Evening star. [volume], September 30, 1924, Page 27, Image 27

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Series Due to Be Most Attractive Ever Held : Griffs Rate
'PAIR OF FIGHTING TEAMS
> WILL BATTLE FOR HONORS
________________
4 Both Reached Their Goal Through Display of Grit,
Consequently Figure “Dope” Is Not Going to
Be Worth Much in Coming Games.
BY JOHN B. FOSTER.
NEW YORK. September 30.—The world series oi 1924 promises to be
one of the most interesting in history, for it will be played be
tween two base ball clubs which have absolutely refused to con
sider defeat in the closing weeks of the season.
1 he Nationals, with their 27-year-old manager, Bucky Harris, are a
courageous lot of young men. So are the Giants—though not quite so
young in spots— led by the redoutablc campaigner, John McGraw.
ashington began showing its bulldog brand of determination away
back in the Spring training season. They were alwavs coming from be
hind and winning in their games down at Tampa, the clußs they beat
then tossed their heads and essayed to predict. ‘•They'll find their place
when the season starts, all right." They did find their place all right—
qut not where their detractors meant.
Two characteristic and tar-reaching
•statements were made in Florida last
April about these two clubs that have
finished at the top in their respective
leagues. McGraw said:
“We have got a team that will win
if the pitchers show anything." That's
more than McGraw usually says. And
now it can be seen that he had reason
lor his little speech.
Grist Had Confidence.
About the same time, Clark Griffith 1
■tood on the porch of the big tavern
at Tampa, hemmed and hawed a little
and then said: "Von know me well.
I vt got to be shown something, hut
those boys of mine are not going to
b*' kept out of the first division.”
Sheer fighting grit won the pennant
fop the Giants. They raced out in
Tont at the start, as they have done
so often, and gaiqed such a lead that
interest in the National League waned
away. Then came one of those- mid
summer relapses, which the Giants
also have known before. But they
bung on doggedly. even in the dark
est days, and fought their way to vic
tory.
There are National League owners
who hold managers responsible for
the failure of other teams to over- 1
CAPITAL HAD A CHAMPION
NINE BEFORE—BACK IN ’67
81. it known to all men, Washington hasn't always been "First in
war, lirst in peace and LAST in base ball. - ’ A Washington team
once claimed the proud title of "best” in the United States, writes
Monitor in the New York World.
That was 1867. The club was known
as the Nationals. It was made up cf
young Athletes around Washing-ton.
employes in the Government depart
ments for the most part, and was
backed mainly by Arthur Pue Gor
man, afterward Senator from Mary
land and a power in the country’s
politics. Harry Eerthrong was the
base running king of the team and
he won a wine supper for his team
mates once from John Morrisey, fam
ous pugilist of New York and a rep
resentative in Congress at the time,
by circling the bases In 14U seconds.
Morrisey declared it . couldn't be
done inside 15 seconds.
••National!*” Road Champs.
That was some bail club. They i
traveled all over the United States
PILOTS OF SERIES TEAMS
LAYING PLANS OF BATTLE
NEW YORK. September 30.—The king is dead, and the kingmakers
are at work behind the scenes, preparing for the world series con
vention. which will name bis successor.
John McGraw. veteran war /k of base ball, will nominate the
Giants, candidate of the Natio /League. Stanley Harris, newcomer in
diamond politics, will direct *(■ campaign for the American aspirant.
Washington.
Deliberations of the diamond con
gress will begin in the Capital City on
Saturday and continue through Sun
day, after which the struggle will be
continued in New York. If more than
four ballots are necessary the fifth
also will he taken here and the sixth
will be cast in Washington. The site
for the seventh, and final vote, unless
a tie results, will be decided by the
much-sought-after deity, the little
god of Chance.
The race in the American League,
decided yesterday when Washington
won from Boston, 4 to 2, was another
victory - for the tortoise over the hare.
Washington, chronic trailer, a base
ball wheeze as old as the mother-in
law. plodded along steadily while the
Yankee hare browsed on the sweet
shoots of’ its reputation. It looked up
too late and was pounced upon by its
enemy, the Tyger, while racing through
the jungle.
