Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-31
TOM HUGHES IS HERE
Popular TWirIer Confident He
Will Make Good.
GLAD HE WILL HAVE SHOW
President Lynch to Adopt Scouting
System for Umpires-Base
Ball Gossip.
GLAD HE WILL HAVE SHOW
BY ]. ED aRILLo.

Tom Hughes is IN town The tall
tWirler. whose work in the American As
ISOLATION last season marked him the
best pitcher in that circuit came down
from Chicago last night and will remain
here until the time comes for him to
make the trip to Hot Springs with seven
other members Of the team.
Hughes has not changed in the least
since he played here and is confident
that he will deliver the goods for Nc
Aleer
He says that his arm is better than it
has been in years. and that. barring ac-
cident, he will win a majority Of his
games for the Nationals. a team which
is considered much stronger now than it
was when he was here. Hughes be-
lieves that the stay at Hot Springs will
poets to report at Atlanta ready to take
his regular turn on the slab.
incidentally. Hughes proposes to fol-
low the narrow path this season.. as he
did last It's to be strictly business with
him. He appreciates the fact that to
make good this year will mean several
seasons in fast company, and he wants
to stay in the big show as long as pos
sible
Jack Flynn the Pirates first baseman.
came to town this morning for the pur-
pose of taking his final examination in
the Georgetown Law School. Flynn. who
is to be retained by Pittsburg, though
it seemed for a while as if the local club
had chance to get him, expects to make
good this year. Physical disa bility pre-
vented him from playing his game last
season, though he more than held his
rr-f$ Ia, +n& H. fr IL
perfect condition this spring and will
make good from the start The fact that
Pittsburg has Hunter does not worry
Flynn. who feels that he stands a good
chance to become the Pirates regular
first baseman.
The scouting system which is now us ed
by all the major league clubs is to- be
extended to the umpires. President Lynch
of the National League has determined
that there shall be big imp. ovement
in his staff of arbitrators this season.
and he has already mapped on; vigor-
Gus campaign to get the needed men.
When Mr.. Lynch took Office a little
more than one Year ago he was total
stranger to all his staff except Hank
O'Day and Bob Emslie. 1t took some
time for President Lynch to size up his
staff. for he desired to see all of than
work In championship games before he
passed judgment upon their ability. The
result has been number of changes In
the National League umpires during the
will be more before the tine comes TO!
the next worlds series.
In studying the umpire question Mr..
Lynch has decided that four eyes are
better than two. and that forty eyes are
down to his Office during the greater part
of the season. he will make use Of the
judgment Of those who see the minor
league games and frequently look over
the teams in the small towns.
The class of men selected are the scouts
employed by the various National League
clubs. These men hold their positions
because of their judgment In base ball
matters and they should be able to size
up an umpire as we'll as a ball tosser.
All Of the Nationals Scouts. it is report
ed. will be employed to keep their eyes
open for arbitrator who show more than
average ability.
In this way President Lynch expects to
get a line on scores Of umpires who would
never come to his attention, and out of
the number recommended to him he
should be able to make decided i'm
provement in his staff before the next
championship race is over.
gives Philadelphia a big send-of in his
Little Old Mans" column. The player
is not known to the younger generation
of fans. but his work is still remembered
by those who followed the fortunes of
the Athletics when they won the pcnnant
in 1883. as we'll as by those who saw him
play afterward in the National League.
The PLAYER is Cub Stricken, Of whom
Mr. Bates writes:
There are a good many people living
in the United States today who are will
ing to go on record in declaring Cub
Stricken to have been the greatest sec
ond baseman that ever happened. These
same people are not unmindful Of the
wonderful agility Of Napoleon Lajoie:
of the marvellous ingenuity Of Johnny
E,vers, nor of the spectacular work OF
Eddie Collins. but they do. one and all,
declare that in sheer ability to bluff the
umpire Stricken not only never had an
equal. but never real contestant for
top-notch honors.
Very few bases were ever stolen on
the pitchers when Cub was playing at
second. He had way Of taking tire
ball, making buff to touch the runner
and then rolling the ball back to the
pitcher that no other second basen,an
has ever been able even to initiate.
Many and many q time the runner
would dodge the putout by yard or
two, but the Indifferent way in which
Stricken would roll the ball to the pitcher
and then stroll back to his regular posi-
ton would fool both the umpire and
spectator. .
Cub got away with his trick all
right in the old days. but 1t is doubtful