Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-21
CREDIT FOR CLIMB
GIVEN TO JOHNSON
But for Mishaps to Stars
Mats Might Have Beaten
As in Pennant Race.
IN its second season under
Vualtar Tohneo,, the We eIaiao


ton Base Ball Club this year
went through It's most brilliant
campaign since the pennant-
winning days of 1875. Never
credited as a factor in the 1lght
for the flag at the outset of the
American League season, the
Johnson band leaped into the
thick of the struggle at the be-
ginning of championship play
and down to the last two weeks of
the campaign was a pennant pos
sibility.
The Nationals finished In second
place an even eight games behind the
Athletics Twice during the season
late in May and early in July--they
were at the top of the league and never
in the last half of the season we're
they below second place. It was the
first time in three seasons q Washing
ton club finished with a winning per-
centage above 500. In fact, in 1928
and 1929 the club was unable to rise as
high as 500 in the victory rating.
To the fine performance Of the mix
ture of veterans and youngsters wear
ing the Washington livery great credit
is due for the clubs surprising SUCCESS
but greater credit is due johnson for
landing In the Tunner-up position an
outfit felegated to q lowly second-di-
vision berth in the preseason reckon
ing Of virtually every base ball critic Of
the country
A Winner From Start.
In his second year as manager john
son took up a club that had barely
fought its way to fifth place in 1929.
made change here and there to start
the season, then partially rebuilt 1t at
almost the halfway point of the cam
paign. Under his inspiring leadership
the Nationals early developed into q
winning outfit. and. despite several set
backs that might have totally wrecked
less game lot. Johnson'S club car
ried the fight all the way to the one ag-
gregation that beat it out.
This year the Nationals finished with
winning percentage of .6l1 and were
eight full games ahead Of the third
place Yankees. In scoring % Victories
they bettered by two games the number
they won in 1924 to capture the Ameri-
can League title and we're only two
wins shy Of their total in 1925, when
they again won the nag.
At home the Nationals played re-
markab'e base ball, taking So out Of
n gam"s. OF the n games on foreign
fields, though. they won only 50. The
Nationals we're strong on the lots of
their East,rn rivals. taking 20 Of SO
games. In the West, however, they
lost IS of "A games.
1t was the second trip West that Just
about blasted the Nationals pennant
hope. Then they took only to l9
ganes played. Just before the start
| Of this trip leg injury put out Of COM
mission Heinie Manush. the clubs
main punch In attack at the time, and
his loss undoubtedly had q great deal
to do with the Nationals weak showing
Other Mishaps Also Felt.
Other mishaps though, were felt.
Sam joins, before that q dependable
veteran pitcher. had his arm 60 back
! on him temporarily and some of the
younger pitchers of whom much had
been expected suddenly became inef-
fective.
Although the Nationals struggled
back into the flag fight for a time later
they again were handicapped by the
loss Of their right-hand pitching ace,
Fred Marberry. A wrist-break sus-
tanned by him in q game In New York
early in August kept Marherry out Of
action fer a month, and after his re-
turn to the game he failed to show his
IOTIneT eueCLlVenSSS.
In mid-June there was considerable
remaking of the Nationals through the
medium Of trades. Red Barnes, out
fielder with the club several seasons,
went to the White Sex in exchange for
Dave Harris, a rigit-hand-swingin
gardener. Goose Goslin, long regarded
a fixture with Washington and an out
fielder who only two years before had
earned the American League batting
championship was given to the Browns
in exchange for Manush and Al Crow
der, clever pitcher. Benny Tate
catcher, and Garland Braxton, pitcher,
went to the White Sox for Art Shires,
first baSeman.
Manush, with his fine hitting ard
fielding, did much to keep the club up
in the race and he led It at bat with
an average Of $50. Crowder hurled ex-
cellent ball after exchanging uniforms
and finished among the best In the
league. Harris, pressed into outfield
service late in the campaign Yielded
well and hit satisfactorily. Shires, after
a brief trial in which his hitting was
directly responsible for several victories,
was retired to the bench until the final
week of the campaign.
Third in Team Hitting.
The Nationals of 1880 were a we'll
balanced club. They hit third among the
league outfits and flelded in fine style.
Outstanding players we're Joe Cronin,
shortstop. and Joe Judge, first baseman.
Cronin was the Sparkplug of the club.
He was virtual leader of the leagues
shortstops af1eld, hit in sturdy and
timely manner and in every way per-
formed so cleverly he was voted the
player most valuable to q club in the
American League at the end of the
campaign. Judge again was the
leagues leading first baseman and his
clubs leading fielder. He came into q
record by leading his club afield for
the eighth season.
After the campaign the Nationals dis
posed Of two noted players. Unable to
use Shires in a trade, the club sold
him to Milwaukee of the American
Association. Muddy Ruel catcher, and
perhaps the most popular player with
the fans. after an eight-year stay with
the Nationals was sold to the Red Sox
from which outfit Washington procured
him after the 1922 season.
For the first time in years the Ma
tionals did not 60 to Florida for their
Spring training. choosing, instead,
Biloxi, Miss, and Chattanooga, Tenn,
as conditioning sites. They played few
exhibition games, but swept their
series of five with the Braves before the
championship campaign got under way.