Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-19
Young Pitcher in Right With
National Commission.
ALSO WITH LOCAL CLUB
Hard Times Ahead for Standard
Minor League Players.
SPRING TRAINING SEASON
New Bowling Records at Cincinnati.
Golf at Palm Beach-Rac-
quet Tourney.
SPRING TRAINING
SEASON

Secretary Ben Minor was supposed to
have received the notification from the
national commission. but promptly de-
MED this part of the story.
Johnson has been playing ball out on
the coast since the American League
season closed. but not with an outlaw
team His team was made up of Los
Angeles boys. a sort of picked nine, and
they played with nearby city clubs. The
Outlaws" have regular circuit of
known clubs. and Johnson was wise
enough TO keep out of their nets
To make sure that johnson was not
cntangled in any way. The Star tele-
graphed to Manager Cantillon and Sec
rotary Bruce of the national commission.
Following are their replies:
"OMAHA Neb.. February 19.-JOhnson
has never played with an outlaw team
in his career. and has assured me that
he doesn't intend To start now Walter
will be with US. good and strong. next
season. (SigHed) JOE CANTILLON.
.CINCINNATI Ohio. February 10
The national commission has case
pending against Pitcher Walter Johnson
of Los Angeles.
tSignedp BRUCE. Secretary"
All sorts of reports are bound to crop
up this time of the year. but they should
he taken with grain of salt 1t GER
tainly would take the wind out of the
Washington clubs sails 70 lose Walter
Johnson.
Jack Thoney purchased from the To-
ronto club by the Boston Americans. gives
a novel reason for not wanting to join
the Red SoX. He says that he made Such
a success last year as a minor league
player that he prefers to remain In That
sort of company. Thoney points to the
fact that he did not come up to the marx
when tried out by the New York Ameri-
cans two years ago. and declares that he
would fall down again in a major league
H1-n-- Y a .
ball in the Eastern League last year that
good judges said he would have no trou-
BILE in keeping pace with the cracks VI
the American League this season. FER
haps an increase in the salary offered to
Thoney by the Boston club might fill him
with sudden confidence in his ability to
make good in modern Athens.
1t looks as though the coming season
would furnish hard lines for the minor
league ball players. In seasons past a
youngster with any sort of ability could
secure a salary of at least $50 month
but through some secret understanding
this standard salary has been cut to 500
and even that is hard to get. The man
ayers of minor league clubs would sooner
sign up unknown youngsters and take a
chance developing a phenom. Last
season Jesse Burkett. manager of the
Worcester club. developed three men who
had not played professional bail before.
and they were good enough to be sold at
League club That is going fast for
youngsters neither one of whom received
over sI5 per month. Washington has
several standard minor league players
who just lack about - per cent of being
first class who have played ball for from
three to five years and who, a last
resort. would generally accept the $50
salary at the last minute. From the looks
of things this year they will be glad to
cop the century note and look happy.
The major league club owners have
asked for waivers for seventy players
three men had been sent in. The Cleve-
land club refuses to waive claim on j.
f. Morgan, an infielder on the Detroit re-
serve list. and Catcher Blankenship of
Washington One of the National League
clubs has held up the release of Ball of
the New York Americans. \ mint of
money was expended by the different clubs
in securing the seventy-odd youngsters.
and 1t is estimated that 20 per cent of the
cash paid for the different players is a
dead loss. the recruits will return to
minor league teams at a far less purchase
price than was paid for them. The case
of Ball is good example. New York
paid $500 for this player to a Southern
League team, now any club that wants
him can procure him by paying the stipu-
lated draft price $500. Thus New York
is certain to drop cool thousand on the
transaction. President Johnson is sorry
that there is not some way to curb the
drafting and purchasing business. al
together too many men are being picked
up in the major league dragnet," said
Mr. johnson in discussing the waiver
question recently. 1t is a laudable en-
terprise TO strengthen a ball team in every
way possible but there is no use In TAX
ing every half-developed youngster into
company too fast for him. 1t makes the
player dissatisfied when he returns to
the minors. OF course. he wants big
league salary just the same. and if he
don't get IT, his ball playing isn't as good
because he is disgruntFed."
With the near approach of the spring
training trips this is the time of the year
That the bail players begin to worry how
to get down to their regular playing
weights. In the next four or five weeks
there will be hundreds of aches and sore
bones among the diamond stars There is
nothing that breaks up II ball player or
any other athlete quicker than training
II is drudgery work and championship
aspirations have been thrown to the winds
for failure to take up training. Ball play
ers realize that they must get hardened
before the opening of a bali campaign
This is one essential, and the first ten
days of any spring training is Just torture
to the men. But after all the soreness Is
worked out il is different. Many a physi-
clan has declared that there should be
relaxation of he strain of ball PLAYER
after his seven months campaign But
ia players do not realize this but take
southern trips and play ball all winter
with the result that they are sure to go
stale and impair their playing ability
long before their time for retiring from
the diamond. No sooner is a base ball cam
raisr over than the ball players should
take things easy. with the result that they
can take on considerable weight This is
the weight that must be worked of before
the season opens. There is always one
danger TO southern trip. and that is
developing sore arm. This is especially
true OF the youngsters. who try to throw
their arms out right from the start. so as
II shine In the eyes OF the managers
Buy when one of the veterans develops a
sore arm he is given careful trea;me Mt
When a sore arm is developed il means
l2yoh, and sometimes permanent retire
nlenI
Some o. those reluctant ball piayers
who engage in the great national pastime
for so much per and who play each game
as a machine that has TO spend so many
hours daily on the lot TO get the monthly
envelope might profit from the example
set by the oft laughed at collegians
Without any particular local Significance.
IL might be well to have some of the ball
players witness some of those college
games in the spring. The greater the
rivalry between the schools the better
II all helps and would contribute toward
the end in view-inst allation Of enthu-
siasm into the minds of the profession
ais. Did you ever see a couple of college
leans at it? Ever notice the tense y,ay