Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-04
McALEER MUST
PART WITH STAR
Continued from First Page.)
field captain, and in making the selection
McAleer displayed good judgment.

l1clQ captain, ana making the ScIeCtlOu
McAleer displayed good judgment.
Out In Cleveland they are not looking
with much glee upon the return of Tom
Hughes to the Nationals pitching staff
and the announcement that Roy Witherup
is coming back for q trial. This pair
have undoubtedly been responsible for
many upsets of the Maps. Hughes in
particular has been a thorn In the Cleve-
land teams side ever since he broke into
the American League. Even when going
at his worst he could always pitch sue
cessfully against the Maps. But while
Hughes probably stands out In this re-
spect. most of the Nationals pitchers al
ways show well against the Cleveland
team. which explains why the locals usu-
ally win a majority of the games from
that aggregation.
Hughes career with the Nationals next
season will be watched with interest. for
1t will show whether it is possible for a
nors to come back. There is no doubt
that his work for Minneapolis last season
was Of the highest type. but. Of course,
there is big difference between the
minor and the major league batters. and
It remains to be seen If Long Tom has
the stuff he used, to have. One reason
for his success last season was the fact
that he took perfect care Of himself from
spring to fall, and, seeing the error of
his way, he will undoubtedly follow a
similar course during his enga cement
here
Kid Elberfeld has been playing ma jor
league ball for seventeen years. and he
was just as good last season as at any
time in. his career. He does not give
the slightest evidence of going back, and
this can probably be attributed to the
fact that the Kid Is always in perfect
condition. Winter and summer he re-
mains hard as nails. and spends much of
his time outdoors. A training period is
virtually unnecessary in the Kids case,
for he is ready to play ball as soon as
ne slips into Misunderstanding that
Few players can do AS rule they re-
put In a week of hard work in the spring
to get them ready to open the season.
The Washington Club does not differ
ers are concerned. 1t will part with any
man on it's list providing the proper in
ducements are offered. but cash offers
would hardly be considered. 1t stands
to reason. however. that no club could
offer enough to get Walter johnson away
from McAleer. but johnson is about the
only individual under him, who could not
be secured, because it is doubtful II any
club could offer enough.
But Johnson promises to be one of the
greatest pitchers the game has ever pro-
duced. The Nationals entire pitching
staff is built upon this nucleus, and he
would therefore be hard to rep ace But
1t is better to have nine positions well
filled on a team than to have two stars
and seven mediocre players make up a
ball team. 1t is the we'll balanced team
which shows the best form. and it is
with view Of getting such an aggre-
cation that McAleer will go into the mar
ket ready to trade even some of the
players who have become famous during
the past two or three years.
McAleer has an advantage over all of
to trade When Cantillon took charge of
the team in the spring of 1907 there was
not a player on 1t that he could have
gotten more. than bat bag for. He
started out to dig up material. and was
successful. for it was he that secured
Johnson. Street. Milan and Mcbride, four
of the stars Of the local team.
These players he secured without CIV
Ing up anything in the way Of playing
material. He drafted and purchased them,
excepting johnson. whom he got for moth
ing. McAleer has players that he can
get advantageous trades for. He can give
up one man and get several most valuable
ones in return.
Conceding that he has the nucleus for
a winner at the rate that good ball pay
ers are developed, the players composing
this nucleus will be on the down grade
before the youngsters loom I'D as stars
A trade, providing the right sort of q
player is offered, will do more to make
the Nationals winner than the slow
process of developing youngsters. 1t would
be well enough for q team which has
but one or two holes to plug up to await
the coming Of some young fellow to fill
the breach. but where there are so many
holes the step which viii, fill the majority
or these With one effort is the proper one.