The Washington times., 1930-06-02
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SS1I1()Rri'sRdIAILI. S11( o i :
Kirk Miller

Taking it on the chin In
their last five games, the Wash
ington Griffmen head into the
hinterland for the first time
during the 1880 season, one
game out of first place, an
exalted position their fondest
friends never hoped for them
in their spring predictions.
How many times in the last
six weeks since the Griffs have
been finding their pace in the
new race have we been acosted
with the query, Are they play
ing over their head. Are they
a flash in the pan? Or are
they a good ball club?"
Very often, we can assure
you, and no doubt you fans
have heard the same questions
banded about among your
selves.
The Griffmen certainly have
not been a flash in the pan.
They might have gotten an
earlier start than was expected
of them and they might have
hit their stride before several
of the other good teams in the
loop hit theirs, bit it seems to
us they have proven conclusive
ly since April IA that they
will be among the three teams
battling it out for the pennant,
and that is not early enthusiasm,
state of mind into which it
is so easy to fall in baseball.
particularly if some element Of
fan blood courses through ones
veins.
While the last four days have
been bitter ones for the Griffs,
time and again they have
shown gameness characteristic
of only good ball clubs. Some
of those Philadelphia and New
York games see-sawed back
ward and forward with first
one team forging ahead and
then the other, and with all
kinds of hard hitting coming
from the bats of both clubs.
Teams which are never too
far behind that they always
keep up q hope of slipping
ahead and teams which never
have a sufficient lead to afford
to let up for an instant, such
as Washington proved to be
last week in New York and
Philadelphia, are not flashes in
in the pans. They will not
flivver out and when the final
count comes, they will be up
there or thereabouts.
Of those last five defeats,
starting with the final of the
New York series, Washington
outhit it's masters in three of
them. Breaks decided those
games or the hitting Of the less
powerful team happened to be
a bit more timely.
In Thursdays 4-to-2 defeat
at the hands of the Yankees.
Washington outhit the New
Yorkers by 9 to 5.
In the second Memorial Day
game with the Athletics in
which the latter won by IS to
II, Washington got two more
hits than the Quakers, the bat
ting figures being 16 to II
against the AS.
Saturday the AS plainly out
hit the Griffs, 2 to /, the safe
ties reading 10 to 5, while the
MaCks lere winning 7 to 3,
but yesterday at Griffith Sta
dunn when the Quakers de-
feated us to s. more hits
rang off our bats by a margin
of Is to IL.
In there trying every min,
ute, always approaching the
plate with confidence they
have the attack, the Griffmen
can hardly miss making their
presence felt, and Importantly,
in the race which is now about
one-third spent.
Allowing that the strongest
teams are in the East, which
they probably are, with the ex.
ception of Boston, the Griffs
have played twice as many
games against Eastern clubs
so far this year, and have
proved their masters as June
looks in upon the scramble.
We expect the Griffmen to
find themselves again upon
opening up in Detroit tomcS'
row and to not give an 1ncn
at any Western way-station
GoSlin's improved hitting is
sure to be felt wherever he
pauseS at the bat and the
pitchers, for the most part
young and plucky, and with
several days of indifferent
baseball! out of their system
should more than hold their