Evening star., 1919-05-15
GR|FF ;SELLSLAVAN
TO THE CARDINALS
Price Is Said to Be $4,000.
Nationals Are Routed by
Indians, II to 2.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON

CLEVELAND. Ohio. May 15.-Man-
ager Griffith of the Nationals has sold
Johnny Lavan to the ST. Louis Cardi-
nails for a price said to be $4,000, and
the shortstop, who has been in the
Medical Corps of the Navy. will re-
port to his new club in the Missouri
metropolis May so.
Manager Griffith decided to sch
Iavan after the failure of the Rob-
ertson deal to materialize. as the
shortstop had made up his mind that
unless he could play in what he calls
lis home town he would retire from
the game. Lavan intends to practice
medicine in st. Louis. and it is for this
reason alone that he stipulated that
he would play for no other city Lavan
possibly may not remain in the game
longer than this season.
This will be the second time that
Iavan has performed for ST. Louis
club. having come from the Browns
with Outfielder Bert Shotton to the
Nationals during the season of 1917.
the local club giving Pitcher Bert
Gallia and sum reported to be
$4,000 for the shortstop and outer
gardener. Shotton and Lavan again
will be teammates. as the former
went to the Cardinals for the waiver
price of $2.500 prior to- the start of the
sea son.
Lavan is a great fielder. but goes
very little above the 200 mark as
batter.
If Lee Foil. the man who directs
the field activities of the Cleveland
ball club, decides that Stanley Cove
1eskie needs little more rest and re-
frains from shooting him into the
game today. the Nationals should
obtain revenge for that humiliating
11-to-e drubbing they received in
their first clash on western soil yes
terday. The big Pole is the ace of
the Indians pitching staff and al
though he has made a poor start this
spring. demonstrated in rescue work
in Detroit Sunday and Monday that
he has reached that point where he
again is to be reekoned with as one
of the most effective hurlers in the
league. With Harry Harper slated
to toll for the Griffs. they are at least
assured of good box work. provided,
OF course, the Jerseyite shows form
anything like that displayed on his
last two appearances on the rubber.
1t was wretched brand of hurting
the capital phalanx was accorded yes
terday, and it was backed up with an
even more atrocious brand of sup
port. -Yancey Ayers second appear
ance of the championship campaign
was a huge success-from a Cleve-
land standpoint and Molly Craft
who was hustled to the rescue.
showed a most extraordinary knack
for hitting bats while they were be-
ing swung by Cleveland athletes.
Five runs were chalked up by the
Fohlmen before derrick could be
rigged up to get Ayers out of there
ing of offensive efforts on the part
of the tribe in four different sessions
which followed nicked Craft for a
half dozen simon-pure counters.
1t was a bad day for pitchers such
as Virginia produces. the Hillsville and
citizens between them be-
Yng pummeled for thirteen safe swats.
more than twice as many as the Griffs
were able to collect off another promi-
nent southerner-James Crossemup
Bagby. The Georgian had Washing
toms alleged hitters falling all over
themselves trying to connect with his
noodle ball. and in only one session,
the sixth, were they able to do any
material damage to his puzzling
change of pace. Then a single by
Craft. and Fosters double were fol-
lowed by safe crack to center by
Rice. which produced the lone pair of
markers manufactured by the visitors.
The three other hits they garnered
were kept apart, although one was a
double by Janvrin, that started the
third. and another a single made nv
Menosky. the first man up in the ninth.
1t appeared for a .feeting moment
there might be something doing in the
eighth when Johnson fooled Rice's
pop fly and Sam took second on Char
rity's single. but there were two out
at the time and Thompson wasn't
there,
IT is unnecessary to record here the
horrible details of how those five alien
runs were amassed in the initial stanza
Suffice il to say that most abomipable
throw by Janvrin with sure-fire dou-
BILE play in sight made possible four Of
them. for With this bad chuck deleted
only one run would have accrued. It
was made on peg in the general di-
Iection of Shanks at second base and
rolled to left field. Then. just to illus
frate what a versatile cuss he is, fanny
tossed another one in the other direc-
tion over Judges head in the seventh.
but the Indians already had scored
couple of times in this frame and neg
lected to take advantage of it.
Solid. opportune hitting accounted for
all six of the scores registered while
Craft was officiating on the mound. but
the solidest of the lot was the drive
Chapman made to the bleachers in cen
ter with Bagby on the paths ahead of
him.. Thompson sprinted at his best
gait tand Shanks made a good relay to
the plate. but Chapman legged it all
the way around the bases and easily
beatlthe throw to the platter
W1smby and Johnston pulled some
nifty plays on the right-hand side of