Evening star., 1928-05-10
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

- INCE April Is the Nationals have
won but of Ii games played.
The lot of reverses has thrown
~ them so far back that in order
49, to be at the $3.50 point in the
standings when they leave town the
morning of May Il to start a swing
around the circuit they must win z OF
the 10 engagements that this morning
were remaining on the schedule OF the
present home stand. Quite an order
for any ball club, and tremendous one
for the Nationals. with pitching stan
Glat has done little pitching thus far.
Anv club back of the 500 mark In
winning percentage is not considered
much of club in the base ball pro-
feSSion. The worst that Is tolerated,
IL seems is a balance Of wins and
losses. Any veteran of the majors will
say that as long as club can show
as many games won as ii has lost. after
il has encountered all other clubs OF
the circuit in a season. ii has a fair
chance to be a first-diviSion club all
the way and should make matters more
than interesting for any OUTFIT 1t runs
up against.
As the Nationals have been playing.
they look anything but a first-diviSion
club To date they have encountered
Eve of their seven rivals OF the Ameri-
can League and now are four games be-
hind the. 500 mark. Picking up those
games in the 10 they have yet to play
before they will have battled through
series with all other aggregations In the
circuit is not going to be done unless
there is sudden and startling reversal
OF form. It really seems that the poor
start the Nationals have gotten will
Heep them well down in the race
throughout the campaign,
8 There plainly is nothing wrong with
the club other than its pitching. While
4 rarely has been able to put on the.
Hei6 all of its supposed regulars at one
tine. the PLAYERS used have functloned
Eell. There has been some sound hit
ting done by the Nationals. too, but un-
fortunately the opposition has done
much sounder hitting. The pitching has
been absolutely miserable, that's all.
Poor Weather No Alibi.
Just why this should have been is
dificult to understand. During the train
inc season the washington pitchers
looked exceptionally good In fact, y
was thought the Nationals would have
lust about the best mound corps In the
American League. Yet. since they re-
turned from Florida, the hurlers have
been effective only on rare occasions.
They can't alibi themselves by the in-
clement weather that has marred the
base ball season thus far. Other clubs
have been beset By weather conditions
fully as poor assthose that have hit the
Nationals, yet they have their pitchers
in good shape.
IT'S lust too bad that the slabmen are
unable at present to show any WORTH
while form The remainder OF the cluo
is pretty good. really well above the or
dinary. Bucky Harris has at his COM
nand a deal of material capable enough
to give washington a first rate base
bail team. But Bucky cannot do the
pitching for his pitchers. They are
supposed TO make fair Use Of their arms
themselves Instead they are stepping
out almost daily and taking terriflc
beAt1nes. And these beatings are not
helping the morale Of the club.
with a pogtpOnement yesterday OF the
National-Tiger engagement. oficially as
cF1bed to rain, q vet field and general
rottenness of weather. the Harris clan
now has eight double -headers ahead.
That means whole lot OF extra Work
for a pitching stan that has done little
pitching The game put on yesterday
probably VIII be played as part OF
tbll bl4i AcIc Dn July A1s
Africa Needs Help.
There Is base ball outfit much worse
of than the Nationals. u seems. The
local aggregation may have nothing
worthwhile ID the way Of pitchers ct
present. but the Ligae TIinisienne DE
ease Bali, whose habitat II North Africa,
has 300 bows playing Win q grand total
Of GO gloves. sri1ata tough on the hands
Of the players Ia the Ligue Tunisienne.
According to q New York base ball
writer, who has talked With Or. g.
duyer Kelley, q Baitif1ofesr. back on
a visit from Tunis, the Lague Tunisenfle
fiourishes. and LIS spirit Is strong, how
ever. The 'oniy league between Paris
and the Philippines" Or. Kelley calls 1t.
He told the IEew York writer o GOOD
deal else about a league Of which most
people know nothing that It's playing
efYiiers are Tunis and Carthage; that IN
1871 tke Arab huts OF the American
Methodist School were the nucleus OF
the Arab Orioles, yp'ing team which
Won the first two championships Of
north AfricAs that the first movement
has grown into . league Of 10 teams OF