The Washington times., 1925-08-10
WEEK
+ FACING
GR|FFS
World Champions Battle IN
dians and Yanks Before
Heading for West
By LOUIS A. BOUCHER
Sports Editor, The Times

sports EdlCOf, 1He
The world champion Griffmen
are today entering upon their last
week at home until September l.
The first four days of the week
will see them battling the Cleve-
land Indians. Friday the New
York Yankees will start their last
series of the season in the Capt.
tai, three games being on the
card. Next Sunday night the
world champions viii leave for
Cleveland, the first stop on their
final swing around the Western
half of the circuit.
The champions seem destined to
head into the West much as they
did a year ago, holly contesting
every step of the way and fight
ing to gain first place. If they
succeed in wrestling the leading
from the Mackmen, they will then
have most of September at home
for its defense.
The Griffs will fit from town to
town on-their last swing around the
frontier. In Detroit alone will they
pause for four days, three days
being sufficient in the other three
cities.
Following those last battles with
the Westerners viii come the really
l.
tending Mackmen and world cham
pions. washington fans are all
steamed up over that series which
will get under way here on Septep-
Der /.
The Mackmen will appear here in
two games, September and 2.
Then will come the Boston Red Sox
for a couple of days before the con-
tenders resume their scrapping over
in Philadelphia.
The Griffs and MacIks win en-
gage I'm two games at Shibe Park
on Labor Day, and it's good bet
that thousands of Washington
fans viii see them. Many Capital
fans will come back from Atlantic
City vacations for that one day.
with others going up from Wash
ingtOn. The champions should
have plenty of vocal support as
they face their arch enemies.
On Tuesday and wednesday, fol-
lowing Labor Day, the feud will be
continued at Shfbe Park, a regular
KIN k-em-d w ma n DID rag-em-out
series. 1t is possible that the pen.
nant triumph win be decided in
those very games, though nearly a
month win remain Of the campaign.
II the Griffmen are to repeat
their pennant victory. they will nave
10 win a large majority OF their
games in this coming final Western
trip. They can hardly hope to
break even and keep in step with
the flying AS. Connie Mack's team
is killing the ball and also getting
the best of pitching, combination
that il keeping the team on top.
Bucky Harris smiles in a sort of
faraway manner when asked what
he expects of his team on this
coming trip. Whatever he really
thinks, he keeps to himself, but he
is willing to say that he hopes for
the best.
1.-THE pennant viii go TO the
team that sticks longest" he
says. "WelI-we're pretty good
stickers, aren't we? We've stuck
pretty close. to the AS all this
time. You don't see them rum
ming away from us, do your"
All of which sounds well, but
doesn't mean anything. The Griffs
could stick to the very end of the
campaign and still cross the line in
second place. What they need is a
winning streak that will carry them
ahead of the AS. Then their
stick-to-it-iveness might give them
their second pennant in succession.
Manager Harris is banking on
having his four first-string Fingers
win most of their games from now
to the end of the season. This
means that Zachary and Coveleskie
must improve until they can equal
the prowess of Walter Johnson and
Dutch Ruether.
Goose Goslin's long batting slump
must come to an end soon, If the
Champions are to make many runs.
When he is hitting, Goslin drives
in most Of his teams tallies, but
he has been slumping woefully
through recent weeks, and the re.
suit has been noticed in the falling
off in scoring. Ball games are de.
cided by runs, not by hits, and Sc
Goslin will have to recover his slug
gfng ability IL he would aid his
team to win it's second flag.