Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-10
FAMu LAR FACES IN NATIONALS
LINEUP ON OPENING DAY
New Players Have Not Shown Enough Yet
to Push Veterans Off the
Team.

I they are called upon, though It will be
| some time before McAleer allows them to
| cut loose at top speed. Walker gets into
form rather quickly in the spring. His
great fault has been heretofore that he
| tried to do too much.
Dixie has settled down considerably. He
| is no longer frolicking about and endan-
gering his bones, but attends strictly to
| his own affairs. There is no reason why
/ the Alabama boy should not be Of the
greatest help to the team this season. He
| is much heavier and stronger than he
| was at any time last season and his
arm appears to be in perfect condition.
Doc Gessler never made so strenuous
an effort to get himself in the best pos
sible condition and eliminate all others
from the fight for thu right field berth
as this spring Doc has cut out every
thing that is calculated to be harmful to
an athlete. He does not smoke. drink
or even eat as he would like to. Break
fast, no luncheon and a light dinner in
the evening is Docs routine. He is so
anxious to be light and strong that he
is willing to make almost any KING II
sacrifice. While hitting against practice
pitching does not tend to give one a line
swinging much more freely than he was
at any time last season. and 1t can be
truthfully said that he never gave so
much attention to his hitting as at the
present time.
That the games between the Colts and
Vets next week are going to create the
greatest rivalry is already assured.
| that his team will win the series. and
the players are going into the games in
earnest, condition that McAleer en-
| courages. These games should be of
the greatest benefit to the players, By
| Monday most of the pitchers will be
| ready to cut loose, and will furnish real
| test for the batters. Much will depend
| on how the youngsters show up in these
games. for McAleer proposes to keen a
very close watch on them. Mistakes
there will be meetings to adjust little
| weaknesses that creep into a game.
In the game Saturday against the local
school team most of the young players wi
| be used. In fact, the team which McAleer
will pit against the locals will strongly
| resemble an o. & P. League outfit.
Tom Hughes had never seen Eddie Ain
| smith throw to the bases until during
infield practice this morning, and the vet
| eran pitcher was amazed at the young
ster's wonderful ability in this respect.
Il never saw anything like that be
FORE" said Hughes. Why, he stands
fat-footed and throws harder than any
one I have ever seen. 1 heard that he
could throw, but 1 did not expect him
| to be able to do anything like that. Why.
| if a pitcher will only halfway hold a
| runner on there is not a chance to steal
| on that kid"
Doc Ralston is still puzzle SO far as
| his hitting is concerned. When he lands
| on the ball it travels to the extreme
| corners Of the lot, but he swings so often
without hitting that it is apparent he has
| some serious fault. He stands up per-
| fectly and does not pull away from the
| plate, yet does not hit as often as he
| should 1t seems that he swings too
| hard and McAleer is trying to break him
! of the habit. If he would try more to
| hit the bail than figuring on long drives
| he would undoubtedly be a much more
| valuable man for the team.
Eddie Ainsmith is showing marked i'm
| provement in his hitting since he
adopted the new style at the bat. He
no longer faces the pitcher fully. but
hugs the plate and steps toward the ball
The result is that he is meeting the ball
| nicely.
Though the players who were at Hot
Springs spent. month there and got
about ten days Of work on the field.
they are suffering all the muscular sore
ness that are the players who until they
reported here had not handled a ball
since last fall. Even Walter Johnsons
arm was stiff this morning from yester-
days workout, but he warmed it up
rapidly, and in pitching to the batters
displayed emore speed and less eXertion
than any of his rivals.
1t is not at all surprising that pitchers
as rule are very poor batters, for they
get but little opportunity to practice the
art. Since the team has been in training
here theres has been but one pitcher
who got a crack at the ball. Tom Hughes,
and when he was discovered standing at
the plate he was promptly told by Nc
Aleer that he must not take up time bat
ting.
McAleer. however. assures the pitchers
that later on they will get a chance to
bat This is a great disadvantage to the
pitchers and. incidentally. to the team. A
pitcher goes to bat three or four times
in a game, and very frequently he is
up in a pinch, yet no attention is ever
given to his hitting. There is no doubt
that pitchers hitting would be improved
! If they were given a chance to practice,
| but 1t seems to be a time-wOrn custom
not to allow the pitchers to practice in
| this way.
II don't believe that 1 ever saw two
players improve so rapidly in a position
as have Lelivelt and Henry at first base"
one who knows base ball, and who is
not aware that these youngsters are not
familiar with the position to detect as
much by >seeing them in practice there
basemen. and they will be a whole lot
better as time goes on. ] do not deny
that first base has been the source of
much worry to me when I would think
I about the team during the winter, but
since seeing these two fellows work out
there l feel that am perfectly we'll sat
| isfied with the material I have on hand
for that place.
Seven Of the ten outfelders McAleer is
| trying out are left-handed hitters. Swain,
Ralston and Conway are the only ones
| of the lot who bat from the other side
| of the plate. Schaefer, of course. bats
right-handed when facing q left-handed
| pitcher, and when turned this way he
| usually makes matters very unpleasant
| for the southpaws. Miller, Keefe, Cor
bin. Milan, Lelivelt, Gessler and Schaefer
are ordinarily left-handed hitters. The
infield will all be right-handers unless
Lelivelt is placed on first The catchers
bat the same way and only Gray. Otey
handed.
| Barring Street. Ainsmith and Henry.
none Of the other players excepting Gray
and Walker has thrown a ball hard as
| yet. But the four first mentioned con-
! tinue to throw across the diamond as il
| 1t were midseason. and their arms do
| not appear to suffer thereby either.
| George Mcbride Is q careful trainer. He
| does not exert himself until he has to.
Mcbride, In fact, does not throw hard In
q game unless he Is compelled to do SO,
and this saves his arm q whole lot
To- T4n1yn< AA@