Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-22

The poor showing of the Nationals
not only has disappointed Griffith
sorely, but it has nettled him no little.
Like others who saw the Nationals
breeze through their exhibition season
the Washington. president thought he
again had a club that would be an i'm
portant factor in the American League
race. In fact when the Nationals came
up from the South with banners flying
and trumpets blaring, Griffith had
visions of another championship for his
property. But as soon as the title chase
got underway the Nationals lost all their
goodness and became the poorest ball
club Washington has had in years.
Now Grifith, like every other fan-for
the Washington president is at heart a
fan of the most ardent type-wants to
know the reason why.
Griffith has seen the Nationals in
only nine of the 25 games they have
played, in the first five of the nine
games he saw the club performed
poorly, but Griffith was not particularly
worried then because he saw those
games in the first two weeks of the
season and felt that his club which he
still believes good was merely off on the
wrong foot and would swing into its
true stride in short order. But when
the laundering tour through the West
was followed by the pitiful stand against
the Athletics in Washington Grifhth
realized all was not we'll with his
property. Now he hopes to discover the
trouble that he may mend his fences
soon enough to get the Nationals some
where worth while in the running Of
the American League race.
Fence Mending in Order.
Griffith may have much fence mend
ing to do too, to make his club func-
ton as it should. For. the material for
the making of good club is at hand.
But the club has not hit as we'll as could
be reasonably expected, it has not been
getting good pitching from staff that
ought to produce good pitching and it
has revealed a marked weakness in base
ball fundamentals in both offenSe and
defense.
Much of the Nationals failure may
be attributed to their poor hitting, for
runs still remain the essential element
of victory and a club does not get runs
without hits any more than it gets VIC
tories without runs. The batting order
of the Nationals has been revised sew
eral times since the championship sea-
son opened, but none of the revisions
has brought success. There IS no kick
in the Nationals batting order and
what little hitting there Is, is too scat
tered to do much good.
The Nationals pitching has been far
short of expectations. In only Z OF The
25 games have pitchers gone the route
and in but four of these seven games
did the Washington club win. That's
staggering state of affairs, for only a
month ago the staff that includes Jones,
Braxton, Hadley, Marberry and Liska
looked to be among the best in the
league.
The Nationals have an excellent rec
ord afield In the statistics. but fielding
statistics do not truly indicate the de-
fensive qualities of q club. They only
reflect the mechanical ability a club
possesses In handling thrown and bat
ted balls. The handling of the ball after
it is taken of the bat or received
from a thrower is not revealed. And in
this latter kind of handling the Ma
tionals have not been SO smart. Sense
less throws that have given the opposi-
ton chances to advance on the run
way have been numerous. And, too the
Nationals still have to perfect double
play machine work around the middle
sack Many opportunities to stem rival
attacks by the two-ply killing method
4have been allowed to slip by.
Teams Spirit SIumps.
This present slump is likely to have
lasting Ill effects on the Nationals. The
spirit of the Washington club is not
what 1t might be. The Nationals came
out of the West last week with courage
high. but the four licking they took
from the Athletics on the home lot
left them quite depressed. They make
no show of the effects of their plight,
but the members of the club feel It,,
which Is only natural.
Should they gain the form it seems
possible for them to gain the Nationals
may once more be the snappy bunch
they we're when bowling over all oppo-
sition in the Spring exhibitions. Right
now. even though occasionally showing
some life they display the natural
apathy of a seventh-place ball club.
Rain here yesterday may have been
2 blessing in disguise for the Nationals.
They may be better prepared when they
next visit New York to play the two
games that we're washed out. TWO Tits
With the Yankees were on the schedule
today. and tomorrow the Washington
club will tackle their arch-enemleS, the
Athletics, in Philadelphia in a double
ENErHN