The Washington herald., 1911-08-20

Continued from Page One.
days game went ten innings, and all
three of the players in question had plen-
ty to do, so the writer is simply launch
ing his opinions on the merits of the
players while watching them perform In
one game. and one game is rather a short
period in which to size UP mans
ability.
OF the trio this fellow Moeller, playing
| right field, looks by all odds the best.
\ If he puts up the kind of ball with the
Nationals next season he is showing with
Rochester right now he will have little
trouble in clinching a regular berth on
McAleers club.
Moeller looks like finished ball PLAYER.
and will not suffer in comparison with
Milan. At the bat he resembles Ty Cobb
resembles him more than any other
player the writer has seen. Like the
great Tyrus. he gets off to a quick start,
! and his speciality is beating out infield
hits.
MoelIer is second in the Rochester bat
| ting order. Last Wednesday he got three
| hits out of five times up. In the first in
ming a ball slipped past the Baltimore
! third sacker while Moeller was on first
| and before it could be recovered the
|
three-quarter station. Two of his hits
were clean smashes between third and
| short, the other was an infield roller
down the third-base path, which he cas-
| lily beat out
Moeller had no opportunity to show
what he could do in the outfield, as moth
| ing was hit his way, but in practice he
demonstrated that he could go back after
| 'em just as easily as he could come in,
| and when it came to pegging the ball
sailed in to the plate on a line. Moeller
bats left-handed, but throws right-handed.
When hardly more than a youngster
Moeller. in 1906, started his professional
| career with the Burlington club of the
Central Association, out in the wilds of
Iowa. The following year he came East
and played on an independent club, in
Montpelier, VT. In 1907 he was with Troy,
Of the New York State League, and his
playing attracted the attention of the
Pittsburg club scouts, which club bought
him and carried him during the 1908 sea-
son. He hardly had a chance to show
what he could do with the Pirates and
was sold to Jersey City, of the Eastern
League, in 1909. Theenext year Rochester
bought him, and this makes his second
season with John Cancels bronchos.
Started Out As a Catcher.
ing that position for three years.
In talking with the writer Moeller said !:
Il am mighty glad OF the opportunity to
try my luck in the big league again. and
am just as confident 1 can make good as
am that Rochester will again will the
pennant. Fred Clarke, of the Pittsburg
club, had SO many outfielders the year
was carried with them that I seldom had
a show to even run for a man, to say
nothing of playing in a regular game.
All 1 ask is that Manager McAleer give
me a fair trial; 1 will show him I can de-
liver the goods"
Moeller right now looks IS per cent bet
ter than Clarence Walker in every de-
partment of the game. This is not in
tended for knock, but simply a state
ment of fact. With an even break in
luck, Moeller should make a place for
himself on the local club and stay there
for some time to come.
First Baseman Spencer.
How do like the idea OF playing with
Washington" Spencer replied in answer
to the question.
Great! You know I've had a little
taste of big league life: was with the
New York Giants down in Texas two
years ago. That's as far as I got, for
Manager Camel bought me from Nc
Graw before the National League season
opened. I am going to give the Wash
ington club the best I've got in me and
If I don't make good it will not be be
cause I have not tried hard enough"
Spencer had an off day when the writer
saw him in action last week. Two errors
were charged up against him, one on the
muff of thrown ball and the other on a
bounder which took a bad hop. But he
more than made up for this when at a
critical stage he scooped in hot one
and tossed it to the pitcher ahead Of one
of Baltimore's fleet base runners.
Spencer is left-hand hitter, but throws
risht-handed. He is just six feet tall and
tips the scales at 10 pounds.
In comparison with John Somerlot,
whom the Nationals tried out last spring.
Spencer looks like a big Lacquer. He
uses a short bat and crowds the plate,
and although placed way down in the
Rochester batting order, has scored more
runs for the Bronchos on timely hits
than any other man on the club.
According to Manager Camel, Spencer
has just as good success batting against
left-hand pitchers as against right. In
one of the important games against Bal
timore last year Spencer got four hits
out of four times UP against Lefty"
Russell, now with Connie Mack's Ath-
letics.
-Four years ago Spencer started his pro-
fessional career with his home town,
Portsmouth, out in Ohio. He played first
base, and in 1908 finished the season with
the Toledo club. and looked so good that
the New York Giants bought him, taking
him South with them the following season.
Chester is the first sacker's front name,
but nobody in the Eastern League ever
calls him by It. He is commonly known
as Red" although his hair is no redder
than is Jim Delehanty's.
What impressed the writer more than
anything else was Spencer's' wonderful
throwing arm and his speed on the bases.
He is quick as a cat, and under the
as about the best first baseman in the
minor leagues.
At the rate Germany Schaefer Is going
right now II is hard to see where Spencer
can crowd out the veteran, but Germany
is approaching the slowing-up stage and
IL would be good investment for the
club to carry Spencer on the
bench or farm him out until such time
as Schaefer has outlived his usefulness.
Innelder Foster.
Edward c. Foster, Rochester's short
stop, who was included in the deal. has
played before a Washington crowd before.
Last spring the New York Yankees car
ried him early in the season, and al
though given fair show, things did not