Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-15
BY ]. ED GRILLO.


When Jim McAleer ,arranges his spring
training trip he will seriously consider
having his players stop for week at
West Baden Springs. Ind, to take the
water cure.
This thing of bringing players out OF
winter quarters where most of them
have been idle for four or five months,
and putting them on the ball field to
work out has never been found the proper
system. for the reason that after day
or so of such work there is usually much
illness in camp as a result of upset stom-
achs and the like The change from idle
ness to strenuous exercise is too severe
in most instances. and to spend a week
at West Baden is just the thing for the
reason that the players not only get
themselves physically fit to undergo the
strain of working out twice a day. but
they virtually start their training there
by taking long runs every day without
ever touching a base ball.
The Pittsburg club has followed this
plan for several years and there has
been hardly an exception when the team
has not tOed the scratch In perfect con-
dition.
The fact that the Pirates have quite a
number of players who must be clasSed
among the veterans on their list speaks
decidedly we'll for the system employed
year after year.
n is of course doubtful if McAleer can
20 arrange his plans as to get to West
Baden there being several other teams
carded to stop off there for week next
spring. among them the Chicago Cubs
and Pirates.
But IL it can be arranged there is moth
ing that will help the players SO much
to have them ready for the opening OF
the season.
There is no doubt that McAleer will
again send some of his players to Hot
Springs, two or three wees before the
team starts to its southern training camp,
to boil out.
Resisting. Schaefer, Gessler, if he is re-
tanned. and several others are carded to
go there. The trip to Hot Springs made
Doc Reisling a valuable pitcher last
spring. II put him in better physical con-
dition than he had been In several years
and he certainly delivered for the team
There was no more consistent performer
than Reisling and he was mt to WORK
an asset. There is so much advantage In
having q team fit and ready when the
season opens that McAleer does not pro-
pose to overlook single thing to bring
this about.
II In not at all surprising that McAleer.
though he did not intend to carry Schae-
fer at one stage of last season. changed
Dutchman showed during the closing
days Of the season. In the unofficial aver
ages Schaefer batted better than any
man on the team excepting Cunningham
youngster and many points in front Of
the other regulars on the team. Schae-
fer's work WARRANTED his retention and he
gave evidence last season OF being able
to play just as good game now as ne
ever did In his life.
There has perhaps never been a time
when the Nationals could boast of an
outfield which was up to the major league
standard. There have beep periods when
has never been time when the team
had a well balanced trio covering the
garden. Kip Setback was here when In
his prime and Ed Delehanty, Of course.
was star. But Milan il the only really
classy fielder the team has had since
then. and he IL undoubtedly more valu-
able to the team than either of his pred
It looked q few years ago as IL Milan,
Clymer and Ganley might fiji the bill,
but the two veterans fell down. This
year McAleer is up against the same
proposition, though he appears to have
decidedly better material to choose from.
Somehow or other the locals have al
ways been blessed with a good pitching
stan. Go back as far as you will and
of one or more great pitchers. 1t seems
to have been the teams luck to pick up
star slabmen when II has fallen down In
every other department.
= But good pitching alone does not assure
success. Something more is needed. Next
year McAleer appears to have fair
pitching STAFF. with a possible chance of
having a strong one. His infield compares
fsvorably with most in the league, even
though first base does not loom up very
impressiveIy. He Is also blessed with the
best catching staff i'm the circuit, and, as
said before, he has a change to build up a
strong pitching STAFF.
According to many of those who are
familiar with the teams of the National
League. Manager Doom got decidedly the
better Of the deal with Cincinnati. II be-
ing argued that there is no manager liv-
ipg who can get satisfactory work out
q either McQuillan or Moren, the two
Philadelphia pitchers who figured in the
swap.
Moren Is the son Of a millionaire. He
does not have to play ball but does II
merely for pleasure. With plenty of
money base ball il more of a summer va
cation than anything else. What is more,
McQuiIlan il his best friend and the two
are inseparable companions. This Is one