Climax of Vmrt Work.
• Harris, 21-year-old manager of the
_ successful, team which gave Washington
’ itj first , pennant, climaxed his sensa
tional season's work yesterday by giving
evidence of mechanical as well as in
spirational qualities. His final gesture
was appropriately spectacular.
, In the final half of the ninth, with his
team leading 4 to 2. a Boston runner
on first and one out, Harris picked a
sharp grounder from the field just back
of second base, touched the bag. pivoted
and threw, almost without looking, to
first, to complete a double play which
ended the game and beheaded the king.
Two minutes later an Associated
PTcss dispatch from Philadelphia car
"ried congratulations and best wishes
from Miller Huggins, prime of
the defunct monarch. 'White' more than
16,600 Boston fans bowed in adulation
tq/the youthful manager, to.;Clark Grif
fith, the "Old Fox,” owner and former
manager, and to Walter Johnson, grand
old warrior of the victors, another mes
sage came from the White House, urg
ing the happy tortoise "on to the world
aeries. - '
Nation Voicing Admiration.
Today an entire nation is voicing
it* admiration of ono of the most
worthy achievements in the history
of the country’s national game.
Washington is "the people's choice.”
But McGraw still is Warwick and
also "the little Napoleon." Hughie
Jennings, entering his seventh world
series, will be his chief marshal. And
bosses sometimes override the.popu
lar candidate.
The Giants will leave Thursday
for Washington, ready, as usual, for
a fight, and the galleries in this
convention will see a battle the re
sult of which cannot be forecast by
•'dope." Stout hearts defy a yard- i
White Sox defeated DetroitJ
1 1» to u, in a farcical contest which,
ended the season in Chicago. Pitts
burgh made It four .put of five from
the Cubs as Yde won his sixteenth
game of the year in a 6-to-4 victory,
although he did net finish the battle.
The National League season is now
over. The American will end today,
with th*,l>ult£ea. double-
SPORTS.
take the Giants, but the players of
the New York .team did more to win
the pennant than all the managers
did to contribute to their victory.
Make Vital Improvement.
Washington did not begin at the
pace at which it finished.' but the
elub never got so far dowh that it
could not strike whep the opportun
ity offered, and as the season wore on
1 and the players became united, they
! played together better and belter
: ball. Had Washington hud a batter
or two like Ty Cobb, they would have
had the championship stowed away
long before they did.
The coming series is going to be
one in which figure “dope” will be
worth mighty little. It is going to
be a series in which there may be
low-score pitchers' battles and high
score batting bees. And it is possi
ble that a game or more than a game
may be won by a misplay. The men
tal state is going to have everything
to do with the result. There will be
lots of speed, and exciting rallies mlay
be looked for. Young Bucky Harris
is going to have his hands full out
witting the strategist McGraw. Ts
the Washingtons win out it will be
a great victory for them--ami for
Harris.
and won something like 50 games.
They were a good ’Toad team" like
the 1924 Senators, for they were
beaten only once. That was’ toy the
Eorest City club of Rockford. Hi...
which they met at Chicago on July
25, 1 St»T. The score was 29 to 23. in
favor of Rockford. The next day the
Nationals met the Excelsiors of Chi
cago, a team supposed to be greater
than the Kockfords, and Kicked the
excelsior out of them. That year
there was a great to-do as, to .which
team was the real champion. Same
this year.
The Nationals of 1867 averaged
48. runs per game. The Nationals. I
managed by Stanley Harris, can’t j
quite do that, 'but they have a bunch
of batsmen who are quite capable of I
giving the pitchers of the New York
Giants some sleepless nights.
! header at Philadelphia and Wash
ington meeting Boston in a single
contest.
ALTROCK AND SCHACHT
TO HELP 10HNS0N FUND
Nick Altrock and A1 Schacht have
promised to be on band for the
Walter Johnson testimonial dance to
be held Thursday night at the Will
ard Hotel.
