The Washington herald., 1908-03-29

| since tne Giants started practlce.
Clarke is grooming HlIlebrand for the
role of extra infelder for Pittsburg
I II is expected that all OF the building.
at Union Park viii be finished within
ten days.
! Clarke Grifith announces that both FL
| berfeld and Niles will wear shin guard:
/ this summer
| Hobe Ferris seems TO be adapting him
self TO third base all right in the Browns
games in the South.
Jim Delehanty is showins keen bat
ting eye this spring. besides covering
] acres Of ground at second base.
Old Jake Beckley is prancing around
like colt in Kansas City's practice, and
/ is covering as much ground as Ha
Chase.
Joe Cantillon will probably drop sev.
eral more recruits before the National:
open the regular season at Boston, OF
April p.
fn Macdonald. Diamond. and Mess
Georgetown has three freshmen who
should be invaluable before they END
! their college careers.
/ About twenty students at George Wash
ington University have organized a bal
team, and viii shortly apply 10 the ath-
letic council for recognition.
Although late in reporting. Frank
/ Sparks. the Phillies' pitcher. is in good
condition and viii be used in the series
against Connie Mack's braves.
Billy Abstein. sold back to Providence
/ by Pittsburg. has signed his contract
and has been appointed captain OF the
team BY Manager Hugh DufIy.
The fans in Perre Haute. Ind. are pre-
pairing 10 give Mordecai Brown a great
send-off when the Cubs play there April
3 II is Mordecais home town.
Ban Johnson has renewed his lease on
his quarters in Chicago. he says he has
no intention OF moving the American
League headquarters to New York
Manager Kondrup has issued a call FOR
all candidates for the post-office team
Of the Departmental League 10 meet to-
morrow at 4.S0 o'clock in Room 215.
According 10 Secretary Helm, there has
been quite demand for the 100 season
! tickets which the local Union League
club Will shortly put on sale at $40 each.
In spite Of all the bad luck which has
followed the Cubs since the training sea-
son began, Frank Chance says that the
Chicago aggregation viii be on top al the
finish
Willie Handiboe has gathered together
strong squad Of players al the Dis
trict Building. and the club should be
a big factor in the race in the Capital
City League.
Johnny McGraw expresses the opinion
that the player who scores more runs
than Spike" shannon the coming season
viii come pretty close 10 smashing the
worlds record.
Manager John Lutich has notified the
candidates for the Government Printing
Office team that the first practice will
be held next Tuesday at the Capital City
League grounds.
Lefty" Davis. Bill Essick. and Ed
Minahan are hOld-outs in the St Paul
team. Ex-Pirate Bill Hallman and
Pitcher Swami are the Kansas City hold
outs. II Is said that neither Lennon nor
Tebeau will change the offers made these
men,
There are many fans who are anxious
10 have Canullon give Bill Skipke a
thorough try-out at third base. So far
as fielding goes there is not a third
baseman in the American League who
has anything on Shipke. while the little
fellow did fairly well with the bat toward
the close Of last season
Manager Waller, OF the Wilmington
Union League team, has signed thirty
two men. but will let about ten OF them
go within a few days. His players Will
report for practice on April :. The work
OF building the Union League clubs new
grounds at Wilmington is progressing.
and grass diamond viii be laid out next
week. The stands will seat 5000
Manager Kelley. OF the Boston Nation
ais. does not believe that any way will
be found to prevent farming OUT or
covering Up" young ball players When
Garry Hermann. the biggest man in
baseball, INDUCES in these practices him
self. and when all the magnates do the
same thing, II looks as II their legislation
on the subject was merely blind" says
Kelley. and he is probably right
Will Hans Wagner make good II he
comes back next year? Looking back
ward several of the stars OF the game
are recalled who retired for a year only
10 return as mediocre players. Included
in the number are Jimmy McJames. Bal
timore's greatest pitcher; Billy Lauder
the once sensational third baseman Of
the Phiilies; Mike Griffin, star center field
er of the old Brooklyn club and big
Amos Rusie. Of the New YORK Giants,
king Of twirlers Of his time.
Charley Hickman. of the Maps. is an
advocate Of a rule to pass a batter 10
first on three balls instead Of four. He
would like TO see the number of strikes
and balls that count on a batter evened
up. IF a batter was passed TO first on
three balls instead of four, the pitchers
wouldn't walk any more than they do
now. That's the way l look at it." says
Cheerful Charles. With a rule like that
the pitchers wouldn't waste so many
balls. and they would be compelled 10 get
the pill over the plate. And il would cut
down the use of the spitbaII. If a pitcher
knew he was allowed only three balls he
would lay of the splitter and use his
curves and fast ones more 10 get EN- over
the plate. There would be more hitting
that way. Cutting down on the use of
the splitter would make it better for the
batters."
Many of the veteran Maps believe
Clarke Grifith's method il handling
pitchers has had much TO do with Wal
ter Clarkson's rather erratic showing in
the majors. GriE is a great believer in
the use OF the derrick, and Clarkson had
him pull the string on him a number OF
times when he was a member Of the
Clarkson was heralded as
the greatest ever by the Gotham scribes.
and when he joined Griffith's team,
everybody expected him TO land a vic
tory every time he worked. -Clarkson got
away fairly well in his opening games.
but later ran into several large punches
Of trouble. and Griff always yanked him
out, without giving him chance TO pull
through When at Harvard. Clarkson did
his best pitching in the p;nches Griff.
however. always called on one of the
veterans TO relieve Clarkson when il
looked as if be was IN FOR some trouble.