Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-01

Local Team Will Play Provi-
demonstrating the Pitch
eTS of the Club a Problem.

With the snow mixed with rain yester-
day il looked anything bat like base ball
weather but the elements had little terrors
for the Nationals every man going to the
park a O'Clock. and they remained there
until Il. working with great enthusiasm
all the time Manager Stahl would have
taken the team into the National Guard
gymnasium. but. like the veteran Comiskey,
De is afraid the indoor practice will do
more harm than good The boys are liable
to stifleu up. the result of the change from
the turf 10 the hard floor and in addition
there is always the risk of broken limbs IL
the work on the different apparatus scat
tered around Last spring poor Joe Cas-
sidy had a terrific fall from the horizontal
bar in the University of Virginia, and it
was several hours before he came around
and it was discovered that no bones had
been broken. Manager Stahl wants to take
no more chances like that with any of his
present force, especially since he has lost
the popular little Chester lad.
Trainer Quirk deserves a great deal Of
credit for the splendid condition the play
ers are in at the present time. He keeps
watchful eye on every one, and although it
would be easy to shirk his work. there is
not a player that gets out of the park
after practice without a thorough rubbing.
AS a result tlGfG are no sore arms at pres
ent, and a careful inspection of every
Washington man developed the fact that
there is not one but who is in the pink of
condition. OF course they need the sun
shine and outdoor work very much, but SO
do the other teams, and in this respect
they are in as good shape today as any
team in the American League. With the
opening only two weeks off, the Nationals
need but three or four days hard work on
the field and they will be ready to put
forth the efforts of their lives.
Although the weather is backward Man
ager Stahl is worrying but little, and about
the only vexatfous problem now confront
ing him is the selection of his pitching
force. At the present time he has eleven
twirlers, every one CHASING up with the
best in the country, and the cutting out OF
three will require the wisdom of solomon
There Is no question that the five men at
Hot Springs. Hughes. Wolfe. Patten, MI
son and Sudhoff, can be depended upon to
do first-class work, and then comes the Sc
lection of three men from the group COM
prising FalIenberg, Hardy. Smith, MCCOY,
Starkeu and Manuel Falkenberg looks TINS
spring a winner all over, a S he can now
deliver his speedy overland bail with some
degree of accuracy. and this fact alone Will
give him q regular berth Last setSoii
T1alkanberg was so wild that he had to ease
up in his delivery to get the bail over tne
plate and, of course. a drubblng would IoI-
low Young Hardy looked awfully good
last fall and then come the giants. Smith,
Mccoy and StarkeN. Any one OF TINS Trio
IS likely to develop into a star, as all nave
everything In the way OF curves and speed
and lack only the experience of playing IN
fast company to become known quantities.
Manuel Is considered shade too light Tor
the fast American League but there Is Mt
tie question that he can more than mold his
own in the Eastern League.
Manager Stahl has decided to carry eight
pitchers all the season. as he believes the
clu can afford the expense and that 1t VIII
be a paying investment TO guard against &C
Cidents TO the pitching corps. The two twlrl-
ers who will doubtless be let out about the
LIST of June will be sold with a stout string
attached TO them in the shape of the Wash
inSton club having first choice at them next
fall There will be beating around the
bush by the local officials. Any club want
ing these men will have to agree to this
provision. and unless such proviso can be
obtained the club viii keep all ten pitchers
throughout the season and take no chances
on losing any of them 1t will be quite an
expensive eXDedient. but from the way play
ers are being developed the officials believe
1t will be q paying investment.
All arrangements have been completed
ana the Nationals will line up on the field
tomorrow afternoon at 4 clock against the
Providence Grays for the first game of the
season in Washington. The local boys have
had the start OF Jack Dunns outfit, but,
nevertheless, It Is expected that a fine con-
test will result Anything like clear weather
today and tomorrow Will put the field in
fairly good shape for playing. Falkenberg.
pitching for Washington and Manager Dunn
viii work an OF his pitching corps The
local fans Will have an opportunity to see
for themselves whether The Star has been
too enthusiastic over the new men. and
also cast their blinkeTs on the strongest
inile.d that has ever been gathered together
in washington uniforms. Outside Of Dunn
there are couple or ola favoritcs on the
Providence team I'm Walter Brodle the one
time star center fielder of the country and
DICK Harley. tte old Georgetown boy. The
original schedule called for TWO games with
providence ON Wednesday and THURSDAY
hut the plan is now o. play four games be-
ginning tomorrow. and the finest sort Of
Sp'Ft Slou.d DE developed in the series
on Friday and Saturday the Boston Ma
L"uals viii be here Tor two games and the
great Fred IeuHv win eudelvor to demon
strtte that the National League teams are
as strong as the Americans. This progrs m
WI! give the Nationals six games this week
and Il is hpped the weather bureau will see
fir TO fulfill its end % the bill by FURNISHING,
weather somewhat more reasonable than
last week.