The Washington herald., 1911-02-13
BY WILLIAM PEET.

eThe advance guard of the Nationals
reached Hot Springs late Saturday night,
and by o'clock this evening it is eX-
pected that the remainder of the bunch
will be on hand.
The experiment of sending few OF
the pitchers to the Springs was tried by
the Washington management for the
first time last season and worked like
charm, for when Doc Reisling and others
Joined the boys at Norfolk they were in
much better physical condition than the
others and showed it in their work.
Capt. Mcbride will do very little work,
except to timber up his muscles bit, as
he is in condition all the year round. His
mission at the Springs is solely to direct
the players and get used to the habit of
managing men and being called Cap
The Washington Herald's Hot Springs
correspondent wired last night the fol-
lowing:
Hot Springs, Ark, Feb. 12-The first
cold wave that has visited this resort in
weeks struck the city yesterday, and
compelled a postponement of the ball
game that was to have been played at
Majestic Park this afternoon. The cold
was accompanied by a slight snowstorm.
making the game impossible. Several
Washington players reached here late
Saturday night, among them being George
Mcbride, shortstop and captain; Clyde
Milan, center fielder; Walter Johnson,
the star twirler of the Nationals; Ger
many" Schaefer, and Tom Hughes. the
latter being accompanied by his wife.
All of the men. with the exception Of
II,
tel. Mr.. and Mrs. Hughes have taken
apartments at the Majestic. There will
be no game arranged between the many
players of various clubs until next Sat
NIrday, when the first game of the sea-
son will be played. Washington players
will take part in this contest, and John
| son may go in the box for few in
nings
Tomorrow Doc Reisling. Doc Gessler,
| Wild Conroy, and possibly Dixie"
| Walker will arrive. II look for these
men in by Monday" said Capt Nc
Bride, and the squad will remain in
Hot Springs three weeks
George Graham, sporting editor of the
Philadelphia North American, thinks it
| is doubtful If Walter Johnson is worth a
5000 contract to the Washington club.
He says:
Walter johnson is the speediest pitcher
in the major leagues to-day. and is the
one drawing card of the Washington
team. yet it is doubtful whether he is
| worth the money he demands OF the Ma
tionals' owners.
According to reports from the Capital.
Johnson has been offered $500 to pitch
for Washington next season. but refuses
to sign unless he gets 1900.
If Johnson was really offered $500 by
his employers, he should lose no time
getting his Signature to a contract, for
no other pitcher in the American League
is receiving that much money.
Coombs and Bender, of the Athletics;
Walsh. of the Sox; Ford, of New York;
Smith, of Boston, and Joss, of Cleveland,
are first-class pitchers in every respect,
yet not one of them is receiving 5000.
Christy Mathewson, in the National
League, is probably the only pitcher in
the country to-day getting more than
81, 600. He is worth every cent New
York pays him, for he personally draws
many times his salary to-tt1e gate. New
York plays to enormous crowds, and can
afford to pay Matty what he is worth.
Johnson is unfortunate that he is not
playing in a rich baseball city, for then
the club owners might be justified in pay
ing him $1,000. But it is a question
whether any player is worth 5000 to
Washington, which is satisfied If it
makes few thousand dollars over ex-
penses. Weekday crowds in Washington
average between 5000 and 1900.
In New York the crowds range from
1G.O00 to 20,O0O according to the showing
of the team. 1t is therefore a greater
hardship for Washington to pay Johnson
5000 than for New York to give Matty
$4,000, if Christy really gets that amount.
Perhaps it would only be equitable if
ball players considered the earning ca
pacity of their club before they make
! such exorbitant salary demands.
Among the gayest Of gay lives is that
of the bush league umpires. This is a
tale of the joys of an umpire's existence,
and Of the ways of Southern Justice.
There is pitcher, Reagan, who now
is in another league. He is a spitball
pitcher and a little, tight bundle of nerve
and courage, with temper that fits the
Reagan exactly.
A season or so ago he was pitching for
Mobile.
What was that row you had down
there?" was asked.
Say" he said, wasn't that the rawest
deal a fellow ever got? Why, do you
know, they threw me into Jail down
ther, kept me in jail eight days, and fined
me Sis, and were going to send me to
the turpentine camps
His voice quivered with indignation.
What did you dor
Me? Nothin' at all. Them Southern
ers are down IN 9 Northern fellow. If
it hadn't been that the old judge went
away on his vacation and a young one
took his place I'd have been sent to the
turpentine camp sure to work year"
But what did you dor --.
me? Nothin'. Just had little run-in
with the umpire. Then they dragged me
off the field. tried to mob me, and threw
me into jail
His toice quivered again.
But what did you do? They couldn't
do that for nothing?'
Say, you don't know them Southerners
They'll do anything IL they get sore on a
Northerner
I'VE were playing Gulfport, and I had
them beaten to in the ninth inning.
base and two strikes on the batter, so it
looked as IL the game was as good as
over. The batter couldn't hit 6-s against
my spitball. and he knew it 1 broke a
spitban right through the center of the
plate. right across his belt, the most per-
feet strike you. ever saw, and that ham
of an umpire called It a bah.
'T didn't say much to him. / Just told
him he was blank blank, blinkety blank
robber, and let it go at that I'd pitched
that fellow four spitballs, so / pretended
was going to pitch another, and shot
fast one right through the middle of
the plate Say, you ought to have seen
him hit IL He hit IT almost into the