Evening star., 1923-05-13


TO enter a series Of double headers
Already the Tigers have made te
two engagements with the Griffs OIL
July. while there will be a couple o
when Bush and his proteges make
The club wilr have to do without the
services of George Zahniser. right
hand pitcher, procured from Memphis
of the Southern Association. while
here. The new National finger has
until the club shifts to Chicago next
week. Bush has declared that he will
lose no time in estimating Zahni-
ser'S worth to the outfit after he joins
the ranks.
II the Nationals continue to put as
much spirit into their play as they
did In the pair Of engagements at De-
troit this week. they will finish in
front in a number of games before
they return to their native heath. two
weeks from tomorrow. Their ag-
eressiveness and earnestness exhibit
ed against the Tigers made the clan
Of Griffith appear more like the out
At that finished in the first division
just short of third place two seasons
ago than the disappointing team that
got nowhere last year.
Bush's Men Feel Clipper.
In the town of Cobb and his CO.
horts, the Nationals not only attacked
savagely, but took advantage of every
mistake made by the opposition.
They were more alert than at any
quently appeared to far greater ad
vantage than their highly touted OPP
ponents. That pair of victories
achieved over the club, predicted in
preseason dope as the league cham
pion Yankees most formidable op-
ponent for the 1923 pennant. has made
the Nationals more than clipper. and
II would not be surprising should
they step out and hand some of the
other. western aggregations severe
drubbings.
been so highly rated in advance CAL
culations is difficult to understand
after seeing them in action against
the Nationals Cobb apparently has
but two. dependable pitchers: Ray
Francis, former Griffman. and George
Dauss, according to the Detroit news
paper experts. Neither of these was
used against Bushs club. Those that
were sent to the slab in the pair of
engagements certainly were not of
high order.
The Tiger infeld is not at all i'm
pressive. Blue. Washington boy. at
pepper that marked his play last sea-
son, while Derrill Pratt, procured
from the Red Sox. is not the player
OF past seasons at second base by a
third sacker, nothing more. At short
stop neither Kerr nor Haner seems
able to fill the shoes of Rigney, the
regular short fielder. now in a hos
lumbago. and he is not expected to
regain his last seasons playing form
for some while after he rejoins the
club.
Tigers Strong in Garden.
Bassler and Woodall are going we'll
behind the bat. but 1t is the outfleld
that has held the Tigers around the
top SO far. Harry Heilmann appar-
emily is in for the best year OF his
career. He has been hitting at
terrific clip, leading the league with
a mark above 500. and was the most
consistent batter of the Cobbmen
against the Nationals.
Cobb. TOO, has been Walloping the
ball, while Fothergill has been wor-
lying the pitchers. in addition to field
ing narvelousy, since breaking into
the lineup in place Of Veach.
1t does not appear right now that
the Tigers are going to be at the
head of the procession next October.
despite their early season rush. The
White Sox already have worked their
ancient jinX on Cobb's crew. and after
the Nationals finished with the De-
troiters the latter were a -sorry-look-
ing lot. To keep themselves in the
pennant race the Tigers certainly
need a vastly improved inf1eld and a
much stronger mound staff:
moth and Jez Zachary, surely made
the Tigers bats all but useless.
Twelve hits In two games is not any
great amount for a club supposed to
Cobb, Heilmann and company. These
left-handerS were especially effective
against Ty. His best in seven times
at bat was bun off Warmoth that
he managed to beat out more because
OF that pitchers weakness in fielding
such taps than by his own speed.
Many Bushmen Have Colds.
This spell in Indictment weather has
resulted in great crop of colds
among the members of the Nationals
squad. Some of the athletes have
heen hit severely, especially Sam
Rice. The fleet outfielder was at
tackled by, the vitiating disease in De-
town last evening was forced to take
to his bed. He has been kept in his
room all of today. but Trainer Mike
Martin has administered special
Rice around to condition for the re-
mainder of the stay here.
joey Evans throwing arm has been
relieved of its soreness to great
extent, but in all likelihood he will
not be used in centerfield. except
ing for the opposition. Manager
Bush showed his mettle in the first
game against the Tigers when he
showed Evans into the fray in place
OF Dick Wade after southpaw hurl-
er had been substituted for an ortho-
dox finger, for Wade had smashed a
single and home in two turns at
bat. Evans made good with ven-
Reance by banging out a double that
contributed to his clubs run total.
A pleasing feature of the Nationals
work to date on the first western
swing has been the timely batting
of Goose Goslin and Dick Wade. OF
the dozen runs registered by the clan
Of Griffith these players have driven
in seven. Goose accounted for four
and Wade for a trio in the Detroit
engagements. They also figured promi-
nently in the scoring Of others. Evil
10 ,lxo