Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-19
WASHINGTON UNLUCKY WITH
f YOUNG BLOOD THIS SPRING
New Men Secured Show Decided Lack Of
Casio Keep on Plugging
Along Same Lines.
BY j. ED GRILLO.

BY ]. ED GRILLO.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
& ATLANTA, March 1S.-There is every
Indication that the team which VIII rep
resent Washington I'm the coming Amer
lean League campaign will be made ul
OF the same players who finished the sea
son of 1910 1t is as good as settled
that not one of the several young players
who were brought here to be tried. out
will gain a regular position on the team
Bunting, in fact, seems to be the ohiy
one of the lot whom Manager McAieer
may carry, and even he may be sent out
to get more experience
Picking up young ball players nag gu
ways been a gamble and on thiS occa
sion McAleer has held a very weak manu-.
1t Rad been hoped that at least one ta ,
good enough to play one OF the ou.n .i, y
positions would be developed OUT vi t .he
, lot hut IL such player Is among the
squad of recruits he has cleveriy kept
himself under cover. There Is decloeoly
little to choose between any OF the young
sters. though Corbin perhaps would come
nearer to filling the bill than any OF
the others, so that McAleer must now
figure or putting in the field team Haue
up of. his old material This, however,
does not mean that the team VIII again
finish seventh, for there Is a chance "
n showing considerable Improvement. IN
the first place, II should be remembered
that the team which will open the season
this wear is a much stronger one tnai
the one which faced the Athletics iast
April. Cunningham and Ainsmith nave
undoubtedly added strength, not 10 spedh
of Henry, who gives every lnocaloi'
Of becoming q real star with eNperiehce'
Then there are reasons for believing
that the pitching will be of a better grade
than it was. Walker and Gray are
pair that should do better the coming
season johnson, of course. figures 10
again lead the others. but he may get
some very valuable help from Tom
Hughes once the weather gets good ana
warm. No matter who may De seiec.eo
to play first base the position is sure
to be better filled than it was last
season
That outfield. Of course. does not give
much announcement, and yet 1t Will De
better than last year. Gessler Is not apt
10 slump again, and either Schaefer or
t-orroy should be able to fill left field
satisfactorily If Lelivelt Is not assigned
10 the place It is unnecessary TO COM
tnent on center field. for Milan has al
ways been a first-class player in that
position.
But the fact is dawning on every one
that McAleer will go into the campaign
with a team which has the nucleus Tor
a pennant winner, but which is filled out
with some doubtful material Hence
there is naturally some disappointment.
for II was hoped that the material, which
EVERY one recognized was missing last
wear. would be added this spring. The
effort to accomplish this has failed simply
because the club was not fortunate
the rough. Other clubs have had similar
experiences III trying to strengthen their
teams with young blood. and yet 1t Is
assured that this Is the only way a win
ner can ever be gained.
The Nationals greatest weakness mas
ever been lack OF hitting ability. The
pitching last year, for instance, was NOT
.f.oor Tire same kind Of twirling would
have won many more games for a team
which could hit. When one Stops to think
OF the great number Of games which were
lost because of the absence OF single
see that an Improvement in batting would
make q lot Of difference In the teams
standing.
through the minor leagues In search OF
material for a major league club rs
demonstrated by the local clubs expert
ence with this years crop OF youngsters.
1t is doubtful II there are many ball play
ers who realize what Is required of
player to make good in fast company,
though they may have been In 1t them
selves for years
Cliff Blankenship was responsible for
the purchase Of CHIEF Swain from the
Vancouver club. He figured that the big
fellow would help McAleer's outfield. but
lie either erred i'm sizing up Swain or
greatly undefestimated the strength OK
the American League, for Swain Is not OF
the class which this company requires.
Bill Bradley touted Andy keefe as a
great outfielder and felt sure he would
make good, but Andy needs lot or sea-
soning before he will be able to draw
salary from the majors. Dick Padden
seems to have picked up a promising
player in Bunting, but none Of his other
tips have panned out.
Mike Kahoe was by far the most sue
cessful in the scouting way. NO SiuD
picked up trio of better material than
Henry, Ainsmith and Cunningham, and
Kahoe picked these three without any
one ever having given him as much as a
tip of their existence. II is doubtful II
any club picked up better looking lot
of youngsters than these three. SO that
when the entire effort to strengthen the
team is considered since inaugurated last
summer a very fair percentage OF the
men secured are making good.
Walter Johnson in placing the high
value on his service that he demands has
undoubtedly been greatly Influenced by
the advice of other players. Among the
ball players Johnson Is considered the
greatest pitcher in the game. His re-
markable speed and the fact that he is
still a young man, together with his
good disposition. have MADE him popular
with tie players OIL tcdiIlS oiiu thSJ
have volunteered the advice that he
should get more money than any other
pitcher in the league. No one can blame
Johnson for trying to get the highest
salary possible. but II Is also the clubs
duty to protect itself. AS a rule, when
a ball PLAYER makes a demand for high
salary he figures to play at that price Tor
the remainder of his career. At any rate
that has been the case when the hsures
get up where johnson has his. But not
so with Johnson. He expects material
increase every season until Ii would only
be a question Of two years when he would
receive almost as much as the profits or
the club have been.
His demand for a $27, GEO contract to
cover a three-year period is unheard of
in the case of a pitcher. Christy Mathew
son was a star for many years before he
now that he has been the greatest Of
the pitchers In the National League for
eleven years. he Is said to draw but
5000 per season. Surely no one has
done more work for his team and helped
10 remnants than Ed Walsh, and the big
fellow is not getting what Johnson de-
mands. 1t is but natural then that the
club should feel justified in the stand it
has taken, for while there is no question
Of Johnson's prowess, still last year was
the first time since he Joined the team
that he won more games than he lost.
II can be argued. Of course that he had a
weak team behind him, but Ed Walsh
did not have an an-star cast the year
the Sox won the pennant and the world S
championship. and Ire more than any, one
In the very short time that John Henry