The Washington times., 1908-03-14
Regulations of Two Fair
Texas Towns as Train
ing Camps Are at
Stake.
Three Younger Pitchers
VIII Take Turns in the
Box Against Cardinals
To-day.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

HOUSTON, Tex, March l4-Manager
Cantillon, Treasurer jacobson. and the
Washington regulars arrived here this
morning on the train leaving Calves
ton at $50 a m, for the first OF the
series OF the four games with the St
Louis Nationals, better known as the
Cardinals
Games Will be played here today and
tomorrow. and on Saturday and Sun
day OF next week the Cardinals viii
be in Galveston. While the regulars
are playing two games in one town
the Washington Yanigans and Cardinal
Colts are elsshing in the other.
Intense Rivalry.
The ever present and intense rivalry
between Texas towns has come strongly
to the front in this series OF games for
the major league cellar championship
e the world. Last year the Cardinals
Nasned at Houston ana had a sCTaWny
bunch OF baseball curios who lived up
10 their appearances by finishing last
IN the National League. Washington
had a misfit team that looked better
than the Cardinals, but was sOundly
beaten IN the series. The Houston peO-
PIE have not ceased 10 gloat over that
fact, explaining that The Cardinal tri-
umph was due to the superiority Of
Houston as a training camp. This
touched n sore spot In the city on the
gulf and its citizens are roofing for
washington TO win this year and save
its reputation.
Sunday Is the big baseball day in
Houston, and, while we expect large
crowd today, that OF tomorrow should
tax the park s capaci'.-. A large per
csntage Of the sunday attendance IS
composed OF ladies'
On the Firing Line.
Burns. Gates. and Kelley will do the
pitching for the regulars in these two
games, and they will probably oficiate
three innings apiece In each, II Man
ager McCloskey win agree 20 likewise
divide his twirling forces.
heeleys work will be the feature of
most interest TO Manager Cantillon and
the washington fans This youngster
has speed. but can use a slow teaser,
has a spit ball that the players, declare
2 wonder, has excellent control and
ields his position we'll. The longer he
stays here the better he is liked. The
other men are unanimous in touting
him. and are agreed he is OF major
league CalbeF.
Wilson Looks Good,
Wilson also enjoys the distinction Of
receiving unanimous boosts from his
fellow professionals, especially the
pitchers, VINO are none too prone TO
Ta4r fT4e
He was going better ever day until he
v renched his hip yesterday afternoon,
and il may be a week before he can let
himself out again.
Canlev has started bis bunting and
placing Cf hits carly, and is fully Up
10 the standard of last year. There u
not a man On the team who can come
so near to making exactly the hit need
ed. and his work Is Of Just the style
that is most useful in emergencies.
With his batting average OF .276 he is
much more valuable than many a man
who has batted 300. The sacrifice is
rule should boost his average consider
ably, but ne is also one Of those VINO
can lay down a bunt at the psychology
ical moment.
c. Smith in Demand.
Charley Smith has been in such de-
mand as a first baseman IN the scrub
games. because of MS height he has
not much chance on The slab. but lie
is all there, and CantlIlon ls nursing
him along with great care. Charles is
not a bad hrst-sacker likes the position,
and If he were not at his best as a
pitcher at this period would probably
try 70 land q. permanent job on that
corner
ollie Pickering is playing a steady
game in center and at the bat. He is
net as brilliant as Jones as a fielder,
but is more reliable as sticker, and
is not likely 70 present the dreary spec
Iacle or tanning every time any old
drive would produce satisfactory results.
Pickering was not considered nearly
az fast as Jones. ret he batted 2I6.
eleven points better, and scored a
higher number OF runs. per game. Runs
win mans percentage in this depart
msnt ana should receive more attention
from the fans and critics.
Clymer's Record.
Along this line do not forget that in
the ifty-seven times he played for
Washington after long Iay-oh because
OF injuries and with an arm and ankle
in poor shape, Clymer batted ais and
scored thirty times, more than half a
run per game, and far and away the
best work for Washington last year. In
this respect Bill Kay had it on Milan.
fer Bill scored once 70 every three and
One-eighth games. while Milan crossed
The plate on average Just once in ex-
actly four games, Ganley played three
more than Pickering. who had the same
batting average. vet reached home ten
times oftener than Ollie
Schlahy. who started as the washing
ton captain last year and wHs relegated
10 the minors, always claimed he was
much more valuable than his batting av-
erage OF l35 showed and IL is a fact
that while with the team last year he
averaged two runs every two and two
dfths games, which was better than
some OF the other men. and remarkably
good for his miserable sticking.
Mcbride has an abundance OF speed
at short and on the bases, He batted