The Washington times., 1909-03-08
JOHNSON'S RECORD
OCCASION FOR Joy
Early Form of EdahOan and
Burns Sets a High
Standard.
FREEMAN'S ADVENT
CLEARS SITUATION
Already Figures On Landing the
Nationals At Top of Second
Division-Maybe Higher.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

BY THOMAS S. RICE.
HOUSTON, Tex, March S.-We are
constitutionaIy. opposed to the spring
phenoIn habit and those lucky enough
ID be regular readers of The Times
know that we have never been fun Of
pennant promises, because an unknown
pulled high fly of the fence in the
gladstone spring, or a bush league pitch
er famed a lot of old-timers who were
just getting ready 10 play ba't- But.
we must say that we are beginning TO
hearten up over Washington prospects
next year If the rest of the team keeps
the pace set by Bill Burns on Saturday
and Walter Johnson yesterday.
We have watched these young heroes
perform on numerous OCCASIONS. and
have never seen them better than they
are right now They have The speed,
the CONTROL and the stamina They
are not yer hard enough 10 execute
fancy stunts ia curves and splJbaLSs
but they VIII have no trouble with that
when they are started on the regular
schedule.
Johnson's exhibition yesterday was su-
perb. He was facing a Texas League
club, but IL viii be remembered that
the Washington pitchers last spr1pg,
even after they had worked out at Cal
vestcn, were treated with cOnIumely by
many minor leaSuerS Wnom they met
on the homeward march. These TEXAS
youngsters are not weakliuss by any
means, and among them are men who
have been playing bail for years, but
burns and Johnson made them look
FOOLISH, Burns famed SIX on Saturday
and Johnson fourteen yesterday. That
going some, especially when the
pitchers did not furnish the best the
shop could AFFORD, but took care to pro-
tect their arms.
Conroy at Third.
The arrival OF jerry Freeman at Gal
veston clears the situation. Jerry will
set his regular workouts with the
squad and viii also probably be the
INST sacker for Tom Hughes Xanlgans
lslsLSenSnip was brought 10 Houston tC
play third because ne was thought u
De in better shape than ConrOy. but
Conroy viii take up the burden at third
and Blank viii begin his trIoulauons II
working the pitchers
Inc team is now practically complete
anu the main interest viii center in
tne development OF Gray, Groom, smith
and Kelley, OF the pitching stan, anc
ne hitting of COnroy and the out
nelders. CanUillOn IS convinced thai
Milan and Gapley each had an OF yeal
asst year. and that both VIII improve II
1903. He also thinks that IN his new suS
roundingS ConrOy viii recover ms MT
=
ne infeld. All of this Is cheerful an
hopeful, but only long observation vi
bring the answer. If Caution Is rlgnl
Washington looks like frst-ciass Of
10 lead t<e second division, with a I'm
chance 10 break into the first, If &
Young fails TO deliver the goods j
Cleveland. Boston has likely bunch Q
youngsters and IL Is always hard 10 te
now Come Mack is going 10 nnist
but the Washington pitching staff give
The Capital the bulge on anything /
The second division that we can ca
10 mind without consulting Sevent
son OF a seventh son.
Maddest Man in Texas.
The naSdest man in Texas was Wa
ter Johnson yesterday, when he wa
caught mapping at second he Sian
med one that should nave been sing
out was pulled down by Short, VIII
threw badly TO FIRST, allowing Johns0
% get 70 second. Newman returned II
1al to Bell, and Johnson barely c.
raped. Then Bell hid the ball, an
Zen walter stepped OF the bag, tal
led him. The Houston fans thouBhL
r7s funniest thing they ever saw an
laughed real heartily That iausn va
soout all they or their team mad o
IS St Louis did not get a dead OF
when IL COPIED Lou CriSeF- his BoI
N the drst five innings for Washing
ton yesterday was grand, ana MS ar
anneared as good as ever, but Lou ma
ne could do to hold Johnson I
dropped two third strikes and Rapp on
This was no practice game careies
ness, but simply the IacJ Lhat ~
cstcbers were bothered IN recelvlI
.Iohnson's delivery. When pitch
Gets Crizer's goat he is going quite
Desuits his soreness, Unglaub is pla,
ing a good first base BE likes Il
POSITION and Il more anxious 70 nal
GOOD than he Las ever been since &c
ing into fast company. HIS object
to show 20 John l. Taylor the Bost'
seasou. The washington fans W
nave no kick n he makes Taylor loo
ike d deuce.
Watch Clymer's Ankle.
Much talis season viii depend up'
owners ankle. Clsmer was dead gu
last year that the ankle was all rigi
nut CantiIlon was not and insisted
,layinc Pickering. Ciymer aga
swears he IS as good as ever and O.
play right field regularly without da
ger OF tn1urfng himself, " heretore ca
tilIon is going TO take a chance Wh
Ciypner's batting last season was d
aD1ointinT at times, he led the was
inzton outfield and viii be yaluAl
member Of the team # he IS not hu
Little or no team work was attempt
"a the games yesterday and Saturos
because the men are not ready for
but they VIII be put through sevt
course Of sprouts along that line Il
GEEK Cantillon viii again rely mos
upon verbal signals. but g large nu
Der Of the usual signs VIII also be
evidence to the members OF the tea
washington has an excellent baSe-rL
ming team, and Cantillon IS going 70
All he possibly can out Of the speed
mis- command