Evening star., 1919-05-16
'GR|FF SEES INDIANS
| AS FLAG winners
Pays High Compliment Be-
fore They Beat Nationals
Second Straight.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.


CLEVELAND. May 16.-Having
given the Indians of 1919 the double o,
up and down the sideways, Clark
-Griffith has reached the conclusion
that Cleveland this year is destined
to win a pennant for the first time
in history, with one important pro-
sviso that the hurting staff holds up.
cleveland teams for years were soft
pickings for the Washington club.
which enacted the same jinX role
against the Ohioans that the Browns
do against the Gri1men.
When Joe Birmingham ran the local
outhf Washington always was poison
to II. even in more recently years the
Nationals have had more than or
binary success against the tribe. but
that era now seems past. The Wash
ington chieftan was not Influenced
in voicing his opinion by Washing
either. as it was given before yes
terday's game and when he had high
hopes of winning the battle with
Harper opposing the left-handed hit
ters. who have been doing so much
damage for FohFs team.
The greatest ball club that ever
represented Cleveland" is the way
Griff views it. 1T must be conceded
a great chance for the pennant. like
that chance better than that Of any
other team in the league. 1t all de-
pende on whether it has enough
strong pitching to hold out. Every
where else it appears to be thorough
" fortified and looks to me to be
stronger than either Chicago or Bos-
ton"
: The Capital helmsman has a mighty
poor opinion of the Red Sox and opines
they are going to take fearful tumble.
~Can't see anything better than sec
ond division finish for Them quoth
Griff "They don't look as good to me
as the Boston club of the wartime days
Of last season. They're a strong club
defensively, but lack punch. Ruth will
not hit as we'll as he did last year. OF
course. he is a mighty batter and will
get lot of help from Hooper, Strunk
and McInnis. But a team has to have
more than four dangerous batsmen to
Red Sox are assured of good pitching,
hut they cannot bank on consistent
catching all season long. That and
their seeming weakness as run-getting
combination make them considerably
less dangerous than the Indians and
several other teams in the league
Harper was a disappointment yester-
day. The form he mad displayed on his
last two previous appearances led to the
belief that he would battle the southpaw
batsmen who have proved such demons
on offense for the tribe this spring.
Harry needs plenty of rest between
work days, however, and having trav-
efed six innings at the Polo Grounds
Monday, he wasn't ready and was ham,
Inered in hard and opportune fashion
in two different rounds, the final count
being: Indians. s; Griffmen, 3.
johnson is the Nationals hope to
avoid leaving the Sixth city without
single victory credited to them. Walter
was pretty well used up in the splen-
did effort he put forth against the
Yankees last Sunday, when he yielded
then couldn't get the verdict. He has
had four days in which to recuperate.
however, and all hands are hopeful
he can again put the team on the road
to victory today. The Griffmen have
noa %s Sa,. BAN IN snss mat Mss 1ass
ago last Monday. They were blanked
twice in Boston, staged a brace of
drawn battles in New York and have
dropped the first two of the set here.
In an effort to turn the tide Griff
shook up his team again yesterday,
placing Menoskey at the top Of the
batting order, assigning Charity to
left field and benching Janvrin in IA
vor Of Leonard: Janvrin really IL in
bad shape. He does not look nearly so
we'll now as he did when he first re-
ported at Augusta He presents q
drawn appearance and has fever
blisters on his face. Janvrin Is a nervy
chap, and once he gets in a game can
not follow advice to take 1t easy" He
Is weak, and in recent games has
come in to the bench from his posi-
tion with his hands trembling visibly.
1t is planned to give him a good rest
this time to enable him to get on his
feet again. Leonard will do the Sec
ond basing in the meantime. and If he
starts hitting. as he did his last year
with the team, in 1917, he will be kept in
there. He lacks experience in playing
the position, but handled himself nice
1y yesterday. all things considered,
and seems likely to fll1 the bill ac-
ceptably.
Johnson, Shaw. Harper and Ayers
will be used in rotation hereafter.
with Thompson, Hovlik and Graft to