Now that Washington Is assured Os
participating in its first world series,
the fans are confident enough money
will be raised before the first game
on Saturday to purchase an auto
mobile for Johnson.
Many subscriptions from out-of
town fans, are being reported to
Treasurer Cy McDonald.
COBB NOW LOOKING
TO 1925 CAMPAIGN
Ty Cobb already has started to re
build the Detroit Tygers for the 1925
campaign. Johnny Netyi, hit
ting first baseman, who set Wo Amer
ican Association in a blaze this year,
has been pulled back from St. Paul.
Tavener, the Fort Worth shortstop,
has also been acquired by the De
troits. Cobb already has a good short
stop in Rigney, but it is possible that
ho will shift Rigney to second base,
where bis team has been weak, and
play Tavener at short.
Neun formerly played at Birming
ham, where he had the bad habit of.
crossing his feet, but he appears to
have corrected that fault. Detroit al
ready has one of the best first base
men in the world in Blue, but If Ty
Cobb had had Neun at the time Blue
was Injured he might have landed the
pla,y again next year. The Georgia
Losing this season forces Ty to
play again next year. The Georgia
Peach simply cannot quit until he has
gratified his ambition to win a pen
nent.
rYour 0W Hat
Made New Again
Clexjy'or. Blocking *„d
Remodeling by Expert*.
Vienna Hat Co.
400 tlth Street
TROUSERS
To Match Your Odd Coats
EISEMAN’S, 7th & f
I ■ .
■:. ' • ’
. . r •
THE EVENING STAR. WASHINGTON, D. C.. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1924.
McNEELY SUPPLIED THE EXTRA BIT OF PUNCH NEEDED BY GRIFFS
George earl McNEELY
has few base ball years be
hind him. Born in Sacra
mento, Calif., May 12, 1899, McNeely
never took to the game seriously
until the Winter of 1919-20, when
he was 20 years .old. He had played
with grammar school teams, but was
accounted too small to play with his
high school team in Sacramento, so
did not bother about the game at all
at an age when most boys take to it
enthusiastically. So he really has
developed his game in little more
than three years.
McNeely was in an engineer regi
ment during the World War and so
busy attending to work he had no
time to play. *But when he mustered
out of the Army in 1919 he took a
position with the California State
highway commission. That meant
plenty of work during the Summer
months running surveys for roads,
but he had much time on his hands
during Hie Winter in Sacramento, so
joined Lobner's Clothing House team
of the Winter League. «
That was late in 1919. and McNeely
broke into the circuit ns a third sack
er. Ho did fairly well at the job.
and the next season found him with
the team again. Several clubs had
been reinforced for the 1920 cam
paign with Coast leaguers wintering
in Sacramento, but the'Lobner team
overcame all opposition and won the
pennant. And McNeely was one of
the stars of the championship aggre
gation.
He went into the league again in
1921-22, still holding down the hot
corner for Lobner's nine, and contin
ued to play a stellar game. His work
had attracted the attention of scouts
of several Coast League clubs, and
McNeely was offered Jobs by some of
the big cities of the.circuit, hut. hav
ing a deal of civic pride, he cast his
lot with Sacramento.
So be started the season of 1922 with
the Coyotes as a third sacker, hut
during the third week of it had a
finger split by a hot grounder and
was out of commission temporarily.
Luring his short term in the outfield
his great speed had impressed the
Sacramento management, and, al
though the' position' was strange to
McNeely. he stuck to it gamely and
soon was regarded as one of the most
promising pasture men of the loop.
laist year he was assigned to the
outfield regularly by the Coyotes, but
again was forced out of action. An
appendicitis attack kept him off th**
field more than a_mon!li, and when he
came back it was feared his speed
would be reduced. But McNeely show
ed the same fleetnesf of hoof that had
marked him before and he completed
the 1923 season in brilliant style.
McNeely was purchased by the Na
tionals in midseason this year for
cash and players. Including the sen
sational Wid Matthews, the sum total
ing >50,000, an amount equal to the
high figure involved when Roger
Pecklnpaugh became a Griffman. He
is regarded as one of the fastest men
on the local roster, his rivals in this
respect being Sam Rice and Oss
Bluege. /He added just the punch
needed to give the Bucks champion
ship class.
