The Washington herald., 1911-07-30
Nationals to Be -.
Well Fortified
Squad of at Least Twenty-Five Youngsters to Be
Taken South NEXT Spring-Four Scouts
Now Doing Duty-Other Gossip

The writer pointed out in these col
ulnns last week that the impression
gained by local fans that the Washing
ton club management was doing little
to better conditions was all wrong, and
the acquisition of four new youngsters
last week would seem to bear this out.
Instead of one scout on the road, the
Washington club has four, and these
men are ca oable judges of baseball tai
ent. Charley Farrell and Mike Kahoe
are two OF them, and the names of the
other pair are withheld for several rea-
sons
II a scout is known, his chances OF
doing business with a minor league club
are injured to some extent. Charley Far
rell has peea working under cover for
the Past three weeks, and his name
appeared in the public prints only last
week, when dispatches from Danville,
Va, announced that Pay Morgan, the
shortstop, had been purchased by the
Nationals upon recommendation OF Far
rell; then 1t was that the fan flock in
the Capital knew Mike Kahoe was not
working single-handed.
The drafting season starts August 20,
and before that time the Washington club
will likely have added half a dozen new
players, swelling the list to fifteen or
possibly eighteen, and with drafts out
for twenty or twenty-five, and the
chances of getting about half OF this
number, swelling the whole list of young
sters who will be taken South next
spring to twenty-five or so. Surely out
of this bunch few men Of big league
caliber can be obtained.
The Washington baseball management
can only do one thing at time. The
rebuilding Of the stands at Florida ayer
nue. had to come first. and the concrete
coliseum bears mute testimony to the
efforts OF President Noyes. In a year
or so this park will be second to none in
the country. All that Is out Of place now
is a lot of unsightly fences and poor
playing field, the last condition due tc
the necessary shifting of the diamond
Time will soon change these conSitions.
Now that the ball park question is set
tied, every effort is bent on getting
players, young players who will be able
to take up the work when some of the
veterans have been forced to warm the
bench In order to take a place on the
Washington club these youngsters will
have to beat out some Of the older men,
and will of necessity have to show con-
siderable class.
In view of what the Washington man.
agement is doing there should be no
more unjust criticism. Not only will
Manager McAleer be we'll fortified with
young players next season. but he will
make arrangements with at least three
minor league clubs to farm out every
man who shows promise of futur, great
ness. so that the Nationals will be in 4
position to meet the other American
league teams on an even footing. Other
clubs afe doing this and have right
along. Washington will not be forced 10
take a back seat.
While the recall list published the other
day fails to show a single player In the
minors on whom the Nationals have a
string. yet there are at least half
dozen who could be recalled tomorrow
If they Were needed. This fact mas
also been pointed cut by the writer
A feature Of the work of the locals dur
ing the past week on the home grounds
has been the playing of the veterans
Schaefer, Elberfeld. and Conroy, in the
infield. OF Mcbride little can be said:
his work is consistently good. Schaefer's
first base play has been revelation and
a big weight. has been lifted from Nc
Aleer's shoulders, for he has solved the
first base problem this year. at any rate
Bill CUNNINGHAM is putting in few
extra licks during morning practice these
days, and the Schenectady boy may be
put back into the game almost any time
hrea
for Bill this season. but he looks like a
mighty good ball player, nevertheless
One fan expressed himself the other day
as follows: They can say all they want
about Cunningham, but / think he will
some day deliver the goods. He looks
good TO me even when he strikes out"
The good work of the Nationals at home
this week is due in a small degree to. the
encoura cement given by the home fans.
When the club was In a rut everybody
had hammer out. These days the ham,
mers are left at home.
Dixie Walkers injury last Thursday
comes at an inopportune time. for the
Alabama boy was just hitting his stride
and pitching the brand of ball that made
him look like the ''million-dollar kid"
when Joe Cantfllon got him from Zanes-
Vile two years ago.
Charley Nichols, the veteran pitcher.
who is now running semi-professional
nine In Kansas City, Mo-. says: II don't
see why "a pitcher who is playing ball
every day cannot acquire perfect control.
I never had any trouble in putting tehy
ball where wanted to. The corners were'
no ornaments when ! was pitching. any
more than they are now, and 1 used to.
be able to clip the edges easily enough.
That plate looks mighty big to me. II
always has. II speed matched my con-
troll. right now. I might be up there
pitching victories twice week.,
Small events IN baseball often take
ranking with the most vital happenings.
last fall a pitcher by the name Of Grover
Alexander was offered to the Yanks for
i. 900. He had done nothing sensational
With syracuse, and the bier was turned
iown. No other club. with all the vast
,rmy Of scouts out, saw anything won-
ierful IN the Syracuse slabnnan, 20 he
vas finally permitted to lag on the mar