Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-18
BY J. ED GRILL0.

| Manager Jim McAleer or the Natlonais
will arrive here tomorrow morning pre-
paratory to going south in search OF a
| training camp for his team. McAieer
wired President Noyes that he would be
| here Saturday for conference IL ne
can get through with club matters by
Monday it is likely that he will depart
| for the south on that day. President
| Noyes will accompany him. So far as
| known McAleer has no choices as to
where he will train his team. He will
most likely make personal inspection OF
several southern cities which are anx-
ious to harbor the Nationals and select
the one he thinks will figure to have the
| best climate to get the players in con-
dition for the opening Of the season.
! Incidentally McAleer will want to talk
over probable trades with President
Noyes so that a thorough understanding
| will be reached before the annual meet
| ing of the American League takes place
nexts month.
1t is known that McAleer wants to train
at an inland city which can boast of a
sodded infield. The players had good
weather at Norfolk last spring, but there
was always wind blowing, and this Is
considered most harmful to the welfare
| of ball players in training.
If the deal between Philadelphia and
Cincinnati should turn out advantageous
! for both teams, as it may, 1t would not
| be at all surprising to see this pair very
| much In evidence in the next pennant
race. Philadelphia has had the best team
I in the National League for the past two
years, but lack of discipline created by
the presence of few disturbers on the
team kept. it farther down In the race
! than 1t should have been. Doom seems
to have ridded himself of this element,
and If the quartet he secured from Gin
cinnati comes up to expectations the Phil
lies will be decidedly stronger than they
| were.
There is no doubt that If McQuillen and
| Moren will buckle down to business Tor
Griffith they will make the Reds contend
erS in the race. There is no doubt about
Bates and Grant being able to hold their
own, but whether this pair of twirlers Will
| come around remains to be seen. II they
do, look out for Cincinnati In the next
| race 1t should be comparatively easy to
win in the old league next year.. The
Cubs and Pirates both seem to have gone
back and while the Giants seem to have
the best chance, yet McGraw has not
very high-class aggregation.
Though Promoter Fletcher has failed
to make good any of his promises as to
the third-league scheme. there still re-
main those who believe that he has some
thing up his sleeve. Fletcher cannot pos
sibly be taken seriously. though 1t Is no
ticeable that most Of the club owners are
taking no chances and are getting their
players under contract.
Though Jim Mcclure has a two-year
contract with the Cleveland club, 1t Is
learned on good authority that owner
Somers would not hesitate a minute 70
make good the financial end of the agree
ment and let Mcclure go If he: could find
the right man to handle his team.
1t is known that last summer, when
) things were not sailing smoothly for Gr1f-
| a t. nd
that he might be left out, that the Cleve-
land club sent an agent to Cincinnati to
look the situation over and, II possible
; sign Griffith to handle the Maps.
Mcclure knows a bail player when he
sees one but 1t is questionable If he Is
the right man to handle major: league
ball team. BY many it is charged that the
band wagon has passed Jim SO far as
! managing is concerned, but with the right
man not available the chances are that
he will retain his present position until
his contract expires.
:. Writing from Havana, Cuba, to a De-
troit friend. Sam Crawford, the Tiger
right fielder, says:
Il am dropping you a few lines to let
you know what / think OF this island OF
Cuba. I was greatly surprised to find
} Havana such q, clean city. 1t was alto
gether different from what / expected
1 can say that we like 1t here very much.
year, the days are hot and all sunshine,
while the evenings are cool. There al
ways seems to be a breeze going, which
i makes 1t very comfortable.
. 1--WE played our first game Thursday.
as you probably already know. Casey
made couple of great catches in right
field that couldn't be beaten by any out
fielder. Cobb and Willetts haven't showed
up as yet. which makes it kind Of hard.
as We have to have everybody in the
game. with no extra men.
There is always a. wind blowing
against the batting. which holds the ball
back and will not let 1t travel like 1t
should. The ball doesn't travel very good
anyway. 1t must be the climate. They
don't ring off the bat like they do at
home; sound dead, like. Maybe the Gu
bans will show us how to make the ball
; travel before We get through We played
the Havanas Thursday. They had four
Of the Leland Giants of Chicago-Lloyd,
! Johnson. Hill and Petway. We play the
Almandares Sunday. They are the strong
/ est club over here.
.sThey use a great deal of stone and
| concrete in building here. In fact, every
thing Is concrete on the outside, which
gives a. NICE clean appearance.
| .sIt's wOnd erful-hOw much interest they