The Washington times., 1920-07-25

While Walter Johnson may not
are other members of the pitchir
work. For one, Jim Shaw is bou
style. 1t has taken the big Pittsbur
but with warm weather and regu
many victories between now and
another, Harry Courtney will proba
ney of last September, when he
like a major Lacquer. With Joe j
to the lineup, there is no reason Il
the immediate prospects of the ica
The Griffs should be able to take
President Griffith has come to the
conclusion that he needs new players.
He has already obtained a couple who
are likely to receive their trials dur
ing the trip opening at Cleveland
Tuesday. Acosta, the Cuban pitcher,
Is practically certain to be used in
turn, once the Griffs begin measuring
their strength with the western
clubs.
While doing the BEST possible this
season. Prexy Griffith will have his
eyes turned toward the 1921 cam
paign and so will very likely have
from time to time for trials.
Whether these lads will get into the
regular lineup depends upon their
showing in the daily batting and
fielding drills, but the Washington
magnate will not let any grass grow
before trying them out.
START WITH TWO GAMES
Because Cleveland was inundated
by a series of heavy thunder storms
in June while the Griffs were there,
doubleheader with the Indians
opens this second swing of the Griff-
men through the West. Two games
were postponed and. rather than drag
them through tho series scheduled to
begin August 1, Speaker and Griffith
have decided to play them of next
Tuesday.
The Griffmen will depart tonight
at TO and rest in Cleveland tomor-
row before tackling the Indians twice
on Tuesday. The gang will get away
by boat for Detroit Tuesday night.
On Thursday they will have double
header at Navin Field. Later. on
reaching Chicago, they have another
doubleheader, thus making total or
twenty games to be played is the
West on this coming second trip.
1t is not without sincere hackers
that the Griffs start away from home.
There are many loyal roters here who
will follow their career through the
newspapers, pulling for them to come
home much closer to the contenders
than they are now. One of these
dyed-in-the-wool bugs is William j.
Sainter, OF The Soldiers Home.
Reading in this column the other
day chidng lecture to certain
weak-kneed rooters to ape the ex-
ample being shown by Pat Charity,
Sainter seized his pen with mighty
grip and sent the following letter to
Secretary Eynon:
REAL FANS LETTER.
'My Dear Mr. Eynon:
"Referring to Mr.. Dougher's article
in The Times of last evening, which l
presume you have read, 1 can assure
you that there is at least one fan who
is doing that very thing that Mr.. d.
advocates, and also, judging from the
faces that l see around me nearly
every day at, the park, there are many
others who do not desert the club
when it is experiencing hard luck
with it's players.
"It is a real delight to watch the
efforts of Charity, Milan. Rice.
Shanks, Harris, and lately our old
friend, George Mcbride, to keep the
team in the first division.
beginning with the exhib bition
game with the Cincinnati Reds, and
Including yesterdays game, 1 have
thus far been present at forty games
this season. i saw twelve of the fif-
teen games recently played with
Cleveland Chicago and Detroit, and
which resulted so disastrously for the
home team. but that has not caused
me to fail to show up at the park
lust as often as l am able to get
there.
9. HE HAS FAITH.
ct have faith to believe that, when
the season ends, our team will not be
found in the second division, and
though the team has not done so well
as It promised to do earlier in the
season, 1 was never among those who
expected 1t to go out and have the
pennant cinched before the season
was half over.
Considering the material, the set
backs from injuries, and the failures
of some of the pitchers to come
through, l feel that we are fortunate
in having a team in fourth place to
day. / hope Mr.. G.. may succeed in
obtaining a few who will take n real
interest in their work as do those
] name above. / am,
Very truly yours,
WILLIAM J. SAINTER."
One cannopt read this short letter
without realizing that its writer Is
not a gutter. He recognizes condi-
tions, praises those who continue to
do their best, and expresses his con-
fdent hope in the future. Undoubt-
edly, too, Washington is filled with
fans of the same type. Maybe 1t is
the presence of such fans at the park
that inspires the hard-working ath-
letes to do their best In the face of
discouraging bowls from the small
group of ever-ready to belittlc them
in their defeat and maintain a grave
yard silence when they win.
THE RAIN BUTTS IN.
And the Griffs were giving a fine
exhibition of the national psstime
Yesterday until perfect hurricane,