraging support
last season, the club management has
shown an earnest desire to please the
fans by infusing new blood into the
club. and has spent good-sized wad
of cash to plug holes which will be
without Rice, loss of whom is not the
fault OF Manager Griffith. the Nationals
are a compact little club of great de-
fensive strength, one deserving of the
support of dyed-in-the-wool fans as
well as citizens who feel civic pride
in having the capital represented in
major league base ball.
{ Both Clubs in Shape.
Both the Yankees and Nationals will
Toe the mark in the best of condition.
There is not lame arm or trace of
1harleyhorse in the ranks of the Griff-
hen, and the visitors also will present
4 serted front, except for the alb
bence of Catcher Al Walters, whose
thumb was sprained in an exhibition
II Columbia. s. c., and who as a re-
built will be out of the line-up for sew
eral weeks. In Rue1 and Hannah Man
ager Huggins has two youngsters fully
eapable of looking after the backstop-
bing work. however.
The Yankees most valuable asset is
the strong offensive power combined
q the bats OF PeckinEaugh. Pratt
Pipp. Bodie and Baker. The first two
named are dangerous hitters at any
1tage, while the remaining trio are
fuggers pure and simple. likely to
break up game at any time with a
Eallop to the far corners of the field
Doubts regarding the strength of the
hurling corps are unjustified, accord
mig to Manager Huggins. who is conf
dent that his staff, headed by Caldwell
Mogrfdge. Russell and Love. will sur
! prise the critics. He Is particularly i'm
pressed with the. form shown by his
trio OF s-Thormahlen, Mon
roe and AcGr7w--and ID hopeful the
veteran Eddie Plank win get Into TIN
field ere long.