The Washington herald., 1911-03-11
BATTING ORDER TO-DAY.
By WILLIAM PEET.

By WILLIAM PEET.
Atlanta, Ga. March IO.-The first game
Of the practice season for the Nationals
will be played tomorrow on the
Ponce de Leon Park diamond against
Georgia Tech, one of tine strongest col
lege teams in this section of the country
That the Nationals will win by good
sized margin nobody doubts for minute,
but If reports are to be credited. the
"rah-rah" boys have the best team in
years and for the first few innings they
may make things a bit interesting.
Manager McAleer tonight decided on
his line up and batting order. Harvey
Bussey, the Virginia League recruit, will
start in the box and work five innings,
POSSIBLY less, if the collegians take kindly
TO his offerings Then will come
Dolly. Gray. Jack Lelivelt Is booked
to hold down first base instead
of Henry, while Gabby Street will be
doing business behind the bat
Owing to Kid Elberfeld's short leave
of absence. Dave Bunting will cover
third, and although the youngsters arm
is not in the best of shape, he declares
that he will be able to kill any runners
who dare to club the pail in his direc-
ton
COrbin Gets Cleanup Place.
The outfeId shows Warren Miller in
right and Fred Corbin in left, with Milan
IN center. These three are left-handed
Filters, with Corbin assigned to the
"cIean-up'' place in the batting Order-a
position to which his work here the past
week would seem to entitle him.
II the Nationals have tn. game sewed
uu in the seventh inning, Manager Jim
will send in some of his new recruits.
Henry will likely relieve Lelivelt on first,
while keefe and Conway may get a
Chance TO show what they can do in the
Cuttield.
The game Saturday does not mean that
the morning practice will be abandoned
Tor bright and early tomorrow all the
boys will report at the park for at least
three hours work, most or Whlch Will
be spent in hitting.
With the thermometer lowering near
the 50 point this morning, the Nationals
were worked until they were nearly
ready to drop. Manager MCAleer Is a
stickIcr for strenuous practice. and when
the hotel was reached about cock'
about a dozen of our leading ball players
announced hat after dinner they were
going to bed. for they were all in. down
and out" Most of these were the vet
erans. led by Gabby Street. They all
made good their threat, too, for none of
them showed up until the supper bell
rang.
Hughes Has Them Guessing.
Tom Hughes cut loose to-day for the
nrst time. and when it was all over he
said to Trainer Joe Quirk: Bring on
the ChIoroform, for my arm is gone
better have McAIecr send me out to
Bunesettcr Reese Hughes complained
Yesterday of lame arm, and to-day
made up his mind that all he needed
was hard work and the soreness would
disappear On this theory he dished up
everything in his repertoire. That he
was effective goes without saying. He
had the batters completely at his mercy
and the man who says Hughes has not
a deceptive curve is prevaricator. 1t
was Long Toms change of pace that
had them all guessing. The big fellow
was simply invincible. Hughes COM
plant that his arm was completely gone
IS taken with a grain Of salt by Trainer
Cuirk. Il know Tom WELL said Quirk,
and while Of course his whip is a trife
lame. he will be all right before many
days" The writer wishes to go on
record right now as saying that if
Hughes shows as much stuff" against
the American League clubs as he did
in practice to-day. he will win the ma
jority of his games, provided, of course,
be gets the proper support
Somebody should put a ball and chain
on Dixie Walker. if he is going to be
of any use to the Washington club this
season. Walker too, has developed
beautiful lame arm, and all because he
disobeyed instructions. Manager Jim told
Walker this morning that if his arm felt
sore MOTTO go in and pitch to the bat
ters Dixie admitted TO the writer that
his wing was lame, but said he couldn't
resist the temptation to go into the box
the result being that when he got back
to the hotel he could not take off his hat.
McAleer knows of this and in the future
will take care that the big twirler is not
oVerworked.
Every time a certain well-known De-
troit baseball writer. gets hard up for
news he takes some sort of a crack
at Kid Elberfeld, who is not only well
known to Detroit fans, but always popu-
lar in the Michigan city, and anything
about the Kid makes interesting reading.
During a tanning bee in the KimbaIl
House, after dinner, one of the players
pulled out a newspaper containing the
following story, under a Detroit date
line:
Kid EIberfeld has decided that the
job Of an umpire is the job for him.
Mr.. Elberfeld wants to join the perse-
cIIted squad.
For years, American Leaguers have
seen the Tobasco Kid step on the toes
of umpires. thrust his spiked boots into
their shins. and speak to them in tones
not the least bit pleasant
But Elberfeld is in earnest about be-
coming an umpire when his playing days
are over, He has made application TO
Ban B. Johnson for position, and Ban,
ii is understood, has given Elberfeld his
promise to give the matter his careful
consideration.
TT would be funny to see Elberfeld
paired of with the picturesque Silk
O'Loughlin. These two could never
agree on anything as player and UNI
pire. and Mr.. Elberfeld would probably
be highly desirous of reversing any de-
cision that Mr.. ODoughlin might see fit
TO make, and vice versa. Anyway, IL
Mr.. Elberfeld receives the appointment
there will be some OF those hot times in
the league that historians relate with
much relish. Kid Elberfeld stepping on
3 playing field as an umpire would not
cause bigger sensation than Uncle