Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-05
PLAYERS TOLEAVE
FOR HOT SPRINGS
Preparation for Opening OF
Season to Begin in Ear
nest This Week.
TOM HUGHES TO BE
FIRST ONE TO START
McAIeer Well Fortified in Right
Field, Where Either GessIer
or Le|iveIt May Play.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

BY j. ED GRILLo.
The first step toward getting the MEM
bers of the Washington team in playing
condition will be taken by eight of the
players this week. when they depart for
Hot Springs, Ark. to remain there for
nearly month. after which they will join
the remainder of the squad at Atlanta.
Tom Hughes. the veteran twirler, who
is to demonstrate that 1t is possible for a
pitcher to come back, will be the only one
of the party to leave from here Hughes
will get on a RATHER" Tuesday and go
direct TO Hot Springs. where he will be
Joined by Mcbride, who is to be in charge
of the squad; Reisling. Otey, Johnson,
Conroy. Gessler ard Walker.
Whether Johnson will be there on time
depends on whether he comes to terms
with Jim McAleer. Latest reports from
Youngstown were to the effect that there
still exists difference between the player
and manager over the salary proposition.
but there is no doubt that this will be
patched up before very long.
Inasmuch as McAleer has not sent a
catcher with the squad to the springs, it
is believed that he does not want any
of his pitchers to do any strenuous work
with their arms while there. preferring to
have them do little tossing end get
themselves in good physical condition be-
fore they report to the team at Atlanta.
The advantage of having a team fit
when the season opens has frequently
been demonstrated. Condition means
mucn In base ball race. and it makes a
lot of difference whether a team gets
good start or not. McAleer realizes that
to get good start in the race will mean
much to him, and he will point his play
ers to bring about such result. Great
care. however. will have to be taken in
conditioning the men, There is such a
thing as getting them too fine. and, while
this might assure a good start, the play
ers are apt to give way and grow stale in
a long, hard campaign.
There is no doubt that the miserable
start the Nationals got last year cost
them several positions in the race. for it
was weeks after the season opened before
the team showed it's real form.
1t is remarkable what a change has
taken place in the matter of first-base
play. Not SO many years ago any sort
of an old dub who could catch a bail was
considered good enough to fill the posi-
ton: today 1t requires a player Of class
and brains to fill the position. Formerly
an outfielder or catcher who couldn't
throw. or pitcher who gave indications
OF being able to hit a little, was always
considered good enough to play frs.
base.
But it is quite different now. Every
team demands a high-class first base
man, and. strange to say, there are but
few who come up to the mark.
Ten or twelve years ago Fred Tenney
revolutionized the position. and prior to
that time Charley Comiskey was in a
class by himself. Yet neither Tenney nor
Comiskey was ever in the same class
with Hal Chase. He has set so high a
mark for the position that others find it
dffrcult to Keep pace with him.
Other teams In the American League
may have good first basemen. but COM
pared to Chase they are far from being
up to the standard
There is not a club i'm the league which
would not make change at first base il
the right man for the position could be
found. barring, OF course. New York.
Hugh Jennings. for instance. has de-
c!ded to let Tom Jones out. He has a
couple OF youngsters lie will try IL the
position, but the chances are that be fore
the season is very old Geo.-e Moriarity,
the Tigers crack third base:nan, VIII be
manager who would have PLAYED a
player Of Moria.it,s ability at first would
have been considered insane. and yet to-
day Moriarity would oniF play second
fiddle as first base.nan, and he is
PLAYER of class for all that.
The latest addition to the players who
Rave signed McAleer's contract is Charles
n.
IS said to be q giant in Stature. Ills
signed contract reached President Noyes
yesterday. Swain did not set things on
fire in the Northwestern League. but CHI
Blankenship. who recommended him. Still
contends that he will make good in this
company.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Ath-
letics virtually walked away with the
American League pennant last season and
bat 1atrf - tnnv Iyan1 10 he hx-f s~ 4 t..
strongest in the coming campaign, the
other managers refuse to concede it a
cinch for the champions this year.
There are. OF course. some instances
where n championship team has repeated
but there are many more where it has
failed to make good after landing the
flag in a walk.
The players on successful team fire.
ouently grow overconfident and believing
that they cen win without much effort
grow careless and toss off their chances
The Athletics are perhaps not as apt to
do this. because under tie yigilant eye of
Connie Mack every man will he kept on
edge. and yet even a Mack cannot change
human nature.
Then. too. there is always the chance of
some one player going wrong and killing
to have either Plank, Bender or Coombs
fall down on him. True. he has what
looks to be lot of promising young
pitchers but these can hardly be COM
III
Scared veterans.
To have Eddie Collins injured or Baker
out OF the game would be a handicap
!, Is because one can never tell what
may hap to a ball team that the
other managers express hope of beating
the Athletics. for on form they appear
to have so much the better of the race
that they should experience even less
trouble than last year in finishing in
front again.
No shortstop I'm the American League
Is as much appreciated now as George
Mcbride. His consistent work in every
city in the circuit has placed him In a
class with the topnotchers OF his posi-
ton. Without any intention of joining
the calamity howlers one can not re-
fratn from looking with dread on the
possibility OF Mcbride being incapaci-
tated during the playing season. Nc
Aleer has no one who could I'LL his
place. True. he has some utility infield-
ers. but none OF them is In Mcbride
class. and II would be a serious blow to
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