Evening star., 1924-06-20

But they got away with their col
lective best foot forward the latte
part of last month. in Boston. and be
fore reachinr Cleveland amassed a
stand a debacle in the Forest City
So well did the Nationals come
back" afte that fearful slump that
they can show for their first western
invasion of the year record of eight
wins against seven defeats "A record
much better than that for the initial
swing around the west last season.
To hitting more than anything else
the success in the west may be at
tributed. Well pitched games were
few. Generally. several hurlers ha'
to be used in contest. for the Ma
tionals' Slahmen were prone to lost
their magic after being handed
comfortable lead to work under But
on few occasions did the National:
fail to swing their bats effectively
Even in that Cleveland series ther.
were numerous hits registered
against the Tribe pitchers.
OutcinSsed Tigers at Bat.
The Tigers were We'll outclassed at
bat by the Nationals. The latter gar
nered IS safeties to % made by the
C"bbmen. outbatting the Detroit slug
gers Is swats TO in the one tilt lost
to Tvs crew. The Indians were the
only opponents to outslus the Ma
tionals. and in the four games in
Cleveland the Harris men got 36
safeties to the enemv's 40.
The Browns were swamped under
a deluge of 81 clouts in three engage
mentS and made but Is themselves
an amount equaled by the Nationals
In "ne Of the battles
The White SoX were outbatted. Is
hits to 80. and betrered the Nationals
total in hut one match
All told. the Nationals were charged
with 529 legal times at bat in the
west and swung against all classes of
ritching for 313 hits. That gave
them a grand average of .314. They
So" sd SIS runs in the fifteen con-
tests. avera gins tally to each
cluster of $50 hits
When il is considered that oppos-
ing pitchers gave the Nationals
forty-four bases on balls and hit
eleven batters in addition to grant
ing so many safeties and that the
enemy fielders committed twenty
seven errors. ii seems that the run
total should have been larger More
care exercised in base running probs-
bly, would have swelled the run total
too, but unfortunately in couple
of the series the Harrismen either
took too many foolhardy chances on
the paths or failed utterly to seize
opportunities offered to gain ground.
Griffs Weak in Base Running.
This matter of gas running has
been the real weakness of the club
ing the other fellows. the Nationals
have been just a trif1e behind the play
often.
Generally. the fielding during the
tour of the western cities left little
To be desired In only one series that
a vol n
a weakening in defense and in that
series perhaps the moral depression
of the losing players was aggravated
ny the poor quality of pitching they
were called upon to support most OF
the time
Several players especially dis
tinCuished thmselves by their efforts
efeld. Roger Peckinpaueh in the
fifteen games played as brilliantly at
shortstop as at any other time in his
long career in the American League.
Ossie Bluege. called upon to fll in at
second and third bases during the
absence Of regulars. performed SO
well that the usual occupants or the
berths were not missed particularly
Mule Shirley. sent 10 first base al
ter Joe Judge was injured, gave every
indica tion of being potential star
while Manager Bucky Harris, since
his return to the middle station mas
put up the game of his Ire.
Pitching should Improve.
perhaps the arrival of warm
weather will benefit the pitchers. who
were none too steady against the
westerners. If it makes CONSISTENT
the form several of them nasheo on
the trip, this National club certainly
will have a real corps of moundsmen
Great games were turned IN by JeZ
Zachary, Walter Johnson, George MO-
gridge and Paul Zahniser, but they
could not repeat. Fred Marberry
seems to be the most consistent mem
her of the staff. He appeared 70 ao-
vantage against the Indians. despite
his defeat. and has developed INTO
sturdy relief boxman.
Manager Harris was planning 70
usH pair of right hand pitchers IN
ths games here Zahniser was ex-
pected to toe the slab this afternoon
while johnson is slated to start TO-
morrow No selection for the tiit
with the Macks in Washington sun
day has been made.