Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-20

NEW YORK. January 2o.-Ali the base
ball enthusiasts are waiting with some
expectancy the return of George Stallings,
the manager of the Hshlanders, from the
south because they would like 10 get an
mixing as To the general makeup of the
team for the coming season.
With Chase reinstated, and there does
not appear to be doubt that he will be,
the position Of first base is assured.
StallinGs seems to have gone ahead with
the idea that he would be reinStated,
he has permitted Morarty to go to De-
troit
At second there is likely to he bit of
rivalry between Laporte, Gardner and
. Rourke perhaps, and very likely one or
Two OF the other younger members of the
team. II Laporte is right physically. it
.ould not be surprising TO see him back
at second. as i; IS his natural position.
and with the change in managers and
other changes in The nine he may play
better than ever,
There is a great deal of talk about
Knight at short. but he will have To so
some against Ball. who should be a better
PLAYER with years experience. and Ward
has also played short. Elberfeld will not
he retained and may go to another team.
Ward has played third. and Austin.
younsSter. is another third baseman. Con
roy must not be forgotten. He knows
more about playing third than any man
who has been mentioned for the team
lie can always be depended upon until ne
becomes physically exhausted, and per-
hapS ii he were given a littl" rest at the
right time he would come back toward the
close OF the year and play thIrd with
anv of them. EnSle, the big inf1elder of
Newark who played third for that team
in the Eastern League. can hardly be
considered light and fast enough for
ma jon league position.
II is certain that the infeid VIII he a
very much different quantity from what
il was last year. 1t will play with differ
ent methods and different ideas, and per-
haps that will have more of bearing
ON the success OF the nine than many
have considered. Very frequently
change in management in base ball
nine will make marked change in play
ers who have belonged to the same team
under previous managers
1t IS hard To say whether the New
York club is putting up a big bluff as
regards Norman Elberfeld playing with
the IiighldnderS next season or not A
ma ioritV of the New York papers in
lining up the team place Elberfeld 1T
third. but this may be the result of Il
tip from President Farrell or Manager
StalIinSs to boom the Kid" as much as
possible so as to get a large sum of
money or a first-class trade.
one point that must not be over
looked is that George Stallings
is no boob He is very much on
the order of Cantillon and certainly
knows everything about base ball.
Taking this as basis. he is fully
aware of Elberfeld's value to a club as
a winner, and it would not be surprising
If he should decide to work the Kid
on third base or back in his old place
a t short. The story that Elberfeld and
Chase cannot be played on the same
team is all tommyrot, and StallingS il
Just the man to make the players get
together and shake hands.
The Washington club has made sew
eral good offers to Stallings for Elber-
field, but so far the bid has failed to
land. The players offered would GER
talnly help New York. but the roster of
the Yankees is SO large that a cash
offer would probably do more than
playing material. ElberfeId wants to
play here. but he is not averse to New
York. Stallings and the Kid" are al
most as great friends as the latter and
Cantillon, and between them they may
knock the crouch out of Chase
large majority of the wise local
fans have been building on Elberfeld
being with Washington next season, as
his coming would be almost a glIaran-
tee of first division berth. The Ma
tionals can get along without the Kid
but nothing like well as with him
on third, and it is to be hoped that
Manager Cantillon will frame up some
sort of an offer that will land the scrap
ply boy inside the Washington firing line
y report comes from Cincinnati to the
effect that the Washington club has been
granted permission to negotiate with its
players. notwithstanding that a majority
of them are still under the ban of the
national commission for playing ball
with the Chicago outlaws The re-
pot says that President Moves persuad-
ed President Hermann to lift the ban
as only the club Would be the sufferer
in the end The original order regard
lu@ the players was To the effect that
they must not he sent contracts until
placed i'll good standing by the commits
sion This ruling would probably have
prevented Manager Cantillon getting sew
eral players in line by the start of the
season. Under the new orders issued by
President Hermann the Washington club
has permission to sign up its men. but
they must not play, with teams under
the national organization until forgiven
by tire national commission.
Johnny Evers. the clever second base
man of the champion Chicago National
League base ball club. is in the city on a
visit TO his uncle. Thomas F. Evers who