Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-03
EVERY CLUB TAKES
A TRAINING TRIP
New York Nationals Will Get
Their Spring Practice at
Los Angeles, Cal.
Time Required to Gather To-
gether a First-CIass Base
Ball Aggregation.
By J. G. Morse.

Special Correspondence Of the Star.
BOSTON, February 1, 1909.
It Is simply wonderful how professional
base ball has advanced in many ways.
Every club takes a training trip nowadays,
and distance cuts no figure, or price either.
for that matter.
The New York National League team for
the first time is voyagfng as far from home
as Los Angeles, Cal, a country visited be-
fore by the Chicago Nationals under Frank
G. Selee and then it was thought to be q
wonderful achievement to go that far. The
Boston Nationals take a very long jump to
go 80 far as Townsville. Ca. while the
Boston Americans also make long jump
to go to Little Rock, Ark. Some of the
clubs divide into sections, but this is prac-
tice that Ia considered a poor one. for the
reason that 1t Is deemed advisable to keep
all Of the players of team under the eyes
of its manager.
Now every club has trainer who gives
particular attention to the pitchers of club.
rubbing their arms after each practice and
seeing that they are kept in the best ply
steal condition.
So active is the demand for good players
that it has come to be a necessity for q
club to have man to do nothing else than
scour the country for desirable young play
ers with which to recruit its ranks. It is
fact that is not generally known that the
Boston American League Club had an
agent on the road last season for seven
weeks, searching for players strong enough
to help the local team. He found 1t most
difficult matter to find good players, and
most of the desirable ones had already been
pledged, SO that it Is necessary to have
some one always on the field ready to pick
up any good thing that can be found.
Building Up Team.
1t takes a very long time to gather to-
gether first-class aggregation. Some clubs
have been at it for years. and without sat
isfactory results. Few clubs have expend-
ed more than the Cincinnati Club, but that
has failed to put forth team that can cut
much Of a figure in a race. There Is no
more lavish spender than Garry Hermann.
the president Of the Cincinnati club, who Is
and one Of the most popular figures in the
national game, and everybody is roofing for
Hermann, for it Is his great ambition to
be at the head Of champion club. Doubt
less no other club would have given Han
Ion the engagement that Hermann did
after that manager han failed to land a
winner for Brooklyn. Tile best manager
can do little, however, If he does not have
Ion as manager of the Brooklyn club, and
succeeded beyond all expectation, and he
now has a club that is sure to cut consd-
cradle of figure in the race OF 1907, There
knows the game from A to q, but he had to
have some very clever youngsters to help
his cause along. Lumley developed into one
of the best batsmen in the country, and
Jordan, the first baseman, turned into q
first-class fielder and batsman. Another
very promising player was found in Alper-
man: the pitching and catching departments
have been strengthened SO that Brooklyn
now has a well-rounded aggregation that
ought to hold Its own without difficulty and
give trouble to the strongest clubs that
can be pitted against 1t.
1t has been shown that the strong club Of
one season may be the weak one Of the
next. Often players will do very strong
work one season and fall down the next.
There is no telling at all what may hap
pen in base ball.
This was exemplifed by the Boston Ameri-
cans. who went utterly to the bad last
Season. Every effort has been made to
prevent repetition Of the experiences Of
judging by appearances the club will make
a good showing this year.
Interest In the Nationals.
A club that will be watched with the
greatest Of interest Is tho Washington club,
which will have live aggressive manager.
who can he counted upon to get out Of his
men all the v ork there is in them. It will
work in big league. This will be his first
appearance in the fastest company. It will
not be as II he had to take hold Of q weak
club and build 1t UP. There is some splen-
did material In the team and 1t ought to
give q very good account of itself. At this
angle il looks very much as II CantillOn
certainly missed 1t when he did not secure