Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-03
GR|FF|TH'S TEAM TO
TRAIN IN VIRGINIA
Arrangements Being Made to
Have Nationals Practice
at Charlottesville.
TO REPORT HERE NO
LATER THAN MARCH 10
New Manager Anxious to Have
Spring Work Done in Quiet
PIaCe-Base Ball Gossip.
BY J. ED GRTLLO.

Charlottesville, Va. will in all proba bill
ity be the training place of the Nationals
next spring Griffith has picked that spot
to get his team ready for the next cam
paign, and all that is necessary to make
the selection definite is to make arrange
ments with the officials of the Virginia
University for the use of their grounds
and gymnasium, and the impression
seems to be that there viii be little
trouble about that.
Present indications are that the men,
bors OF the team will gather there about
March 10 and remain for two weeks,
when they will return here to start on
rather elaborate exhibition schedule
which the Philies are scheduled to open
March 2S Grin figures that with two
weeks at Charlottesville and similar
length Of time pat in playing games he
will have his players on edge. providing
he gets his share OF favorable weather,
and he believes that his chances for this
are just as bright at Charlottesville and
Washington in some point farther
south
You know we are not going to have
any old men to thaw out next spring.
said he. They will be a lot of young
fellows. and Il couple of weeks of work
viii have them ready. Schaefer will be
the only veteran, and he is usually tit in
the spring. II may look like long
chance to train so near home, but | have
been all through the south and ] believe
that we can do as well RICH, near here
several hundred miles below. The
first week will be put in at easy work
and lots OF jogging, but things will be-
Sin to liven up the second week, and
from that on il will be drive. All L
ask is an even break with the weather
and will have nothing to fear so far
as condition is concerned from the teams
that will spend four or six weeks down
south. What is more. there Is not much
difference between the climate here and
in Charlottesville, and there will not be
much danger of the players going back
by reason of change of climate
Il don't know as | will send single
man to Hot Springs Ark, for the baths.
| don't believe they benefit the average
bali player, and especially not If he is i'll
GOOD health. ] would not take another
ball team of mine to Hot Springs if some
one offered TO pay all my expenses
There is too much socia bility down there
for a ball team TO train. There are dances
in the evening and all sorts of tempta-
ton. and il doesn't do. Down in Char
IotteSville there will e nothing to do but
sleep when work is over. and that Is
what | believe to be an ideal condition
for training purposes.
training ground. Charlottesville figures
well, for the first tiIpe a Washington
team trained there it led the American
League race for the first months of tne
season. That was back in 1908. when
Jake Stahl made a phenomenal squirt
with the team which attracted worldwide
q tertion. n team which was 50 weak
that it could not possibly finish better
than last got good lead that spring
simply because il was in better piay ing
condition than its rivals. OF cour-e as
soon as the stronger teams got into play
ing fettle it slumped, and finished among
the also rams. But the team next spring
will he stronger than the one Stahl pre-
sided over. and if 1t should get as good a
start it would be very apt to upset all
calculations and finish higher in the
race than ever before. Griffith, like all
managers, is anxious to get a good start
in the race, and he realizes that in order
to do this his team must be tit when the
season opens.
His selection of Charlottesville may
cause some surprise, as the average fan
expects team to get in condition only in
the far south, but these southern trips
are innovations of recent years. and in
the old days ball players managed 10 get
ready for the opening OF the season
though they did some of their practicing
on snow-covered fields.
If there is one player on Griffith's list
who will get a great deal more attention
from him than any oIher, 1t is Carl
Cashion.
Griffith has never seen the young giant
but he has heard SO much of his pros
poets that he hopes to make sensation
al pitcher out Of him. Scout Kahoe told
Griffith Yesterday that Cashion had the
making of one of the greatest pitchers of
the game, and that all he needed was ex-
perience.
He does not know how to use himself
said kahoe, but if you will take him in
hand he is sure to develop into won
der" And then Kahoe went on to
describe the big youngster.
Well it's all good news you're telling
me" put in Griff. Il hope he is as good
as you say, for If experience is all he
needs 1 will give him all Of my time. and
teach him how to pitch. There is real
pleasure in taking hold of a youngster of
ability and working the rough edges off of
him. / am convinced that there must be
a whole lot to Cashion. for hear praise
Of him from all sides.
But for the wording of the agreement
with the Rochester club Griffith would
not have consented to allow Lelivelt to
90 there without getting another trial
with the Nationals. But 1t developed
that the local club bound itself to turn
tanned, and from all accounts these were
not refused. Griffith, like all managers
hates to let out hard hitter like Jack
He figured that since Lelivelt had estab-
EShed a reputation as a hitter in fast
company it might be possible TO teach
him the fielding end of the game, and for
that reason he was anxious to keep him
But the agreement with Rochester could
not be altered.
A much more careful scrutiny Of the re-
Guest for waivers will be made by Griffith
than has been in vogue here. Many good
ball players who could help out a team
Ike the Nationals are frequently turnei
back for development by other major
league clubs who should have been Sc
cured here. Purchased players must run
the gantlet of both leagues befA-e they
can be returned to the minors, a\l Crit
nth proposes to go over these lists care
fully when the time comes for sending
such players back to the minors, and he
Will put in his claim for all those he
thinks he can use here
Grif has a fairly good line on most of
the players secured by the National
League clubs because he had his own
scouts out last year reporting on these
players. This is also true of most OF
those secured by the American League
CLUBS. and he may be able to pick up