FIRST WORLD TITLE GAME
PLAYED OCTOBER 23, 1881
At the close oi the season of 1884 it was decided to settle the long
standing question of superiority between the champion clubs of the
National League and the American Association bv playing a scries of
five games. Only three games were played, as Ltmidetice won the first
three games. Here is the account and box score of the first game played
in a world series. It was staged October 23, 1884.
"Nearly 2,000 people attended the first game to see which circuit
produced the best article of base hall." It was the Providence team against
the Metropolitan Club of New York, champions of the young American
Association. The result was an inglorious defeat for the Mets. whose
strongest batsmen were like children in the hands of Kadbourne. the
pitching ace of the National League asid the world.
"The fielding of the Mets was faultless and excelled the Providence
team in this respect. Providence could not do much with Tim Keefe’s
delivers - , but his wildness was damaging. Kadbourne pitched with rare
skill and, as a rule, the opposing batsmen were retired in order, making
only two hits throughout the entire nine innings."
The score was:
CAPITAL HAD SOME
TEAM BACK IN 1867
A. C. Harman, one of Washington’s
ardent base ball fans, contributes
the following:
Taken from the National Intelli
gencer of 1867—July 30:
“Our National base ball club is
carrying everything before It in the
W est and may be today the best
ball club in the country. Athletics
and Atlantics to the contrary not
withstanding. pur city (Washing
ton* is alive with base ball clubs.”
In the same paper under date of
( July 27:
! "The Nationals of Washington and
| the Kxcelsiors of Chicago plaj ed a
! game of ball at Dexter Park, Chl
j cage. There were 10.000 present.
•. (Apparently it required three days
I for the news to reach Washington.)
i "The Nationals almost annihilated
, the,Kxcelsiors, the official score being.
! Nationals. 19. and Kxcelsiors. 4. The
mystery may be explained by the
fact that the Nationals threw off in
their game with the Forest City
dub of Rockford for the purpose
of securing bets. This they accom
plished, for thousands of Chicago
bettors are cleaned out tonight.”
Washington. August 17: "Base
Ball—-A Great Match Game Between
the Nationals of Washington and the
Mutuals of New York” (Nats and
-Muts). “President Johnson (of U. S.)
.was on the grounds, 4.000 present
•The Nationals were beaten by a
I score of 40 to 16.”
| *
Irish Johnny Pagln and Midget Car
bon will meet for the Army flyweight
title in the' 10-round feature bout of
the boxing show to be staged in the
Liberty Theater, at Fort Humphreys,
Thursday night
RADIATORS, FENDERS
TttTSJT - * Also bodies
WITTSTATT’S H. AJTD t. WORKS.
8191RttK]F : 1421 P. F. ROTS.
CENTRAL
AUTO WORKS
441-4 SI Eye St. N.W.
Phone Franklin 6805
General Automobile Repairing.
Fender and Bodjt Repairing.
Chassis Str a i gatening and
„ Welding.
Blacksmithing and Spring
Work. • I
Upholstering and Trimming.
\ ( / / ('HAD JUST ASSIGNED HIM 1&
| PgjSiT >ON
MSNEELV np m>pe»OI
LEABNED A \ VtoUUD PUT A
DUBhJ- AS HIM*
MENr ... -
BECAME AN OUT- HEV A
FlELOee- ONC/ LASfT
VVEAB-. HAVING BROKEN ( |" .pV _
IN A THieo SACKtC. Hsi)(V oil- COST Cj&FF REM- JACK.
