Evening star., 1928-12-23


~ earning of individual league
"A championships by two of their
4 4 members, rather fortunate
fourth-place finish In the Amer
lean League race after poor start and
startling post-season trade marked
1928 an unusual year for the Nationals,
Washingtons big-time base ball aggre-
CATION.
Back In Washington only overnight
after finishing the campaign with his
club in st. Louis on September 80,
Stanley Harris, who had assumed the
management of the Nationals in 1924,
was on October 2 informed by President
Clark Griffith the job of pilot no longer
was his.
The demotion was not unexpected by
the base ball public nor by Harris, for
since midseaSon rumors that the man
who had piloted the Nationals to Wash
ington's first American League pennant
and a world championship in 1924 and
another league flag in 1925 was not in
especially good standing with the club
executive we're in circulation. The
Washington ownership intimated that
Harris demotion was the result Of his
neglect Of the club outside of actual
playing time more than anything else.
A week after Harris was relieved of
the managerial position club headquar-
ters announced the appointment to the
post Of Walter johnson, once premier
pitcher of the Nationals and the major
leagues and this year pilot Of the New
ark club of the International League.
Harris demotion still left him in re-
serve as player with the Nationals,
but the former manager, with his clubs
permission, soon arranged trade with
T{nnPS thof inn n
as manager and brought to Washing
ton Jack Warner, an infielder. Warner
later was released outright to the Toledo
club of the American Association.
GOslin. BraxtOn Star.
League championships were earned
by Leon Allen GoSlin and Edgar Gar
land Braxton of the Nationals. Goslin,
after stirring fight with Heine ManuSh
of the Browns through the last game Of
the season, became the first champion
batter ever produced by Washington
American League club. A two-base hit
made by the Goose In the ninth inning
OF the game against the Browns in ST.
Louis on September 80 enabled him to
finish with a batting average of .379,
while ManuSh finished with 378. The
left-handed BraXton led the leagues
pitchers in point Of effectiveness by al
lowing only 2.52 earned runs per nine
innings.
The Nationals led the league in club
fielding, finishing with a rating of .972
for defense, and they had in Joe Judge,
first baseman; Ossie Bluege, third base
man; Muddy Ruel, catcher, and Sam
West, outfielder, players rated highly as
defensive factors. West playing In his
first season as regular, led the leagues
gardeners with an average Of 1896.
The Nationals won only IS games of
154 played to decision. However, they
continued to finish in the first division
Of the league for the sixth consecu-
tive season. Their fourth-place berth
came mainly from a squirt that started
here on August IA and brought 26 wins
in their last Al engagements.
For the first time in several seasons,
though, the Washington club finished
with winning percentage below 500.
Not once after April 26, when 1t fell
below the $3.50 mark, did 1t get as high
again. The clubs final standing was
.487.
During the training season in Flor
ida the Washington outfit promised to
become factor in the chase for the
flag in the Barnard circuit. but from
the outset Of the championship jousting
it never figured as a title contender.
Only three annual series were won by
the NationalS-those with the Tigers,
the White Sox and the Indians, and
none Of these was won until the last
month OF the campaign. The Browns
overcame the Nationals with ease, but
1t was the Eastern rivals who did the
most damage to the washington cause.
The failure es ssysra pitchsss who