Evening star., 1925-04-14

that of batting.
They have clearly demonstrated
ing in the exhibition games during
midseason class and there was a
corps in the last two weeks of t
throughout the series of training &;
about.
Probably the best test of the
to be found in the 12-game series wi
most finished pitching of the press
at only .263 clip does not indicate Z
attacking power.
True, the world champions discov-
cred in the last two games with the
Giants that bats were to be used for
more than the shattering of the air.
The accumulation of % safeties in
that pair of engagements may have
been wholesome sign that some
members of the club are about to
step forth and bust" the ball in
most approved style. But careful
comparison of the work in the second
half of the Giant series with that
in the first half warrants no optim-
istic prediction of batting prowess in
the early part of the American
League campaign.
Hit Poorly at Start.
While the Nationals were founder
ing about almost helplessly and alb
sorbing lickings from the Giants. in
the first half-doZen games between
these former world series rivals, they
socked the ball at a rate of PAL. A
very poor rate, even for Spring
exhibition contests when the batters,
not having faced much pitching, can
not be expected to wallop well.
The last six games found the Ma.
tionals hitting for an average of .2S2.
Quite an improvement, but still leav-
ing much to be desired. Over the full
route in the American League last
year, the Washington representatives
batted to a mark of .294, and that
was achieved only by deal of con-
sistent and sustained clubbing. It's
a long jump from .282 to .294. Unless
the Nationals batting lamps are
frightened quickly, this question of
their attack may prove a most
serious one.
A study of individual batting sta
t1stics of the dozen games with the
Giants reveals that the low offensive
power of the Nationals was due t.
the ineffectiveness of three regulars
who swatted with vigor last seq sor
and the unusually weak stickworl
of the battery men and the reserve
talent.
Adams Leads Reserves.
OF the reserves, Spencer Adam!
was the only player to do anyIhin,
worth while with the war clul
against the New York hurlers. Memo
Leibold, Wild Matthews, Roy Carlyle
Mike McNally and Mule Shirley har.
n lot
stride. Reserve players in the Giant
series went to bat 36 times, but
recorded only hits and Adams got
5 of them.
Muddy Ruel did the best hitting oi
the catchers in the little world series
and his average was .259, with
safeties in 27 times at bat. His av
erage for the 1924 season was 283
Red Hargrave made l hit in time!
up and Benny Tate got , Hallops II
IL trials. Not so strong. The pitGh
ing corps went to bat 35 times fol
hits to an average of .i43, very
low even for moundsmen, who are
notoriously low-figure batterS. DutcI
Ruether was the king sw;tusnaith o.
the slabmen, getting 2 blows in
trials.
The three regulars who failed tc
shine against the Giant pitchers were
Earl McNeely, Sam Rice and Goose
Goslin. McNeely found the going
decidedly rough. In 81 times at bat
in the II encounters, he got exactly
4 bingles. The best that could be
said of Earl's clouting was that the
little of it was of a healthy variety
One of his blows was a double anC
pair of them homers.
He did not connect safely until the
sixth nf tho cnr-ioS -
until the last two to get the remainder
of his smacks to achieve a .07S mark
And he socked for 800 last season
Rice Had Trouble.
Rice got to the Giant moundsmer
for only a .217 average, although he
has been a 800 class hitter all the
time he has been in the American
League. Sam got 10 hits, of then
doubles and 1 a triple, in 46 times
at bat. Goslin, too, had his troubles
but managed to reach .29S with Il
hits in At times up. All of Goose's
wallops were singles.
With this gloom stuff off our chest
let us turn to the brighter side OF
the Nationals offensive. Four regu
lar members of the champions line
up in the matches with the New
Workers excelled the clubbing marks
they established last season. Manager
Stanley Harris, Joe Judge, Ossie
Bluege and Roger Peckinpaugh fairly
outdid themselves in Furnishing enemy
pitchers.
Judge was the big noise of the Sc
ries in a batting way with an avera ge
of .442. He collected 10 hits, includ
ing l two-bagger, in 43 times at bat
He went along at a pace 11S points
better than his sticking average fol
the 1924 campaign.
Manager Harris, with 10 hits in Al
times up, bettered by 5S points his
average of .268 made last season
Three of Harris blows were doubles
Bucky and Joe were the Nationals
most dangerous hitters during the lit
tie world series, their wallops coming
at most opportune moments and driv