The Washington herald., 1911-03-17
MOVES LEAVES ATLANTA;
HAS NOT SIGNED JOHNSON
Looks As If Club Will Have to Accede to Demands
of Big TwirIer-Game with Yanigans
Is Postponed.


the time the ball park is reached and the
! boys are clad in war togs, the sun
threatens to peep through the clouds. In
| half an hour or so. sweaters are dis
carded, for the sun is out full blast, and
at noon the perspiration begins to show
on most of our young heroes, and then
they cut loose.
1t is no uncommon sight to see women
wearing furs scurrying along the streets
in the early morning, and late the same
afternoon the fair sex clad in light gowns
and without hats are storming the ice
cream soda joints
Catcher John Henry, who graduated
froms Amherst College, last June, and
who is considered one OF the most prom
ising young ball players the American
League has seen in years, Is running
dead heat with Doc. Gessler for the title
of the best dressed man on the Washing
ton club Both have fine physiques and
know how to wear their clothes-ooth
also have distinct ideas as to what Is
becoming, and thus far neither has worn
the same necktie twice.
Besides being a rattling good ball
player, Henry is possessed of a fine voice
and with his roommate, Eddie Ainsmith,
who playes the piano, provides a lot OF
entertainment for the boys during leisure
moments.
Andy Keefe, the youngster from CleVe-
land who is trying for one OF the OUT
field jobs, Joined in the fanfest after din
ner tonight and told Of the intense in
terest in the coming American League
race shown in his town before he left.
Keefe said: There have been all kinds
of bets that the Maps will finish in the
frst division, but the team is carrying
the short end of the odds. A large num-
her of individual bets have also been
made Even money is offered that Ted
Easterly will bat 800 or better. Some
are even picking the pitchers who will
be on the pay roll next July. A few bets
on the number OF games the pitchers will
win are recorded.
Some are putting up money on the
points by which the flag will be won: also
on the position the Maps will occupy
July /.
'.One man even offered to bet $25 to SI5
that eight or more Cleveland games would
be postponed in April
A reward has been offered for the first
member of the Nationals family able to
get smile out of Pitcher Sherry. Up to
the present nobody has seen the big fell
a long face from morning to night. Sher-
~ takes life seriously.
II think that fellow hates himself"
remarked Eddie Ainsmith one day. Il
have cracked funny jokes by the score,
but Sherry never changes his express
sicn."
This was John Henry's chance to take a
shot at Ainsmith. and he said. ''I don't
blame Sherry for not laughing at your
jokes: they sound pretty sad to me-
The philosopher of the Nationals, who
asks that his name be not mentioned, has
it all doped out why present-day ball
players are better than old-timers He
says:
The batters work for runs instead of
hits.
Where the old-timers turned to the
right at first base after hitting a single
the present-day stars turn to the left
so as to take an extra base if the fielder
should tumble.
The systematic handling of records
and the continued publication of the
feats of players has enabled the pitchers
to make a closer study of the batters
The nfielders are able to make much
more difficult stops by the use of gloves
than did the old-timers with their bare
hands
The first baseman is now a position
that requires great fielding. while he was
formerly nothing more than a man placed
on the bag to catch throws.
Many years ago the batter could call
for any kind of a ball he wanted. In
other words, they pitched to batter's
strength in those days and now they
pitch to his weakness.
The department of the players is diff
ferent. In the old days the players did
not pay so much attention to their physi-
cal well-being. Now they have to live
and care for themselves so, as to hold
good in their respective positions.
The outfielders have a greater knowl-
edge of the individuality of batters. They
learn the direction in which certain bat
ters hit and shift their positions accord
ingly."
Clyde Milan. the Nationals speedy little