Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-03
WHAT NEW WORKERS
Think OF NATIONALS
Warm Praise for Groom, Gray,
Johnson, SChaefer and
LeIiveIt.
BY Clarence L. Cullen.


epecial Correspondence Of The star.
NEW YORK, October >. 1909.
The other evening l cut the trail OF an
exceedingly keen and impartial base Dali
ANALYST l put this question to him:
whats the matter with the wash
ington ball club?"
ut has become a sort of habit with
me to put this question to folks from
whom I imagine 1 might get some en-
lightenment l don't know what's the
matter with the Washington ball club. l
never knew what was the matter with
the Washington ball club even when l
lived in Washington and was one OF the
Washington rooters. I'd hate to say
lust how many years I've been trying to
find out what allied the Washington ball
club)
Well, anyhow. this man at whom |
thrust the question promptly pointed
both rlitts to the zenith and SAID: NOT
guilty"
I'll he racked and thumb-screwed II
know what's the matter with the Wash
ington ball club" said he Il don't like
to do much talking about what's the
matter with ball clubs, anyhow. There
are always circumstances to be considered
in connection with a ball club that make
an offhand verdict as to what ails the
club the purest nonsense.
but II you want ask me
think of the Washington ball club as to
fits personnel. why, I'm there. party, big
germ musk OK.
Tine Washington ball club is so infer
nsily good as to its personnel that any
man who would attempt to answer the
question. either for himself or for any
body else, to the underlying reason
why the outfit doesn't win more games
Nculd be stumped before he'd even isot
q start The Washington ball club has
got of the incest little personnels IN
either league. It's ball club that's stuff
ed with good assets. 1t needs less hole
plugging. in my opinion, than any club In
the American League. Tie material Is
there. It's bully material. Don't you
think for a minute, either. that the other
American League clubs don't know that
the Washington club is there with the
material, especially the clubs whose for
mer stars are dimming as to their bril-
lance and whose ranks heed recruiting
from fresh, young-blood sources
The Washington ball club for one
thing, has some great unseasoned pitch
ers. Take Gray and Groom. Those two
fellows simply can't help but zephyr along
and do all kind of starry things. 1t was
intended. as 1 understand 1t, when these
fellows were taken on. to give 'em
chance to sort of size the big league
thing up for a season: to gain experience
and seasoning largely from the bench;
and not by any means to work EN- In
anything like regular turns
well, what happened: These two
fingers had to go right TO work, In their
turns. from the jump. The great Waiter
Johnson wasn't near himself or anywhere
like it for long time after the season
opened Tom Hughes whip went bad
Charley Smith wasn't there with any.
thing. The whole burden OF the thing fell
right smack on Gray and Groom. cou-
pie of young fellows just lifted into fast
company from the minors, without any
Of the ripeness that should be possessed
by pitchers expected to go nail their
"a
without really knowing much about the
material they were working at The
whole American League thing was dead
new to them. They would have been the
marvels of the base ball age Il they had
weaved into a situation like this and
eaten it up.
Both of them are. going to be top
notchers take that from me They're
great big assets as beavers. You can
stick a spike in that. l like Groom
little better than Gray as pitcher.
Groom. in my opinion, is going to De one
o: the 'way-up moundmen. But. at that,
he hasn't such q big shade on Gray.
Gray vii! spin along and be one OF the
keen whippers. too. I'd like to own both
of those young fellows. that's all
Nothing need be said by anybody
about Walter Johnson. You can go as
far as you like about the value of that
fellow. 1t makes the teeth of all the
other American League folks leak just
to think about Walter Johnson. The
Washington club. II 1t entertained the
slightest idea Of dispsing of him-which
of course II doeSn t-could get whole
bale Of crack players for him; not play
ers all in or in-and-outers or maybe
players, but thorough crackerjacks. /
happen to know about some Of toe propo-
sitions that have been made for Johnson
AT least two of these propositions
have amounted to the giving away of
practically a whole bail club of good
players just for Johnson So you may
rig 1t yourself how good that one is. mes
"a "a N hii in
wheat i'll the bin, money from home,
candy in the bag and anything else YOU
choose to cal him. Hes had more hard
luck this year thar the fellow whose meal
ticket WAS accidentally punched out by
the lumberjack wearing the hobnaled
boots: but hard luck Isn't a thing that
sticks around on top OF any one man S
shoulders for any Indefinite period, and
Johnson, the Matthewson OF the Aneri-
can League. will be handing 'em over to
baffled batsmen for good while after
I've begun to use hair restorer, and that's
several years away yet.
This fellow Lelivelt that the Washing
ton club gathered out in midseason IS
going to be, II he isn't already. one Of the
planets In the base ball sky. He's got
everything that he needs and a lot more.
When he first bulged into main company
heard it walloped around that he was a
fatcoot with little or no speed In fielding.
ability. which, said the knockers. soon
would disappear when the American
League pitchers hepped up 10 his stuff.
..Nh-huh You've noticed what Lelivelt
has been doing since he broke in. haven't
you? Covering his patch OF garden like
somebody with the experience OF Grand
Army man, that's all, and making circus
grabs out Of the sky every time one of
those things comes his way, and all that
comedy. He's player OF ball what is is
this Tri-Stater, and don't you ever believe
that a lot OF clubs wouldn't be flirting
desperately with him If they thought
there was a chance on earth 20 snag him
out.
Then take Unglaub. There's a fellow
who can do anything on ball field that
anybody could ever do. and do 1t up to