d it
helped make a brilliant infield, for it gave the youngsters something
they were not afraid to throw at. In giving credit for the work of
Griffith's infield, the inclination is to overestimate the worth of the
new stars. But there was a tower of strength at short in George McBride,
who has been playing steadily and consistently at that position for
several seasons without being given one-tenth the credit his work has
merited.

The Washington team at one time or another occupied every position in
the race except the first and last. The Senators were in seventh place
for a few days in the opening weeks of the season, but not anywhere
nearly as long as they were in second place later on. They climbed out
of the second division by rapid stages and after May 1 they were driven
back into it only once during the rest of the year. That was for three
days in the beginning of June. In the meantime they had knocked Boston
out of second place for a short while in May and, most of the way, had
enjoyed a close fight with Philadelphia for third and fourth spots. Near
the middle of June, after the Red Sox had ousted their White namesakes
from first place, the Senators also passed Chicago and started after
Boston. But the youngsters were not yet hardened to the strain and soon
fell back to third and fourth. On July 5 Washington went into second
place and held onto it, with the exception of three days, for a period
of two months. September brought a slump and Griffith's men surrendered
the runner-up position to the Athletics for about two weeks, then came
back and took it away from the Mackmen at the end.

* * * * *

What happened to the world's champion Athletics the public did not
really know until after the middle of the season. Then the suspensions
of Chief Bender and Rube Oldring blazoned the fact that Manager Mack's
splendid system of handling a Base Ball team by moral suasion had fallen
down in the face of overconfidence and too much prosperity. Few people
saw any reason for changing their belief in the prowess of the Athletics
during the first half of the season, because they were in as good
position most of the time as they had been the year previous at the same
stage of the race. They were expected to make the same strong finish
that swept everything before it in 1911. Not until the second half of
the season was well under way did the adherents of the Mackmen give up
the battle.

Philadel