Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-21

CNCie drawing 10 { OSS tIdl attn!
sport-ioving public OF America-the
Won by Washington after year
competition, that prize alone would
in sports in the District. The four s
here shattered all attendance and ga
combatS in the NATIONAL Capital
eyed fans paid $525 $40. a single gam
persons gave up $135.550 to see the :
The Nationals, though were no
selves and the District of Columb
Morris Fisher of the Marine Corps
ternational prominence in earning
Otympics in France; Ralph H. MEG
national victory in the rifles matcl
merry Sergt Ollie NJ. Schriver, also G
Colleges, schools, clubs and civic
organizations contributed generously
Ito make 1924 a successful year il
sports here. Men and boys thronged
sandlot base ball and foot ball fields
and basket bail courts, women and
girls gave good account of themselves
as swimmers and also in basket ball
sports lovers. masculine and feminine
crowded tennis courts and got
courses throughout the greater par
OF the year, and in the numerous
tournaments organized competition
was keen.
school Teams Do We'll.
Boys and girls OF the schools were
particularly interested in athletic &C
tivities. The public high schools de
Veloped excellent teams in various
branches of sport and provided Wash
ington with q deal of entertainm ent
The preparatory schools OF the Dis
trict organized teams generally supe'
rior to those of other seasons.
Among the colleges it has been &
~ .OvN1
binations have represented them, but
none of the five institutions regarded
as belonging to the local varsity
group produced strong teams for al
major activities, as some had done ir
recent years. However, all have
striven to put their athletics OF
higher planes, and probably all have
been successful in their efforts to &
great extent.
But whatever was accomplished BY
the various agencies about the Dis
trict that foster sports was minimizeo
by the one great achievement OF the
Washington base baE club. Victory
of the Nationals in the stirring strug-
gle for the American League pennant
and their courageous fight that car
ried them to a triumph over the New
York Giants in the conflict for the
world championship simply over
WneIIneu the liStEACl VI SOAuiiiDio-'
Grfn's Success Startling.
The Nationals success was as start
ling as it was gratifying to the Dis
trict and the base ball public al
large. When they went to Tampa In
February for their training season
the Nationals were not considered a
lot to be reckoned with to any ex-
tent They were under the direction
of Stanley Harris, chosen from their
ranks early this year as manager
Harris was too young, too inexperi-
enced, base ball wiseacres cried, tc
be given such a post. And the mate
rial he had at hand was not of high
enough quality to make winner
they added.
But Bucky jumped into his work
with both hands and feet, spurred
his team into action, and soon made
the presence of the Nationals felt in
the American League race. The 81
year-old player and manager, who In
a manner revolutioniZed base ball
went on to steer his club to a vic
tory more popular; probably, than
any other ever achieved in the his
tory of the national pastime. After
the Nationals were recognized as pen
nant possibilities fans over all the
country rallied to their cause. Never
did q fag-seeking team have more
friends than that of the National
Capital.
Getting Washington its first major
league pennant was no easy task for
the Nationals. The. race for the
American League laurels this year
was one of the greatest in the his
cory of base ball. The Nationals
triumphed by fighting off the pair OF
teams highly rated in public estima.
AnF rha MI { n N "a M
paign started-the Yankees and tbs
Tigers.
Twice the Nationals in second place
Invaded New York, and each time left
the Yankee stadium with a cleal
claim to first place. When the Tigers
who persistently remained near mrs
place through more than three-quar
ters of the season. threatened to un
dermine the Nationals. the latter
turned on them so savagely that TI
Cobb and his cohorts were put down
never to rise again.
Team Started Slowly.
Harris combination was a SLOW
starter in the race, but once it fount
itself set a pace entirely too furiou,
for most of the others 10 follow
Not until June 3, when they beat tn
Tigers in Detroit, did the NATIONAL
become a real .500-class club. TheI
came nearly three weeks of fifty
fifty base ball. until on juno 81 tn
r. Harrismen went above the 500 mark
never to go back again.
That set the pennant bee to buz
zing in the bonnets of Bucky Harrf
and his athletes, and straightway the.
beat the Yankees four games in tire
days in New York, jumpingto the to-
of the league for the first time Of
Tune "a. Then followed games II
Washington that materially strength
ened the position of the National
until the Yankees came here for Sc
of five games to be played in tire
days. The Yanks reduced the Ma
tionals' lead to a single game by win
ming four of the contests.
There followed a none too success
full home stand against the Western
clubs-a stand profuse with double
headers-then q poor start In tn
West that pushed the Nationals bacl
to third place. However, when the
moved into St. Louis in August the,
were within a game of the leaders
But the Browns took five games In 4
row from the Harrismen and pulle
the latter back to within half gam
OF fourth position.
courage, though. and a few week
later found them again in New YORK
ready to contest first place with tn
Yankees. Three of four games. playe
I with the Hugmen1 in the last fou
days of August were taken by tn
Nationals, and through the month o