Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-03

player or two through the early months
of the season when the big league clubs
cut down their lists of players.
There will be at least one player on the
local team pleased when he hears that
the Nationals will not take a southern
trip. He is Walter Johnson The Ma
tionals' star twirler has always contended
that these trips to the south in the spring
We're a detriment to him, and that for
this reason he never got a good start in
the early part of the season.
Griffith will have Johnson report at
Charlottesville next spring. He will not
send him to Hot Springs, Ark, where he
spent several weeks last spring, and yet
was far from good condition when the
season opened. Nearly all the games
Johnson lost We're during the first six
weeks of the season. when he lacked
form Strangely enough, the team made
more runs behind Johnson in the games
he lost than We're usually secured for
him. 1t was usually conceded that any
time the team got two runs for him he
would win, but though many as six
We're scored behind him in some of his
early games he failed to hold his op-
pOnentS down.
One of the young pitchers on the Ma
tionals' list is Akers, who was drafted
from Dubuque. Griffith has had a lot of
favorable reports on AkerS and thought
of purchasing him for Cincinnati had he
remained there. Akers was a sensational
performer during the summer and he was
offered to McAleer for 5000. This price,
however, was too high and McAleer con-
Guided to take chance of drafting him,
In which he was successful. Grirfith fig
ures that Akers, based on his reputation
will make a good pitcher for the team.
In his day Clark Griffith was regarded
as the shrewdest pitcher in base ball.
Though of rather small physique and not
possessed of great speed or astonishing
curves, Griff knew how to work a bats
man, and it was this qualification which
made him a great success. There was no
more deliberate worker on the rubber. He
would have opposing players as we'll as
spectators on a nervous tension waiting
for him to pitch, but when he cut loose
1T was with purpose in view. 1t was
said of Grif that any team which at
tempted to wait him out could never
score, for when it came to outguessing
himself.
Having been a great pitcher by rea-
son of his knowledge of the art, it Is fair
to assume that Griffith win be able to
inject lot of knowledge into some of
the pitchers on the local staff. which
would make a great difference in their
work. for it is in this that nearly all of
them have been lacking.
Pitching said Griffith. sis something
more than getting fast and curve balls
is the one who never sends the ball to-
ward the plate without having first fig
ured what he is doing it for. Every ball
must be pitched for a purpose. The
fact should never be forgotten that the
average batter tries to outguess the
pitcher. He likes to call the turn on
what is coming, fast one or a curve.
and there is where wise pitcher gets
in his work. Even if he lacks great
speed or wide curves, if he sends up the
unexpected he is not apt to be hit hard.
Now, when a pitcher has lot of nat
ural ability and also knows how to use it,
it is simply next to impossible to beat
him
There is something businesslike about
Griffith which will prove real revelation
here. With him nothing is put off until
tomorrow. Just as soon as he took
charge here he got busy working on his
team and in twenty-four hours he had
lines laid to rid the club of four of its
players, namely, Conroy, Elberfeld, Leli-
welt and Gray. The new manager seems
to have definite plans which he intends
to follow. He has convinced himself
that there is no hope for any team which
insists on trying to make a winner out
of lot of worn-out material, and he is
getting rid of players OF this kind and
hopes to be able to fill their places with
Youngsters who will prove more salts
factory.
The releasing of Jack Lelivelt to
Rochester may mean the retention OF
Doc Gessler. 1t surely means that Doc
will get another trial, for on their show
ing last fall, neither Walker nor Long
has anything on him. 1t has, of course.
not been definitely decided that Gessler
is to stay, but. not having any line on
any of the young outfielders, Griffith will
undoubtedly play 1t safe and carry Cess
Ter through the training season in order
to get a line on the youngsters. Gessler
had only a fair season in 1911, and in
order to be of help to the team his stick
work would have to show material i'm
provement, for he is neither a strong
fielder nor fast man ON the bases. Doc
only comes up to the major leagye
standard when he is hitting over the 500
mark and il is not at all unlikely that
he would reach this goal If he got good
start in the spring.