Evening star., 1909-06-07
NATIONALS SHOWING
IMPROVEMENTS AT BAT
MANAGER CantiI|on Wants Sui
Iivan to Work Burns
Against AItrock.

The fact that the Nationals made twen-
" hits i'm the last two games and also
won three out OF five games last week
has encouraged Manager Cantillon IN the
belief that his players are Slowly on.
surely coming around INTO then lisit.
stride Manager Joe Is a firm believer IN
morning practice. especially before the
real hot weather sets in. and ne was OUT
al the park Ivy = o'clock this morning ana
,he playprS were not more than haif
hour behind him. The batting cage was
brought ont and Johnson, Groom ana
Smith took turns sending in the hot ones
for the local batters. This WORK was
kept up for an hour and theh resulaI
practice was indulged in. and by the time
Manager Cantillon walked 10 the clup-
house everybody was ready for shower
bath and rest.
There is nothing like morning practice
FOR the boys al this time of the year.
said CantiIlon to a Star reporter al the
clubhouse this morning. 1T IS not warm
enough 10 play out the men, ana II puts
them on edge for the afternoon WORK. :,
Il have been thinking seriously or call
ing out the players at the regular Time
Sundays when the team Is home. as the
rest up on that day doesn't do them plt
of good.
The PLAYERS in the clubhouse who over
heard Cantillon make this last remark
but Joe said ii went just the same.
'Cray will work for US TINS AFTERNOON
cept my challenge OF working Altrock
against Burns Wednesday,, continued
Manager Cantillon. There Is Srea'
deal of interest centered around lAese
two pitchers and as | believe Nick Is as
good as Burns this would give everybody
a chance TO size them up. Burns mas
pitched good ball for Chicago, while Ait
rock has yet to prove his worth, put
believe the old boy has ii in him, ana
I'm going to find out whether | am right
or not.
Big Ed Walsh was down to pitch IN
Philadelphia Saturday. and as he is IN
prime shape he will probably face the
Nationals this afternoon. Treasurer
Charley Fredericks tells good one on
Connie Mack. He says that the grounds
were not in the best shape. put theS
could have been played on without any
difficulty. There was a big crowd out
side the gates at o'clock. when Connie
walked out around first base trying the
ground with first one foot and then the
other While doing so he would turn
his head and look al Walsh. WHO was
warming up with tremendous speed.
Connie shook his head ana then walked
over to the pitchers box, trying the
ground the same as al first and continu-
ally looking at Walsh. The big fellows
speed continued and, with final shake
Of his head and a took at Walsh. Connie
said the game could not be played.
Mack is the wise boy. said Frederick.
He knew Walsh was in grand form. and
as the Athletics are going badly just now
Connie thought it best to let the game
slide.S
AS regards the little run-in between
Supt. O'Dea and DOC" Payne of the
CIevelands, Manager Cantillon last night
detailed the cause thereof Out in C1eve-
land the Nationals foued half dozen
balls over the grandstand and they never
came back. Cantillon called Laioies at
rention to the fact and all he got was a
quiet laugh from Larry. Joe said never a
word but laid low for the Maps.
When the Clevelands arrived at the
park Wednesday they opened new
box of balls and started into practice.
Heretofore Cantillon has allowed them to
use his batting cage but on this occasion
il was tucked away under the grandstand
and the plot started. Before Connolly
balls had been fouled over the grand
stand and none of them came back, as
the park employees had been instructed.
Saturday the run-in resulted between
ODea and Payne on the first new one
fouled over the grandstand, and two more
followed before the game started. The
whole dozen were copped by Cantilon.
The Maps played only two games this
trip, said Cantilon last night, and I'm
sorry they didn't face us four times just
TO see how many balls we could have
taken from the yaps."
II doesn't do to trick Cantillon, as he is
great on evening up things.
Pitcher Bill Burns got some exercise he
wasn't looking for yesterday, and the
chances are he slept without rocking last
night Bill has a host of friends in
Washington. and of them brought
his automobile around TO the Arlington
Yesterday morping for spin in the
country. Burns says the ride for a while
was splendid. but the steering gear broke
down while they were quite a distance