IN >qiq. AHD SOME! REAL PIMEB-SToQ-
Metre. AB.H. O.A. Prov. AR.ll. O.A
Nelson.»».. 4 0 2 2 Hlnes,rf... 3110
Brady.pf., 4 0 10 Carrol,lf... 3 0 10
Kat'b'ok.Ab 4 0 13 lUdb'ne.p. 4 0 0 1
Hoaem n.cf 3 0 0 0 Hurt.lb... 4 0 13 O
Orr.lb 3 0 14 0 P»rrell.2b. 4 12 2
Tr0y,2b.... 3 10 3 Irwiu.ae... 4 10 0
Reips’fer.c 3 0 « 3 Ollllfan.c. 3 18 2
Kennedy.lf 3 0 0 0 Kenny.3b.. 3 10 3
Keefe.p.... 3 10 1 Radford,rf. 3 0 2 0
Totals.. 30 224 14 Total*.. 31 5 27 14
MetrepellUn... * 00000000 o—O
Providence 20100030 a—6
Kuna earned--ProTidenoe. 3. Pirn on errors
—Met*. 2. Hit by pitcher—Prop Silence, 2.
Wild pitches—Keefe, 4: Radbourne, 3. Street
out —By Keefe. 8: by Radbxurnr. 8. Two-base
hit—Farrell, Three-base hit— Inrln. Umpire
Mr. Kelly. Time of fame —2 hours.
PLACE FOR TITLE GAME
TO BE PICKED TONIGHT
Team representatives of the Inde
pendent League are to decide the
meeting place and tit* date of the
second titular match between Domini
can I.yoeum and the Shamrncts to
night at 8 o’clock, at the Knicker
bocker clubhouse.
Eastern Athletic Association mem
bers are to hold a banquet tomor
row night at 8 o’clock at 1119 D
street northeast.
HEWITT TIRES
30*3i-i CL >. 8. Std. Cord. *0.70
NATIONAL-HEWITT CO., Inc.
1607 9th SL N.W.—Fr. 4056
-.--a. ■
Wire and Disc Wheels
Truing, Service, Parts,,
Tires, Tubes, Repairing
W. S. KENWORTHY CO.
1617-10 14th St. fhome North -Ml
Guaranteed
Automobile
Repairing!
and Overhanttig
AAA Service Stat&n
VteVER Cl Med Always AvdPaMe
Sheridan Garage, lie.
2516 Q Street N.wl
JENNINGS WILL FIGURE
IN SEVENTH BIG SERIES
NEW YORK. September 30.
Hughie Jennings, coach of tlie Giants,
will enter his seventh world series
when New York meets Washington
in the first contest of the 1934 classic
on Saturday.
Jennings managed Detroit when the
latter won the American League pen
nant In 1907, 190 S and 1909. and has
been John McGraw’s chief aid in the
latter's victories In the National dur-
CONNOLLY AND DINEEN
WILL UMPIRE FOR A. L
CHICAGO. September 30. President
Han Johnson of the American League
ha.* named Tom'Connolly and William
Dineen as the league’s umpires in the
world series, starting Saturday in
Washington.
Connolly, a veteran of 24 years of
service, has officiated in six world
series.
|
CANADIAN WHIPS BURKE.
MANCHESTER, X. K.. September
SO.—Kid Durand, Canadian flyweight
champion, wic awarded the decision
in a bout here last night with Bobby
Burke.
- \ BBL p^j\
itSEtt \
I ajgac? l^5 ? 4 ’ \
\ ** co • J ‘ a, \
•City Club Shop” 191A16 P *. Ave.
ISIS G St. 233 Pa. At*. S.E.
f
HORNSBY SETS TWO
RECORDS IN HITTING
I
ST. LO CIS, Mo., September 30.
, Rogers Hornsby, Cardinal second
j baseman, has taken a place beside
| the greatest hitters in base ball his
j tdry. In the season just closed
. Hornsby established two new rec
ords. one in batting average and the
I other in leading his league for the
1 fifth consecutive season.
I Hornsby finished with 22T hits in
j 142 games, making a season's aver
age of .42351. four points above
, George Sisler's mark of two years
ago. Sisler had an approximate .420
average, which tied Tyrus Cobb's
! record set in 1911, the high-water
mark of modern base ball.
The previous consecutive year hat
| ting record was held by Honus Wag
: ner. who led his league four succes
-1 slve years.
