Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-01

There are many in the city who are
wondering just what is the matter. with
the Georgetown base ball team, After
having won decisively from some Of the
best college teams in the country, the
supporters Of college base ball In the city
are asking what is the reason for such
a slump as has caused 1t to lose to schools
represented by teams which were recog-
nized as being weaker than the ones al.
ready defeated.
Coach Springman just about settled the
answer to the above query yesterday,
when he stated that the members Of the
team were not coming out to practice.
He said that since the team won the
three games in row from the larger
colleges it has been with difficulty that
five of the regulars have. been gotten out
daily to practice. and that not once since
that time had the entire squad showed up
at the same time for workout.
After making the above statement, the
coach went on TO say that it was i'm
possible for a ball club to win games
without practice and the team could not
be expected to make much of a showing
in the remainder Of the games unless 1t
took decided brace in its daily work.
outs and the men came out oftener. He
said that the situation was especially
lamentable when It is considered that
four pitchers were in good shape, and
the, prospects excellent for making one
other men have not done their duty, and
consequently the work Of the team has
fallen, of 80 per cent.
Facts tend to show that the coach is
right in his contentious and In what Ne
says in regard to the work OF the team.
The pitchers have all been doing good
work, but the men behind them have not
come UP to the mark in the recent
games. errors being plentiful and hits
few and far between. Only seven hits
and NJ. game by Lynch, but ten errors
behind him gave the southerners seven
runs. Eight hits In the Virginia game
gave the Orange and Blue eight tallies.
Good pitching has been had by the Hill
toppers. but 1T alone will not win games.
and it is up to the rest of the team to
get out and work so that a good record
may be assured for the remainder OF
the season. The nine has shown that 1t
has the stuff in 1t for good ball team
and all that it needs is a little hard
work to put it ON edge.
At about o'clock this afternoon on
nine different fields eighteen teams will
line up against one another in the first
games in nine amateur leagues, and in
two hours the amateur season Of 1911
will be under way. There is little doubt
that 1t will be the most successful ever
launched In this city. The teams COM
posing the different leagues have been re-
cruited to such an extent that it seems
that each club is better than 1t was last
year The playing fields have been ma
terially improved and everything done
to further interest In the game. Record
breaking crowds are expected at all the
games. and in almost every instance the
managers of the clubs scheduled to open
the season have made special arrange
ments for a gala occasion. In several of
the ieagues congressmen, one Of the Conn.,
missioners OF the District or some one
else high in pubic life has been secured
to toss out the fSst ball
1T has not yet been decided Just what
will be done regarding the two high school
games scheduled for this week. II has
geen suggested that double-header be
PLAYED on Georgetown Field tomorrow,
and such will be done II the field can be
secured. There is some difficulty, though,
in regard to securing it for the purpose.
III Georgetown Field is not obtained 1t is
likely that Tech and Western will play
at Capital City Park tomorrow and the
western Business game will come of
wednesday at the same place
Capital City League Park proved very
unsatisfactory when that place was tried
by Central and Business last Friday and
II IT Is possible to secure the George
town Fled for the occasion a double
header will be played tomorrow.
The Chamber of Commerce team which
won from the Georgetown nine Saturday.
was lacking in condition to a decided ex-
tent. as was evidenced by the work Of
some OF the men. Especially was IL no.
ticeable that Cy Macdonald and Merrill
Vaughn were sadly lacking In ANYTHING
that looked like fitness to play ball While
the work Of the two men did not show
poorly at all. it was not up to their gen.
eraI standard.
Macdonald was SO much overweight
that he could hardly throw the ball from
first to the home plate, while Vaughn
was net himself by any means Had
Becker, who did the twirling. been in