I Hornsby failed in his effort to lead
i the league in runs scored. He sallied
j 121 times, which tied Frisch of the
■ New York Giants.
TIP FOR FISHERMEN.
HARPERS FERRY. W. Va.. Sep
tember 30.—The Potomac River was
clear arid the Shenandoah very
muddy this morning.
HARRIS IS BOSSING A FASH
AND WELL BALANCED NINE
Lacks Experience in Title Games, But Is Not the
to Be Afflicted by Stage Fright—Walter
Johnson to Star on Pitching Mound.
BY FREDERICK (i. LIEB,
World Series Official Scorer, .
Chairman National Liagrn* Moat Valuable Player Committee. , }
President Baa* Bali Writer*’ Association of America.
TDF. Washington players are novices a,-* far as world series warfare
i> concerned, l»ut, after the kind of hall that the Harris clan has
played all season against the ankecs, worl<l champions of 1923,
there need be no fear that the American Leaguers will show any stage
fright when they get into the big arena with the Giants.
While Roger Peckinpaugh and Xctno Leihold are the only players 0:1
the club who have any world series experience, the team is a splendid
mixture of veterans and fighting youngsters. That is the sort of club
which makes the greatest base ball progress.
Past world series history shows that few stars have fallen down.in
these big Autumn classics. Ihe star who fails to deliver is the exception,
especially is that true of pitchers. Mathcwson. Bender. Brown. Coombs.
Wood, Covcleskie and Nehf all lived up to their stellar reputations in
world series competition.
HOW THEY HAVE HIT
I REGULAR WASHINGTON' BATTING ORDER.
<i AH. It, II UK. SH. Av*
MeNeelj. rs.. II 174 .11 7 « .1 .32**
lieirls, 'Jit... 1 10 5.13 Mt 117. I ‘'ll
i Hie-, rs. ..17.1 KB HB 71.1 I 74 ,:m
I Oiisiin, 1f.... 17.1 s*it« !*7 11*7. 17 lit ;(|7
i .lndgi-, lU. ... 137 51*3 71 IH2 .1 13 37"
! Bliim S p, 3t>,. . 113 391 7.1* 1.*7 77 774
| Peek. kr 17.** 7.13 77 138 7 {» .7*19
Kiwi, c 147. 497 4S 111* I* 7 .782
Johnson, II 3s 73 18 71 1 a .789
Zachary, p... 31 71 S 13 « 0 .787
Mocridge, p.. 79 70 7 17 0 I* ,171.
Entire Wasli
ington flirt.
tall players) 17.2 5,167 747 1.519 72 117 294
WALKER IS TO RISK
RING TITLE TONIGHT
PHI LADELPIHA. September 36. -
Mickey Waiker. welterweight cham
pion, will defend his title here tonight
in :i 10-round decision bout with
Bobby Harr.-tt ..f Clifton Heights. Pa.
The articles of agreement call for the
men to weigh in at 2 o’clock this
afternoon below the 147-pound limit,
with Walker's title at stake.
alker arrived here last night
from his training camp at Summit.
N. J., and appeared in excellent physi
cal condition. Ife declared he was
confident of his ability to master
Barrett.
Barrett, who trained at Ridley Park,
near here, also was reported in fine
condition and optimistic of the out
come. He said he probably would
weigh 145 pounds or less.
The bout will be held at the Phila
delphia National League base ball
j park. There will he three 10-round
; preliminaries, the main fight being
j scheduled for 10:30 o’clock.
GATE-CRASHING RECORD
OF CONNELLY IS BROKEN
j 11ALT1MOHE. September 30.—" On
e eyed" Connelly, the renowned gate
1 crasher, who. it is reported, is always
j able to get into a fight arena by hook
jor crook, ran into a snag here last
j night at the Olympia A. C„ which
operates at the 104th Medical Regi
ment Armory.
After snaring a soldier’s uniform,
property of the regiment, Connelly
was discovered in khaki, recognized
and detained in a cell.
Previous to the show Connelly an
nounced he would attempt to crash
the gate.
After the show Promoter Benny
Franklin grinned all over. “How did
you like the show?” he asked Con
nelly. “One-eyed” claimed a foul.
FORT WORTH IN FRONT
IN DIXIE TITLE SERIES
FORT WORTH. T-x„ September 30.
—Port Worth defeated Memphis in a
hard-hitting game in the Dixie series
1 yesterday. 14 to S. This was the
i third straight the winners of the
1 Texas League•have taken from the
I Southern Association champions, who
have two games to their credit.
! They will resume the series tomor
row at Memphis.
DUE TO FIGHT TOHIGHT.
CLEVELAND, Ohio, September 30.
—Martin Burke. New Orleans, and
John Risko, Cleveland, heavyweights,
are scheduled to meet tonight in a
ten-round bout.
SPORTS.
j Walter Johnson lias waited IS SM
| sons for thin opportunity, and I. for
I one, expect to see him take advan
■ tage of it. When Johnson faces the
! Giants on October 4. he may be de
‘ pended upon to giv- the National
1 League champions everything lie has
!i in stock. Johnson should be espt—
| cially strong against a club which
is not familiar with his delivery, and
is facing him for the first time.
The rest of the Washington pitch
ing staff does not figure to bother the
Giants to any great extent. Unlike
. the Yanks, the Giants are not soft,
picking for the southpaws, and both
Mogridge and Zachary will have a
difficult time to get the hall past the
! Giants’ bats. Kelly. Meusel, Jackson,
| Wilson. Snyder. Howdy, and Groh an
al! hard right-handed hitters, and
j Frisch can bat either way.
Ilurk» Better Than Hated.
I Washington has a better ball club
, than many persons are aware of. It
j is true that it needed Harris’ inspira
' 1 tlon, but apart from that the Na
! tionals have a lot of natural strength
and talent. It is a club which was
picked as a possible dark horse iu
1977; it fell down in both 1522 and
1973. but arrived in 197 4.
While the Griffmdi do not hit as
hard as the Giants in the team aver
ages, they carry a pretty stiff punch.
The last Western trip of the Wash
ington team proved the ability of the
j club to go out and get runs when it
needed them.
There is a lot of hitting strength
j centered around Goslin, Rice and
: Judge. Harris and Peck don’t hit as
i often as this trio. 4 but they both hav*
; the knack of contributing their hits
where they do the most harm to their
• opponents. Harris is a hitter of the
| Jack Barry type, who never gets full
credit for his hits in the batting
; averages.
The club also possesses a lot of
speed, and is a great hit and run
team. Judge is on-- of the 1-esl hit '
and run men in the game.
The figures show that Washington
has hit only 77 h -rners, an.] of tiro.--
!12 have been made by “Goose"
1 Goslin. Washington has loss horn
runs than any team in the Aineriign
; League, but Washington has the most
I difficult park in the two majors for
j home-run purposes.
Half of the Washington homers
have been hit at Yankee Stadium,
showing that the Washington lads
can hit homers if the surroundings
are favorable. They'll probably pick
up their share of them at the Fob*
Grounds. In hitting doubles and trip
les, they hold their ow n with the best
in the league.
A* To Hn*p Ball St rates;.
In matters of base ball strategy,
young Harris w ill go up against base
ball’s foremost chief of all time in
John McOratv. No one will ques
t tion McOraw’s ability t-» inspire *
j slumping or retreating team. Bui.
I Harris also has proved his ability io
i inspire with his own youthful dash,
j and in a previous article I have
showni that niaiiagt-riai sagacity lie -
been overplayed as a world’s series
factor.
Washington lacks world series ex
perience. but it has Walter Johnson,
the best double play infield in base
ball, speed, three lively socket's iu
Goslin. Rice and Judge, and a lot of
concentrated energy in “Bucky"
Harris.
Tomorrow 1 will take up the Giants
as a club.
The importation of star bicycle
racers from Europe seems to have
given the sport a big boom on the
New York and Boston cycle racing
tracks this Summer.
27