Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-07
BY J. ED GRILLo.

The probable selection of Chattanooga
as a training grounds for the Nationals
will rot be the only instance where Crit
fifth will change plans which McAleer
had formulated Had McAleer remained
at the head of the Nationals the team
would have done its training at home
next spring, but it is evident that Griffith
does not believe in this system and will
insist on a southern trip. So far as the
physical condition of the players is con-
cerned 1t may not make the slightest
difference where they do their training.
but Griffith believes that it hurts the
interest to have the players do their pre-
nminary work at home. 1t arouses the
fans desire for base ball to read of the
doings Of their team in some southern
cline for several weeks. For some rea-
son or other 1t has been many years
since major league team trained at
Chattanooga, though numerous minor
teams have done their spring work in
The Tennessee town. Griffith's going
there Is probably caused by the fact that
Billy Smith. his most intimate frleni, has
the management of that team, and Griff
is probably anxious to make some sort
Of arrangement with him whereby he
can use that club for farming purposss s..
Ever since Smith has been managing
minor league teams he has acted in that
capacity for Gri1nth. When tn was
at Atlanta he looked after Griffith s
youngsters. and he did the same thing at
Buffalo and Chattanooga while Grif was
In Cincinnati.
just because ball player does not
make good from the outset of his career
in fast company does not necessarily
mean that there is no chance for him to
suddenly improve. There are many in
stances on record where ball players have
changed from ordinary players to stars
virtually overnight. and Harry Davis fur
nishes one of these instances. According
to Arthur Irwin, the Highlanders' scout.
and a man of much experience in base
ball, Harry Davis was failure when he
first broke in, and actually became so dis
gusted with his inability to make good that
he had quit the game, when Mack picked
him up. Irwin relates the following:
when l was managing the Giants in
1896" says Irwin, I'VE got Davis from the
Pawtucket club. He was fine first base
man, but such a weak hitter that l traced
him to Pittsburgh tor Jake Beckley. With
the Smoky City team Davis failed to make
good because Of his poor stick work, and
soon he drifted out OF base ball to go into
was playing first base for the Athletics
when they first began operations in the
American League and when Carr was in
jured one day Cub Stricken told Connie
Mack that he could induce Davis to play
the bag. So Mack sent for Davis who
had been playing with semi-prO teams In
Philadelphia, and offered him the job.
Davis started off hitting like demon
and he never stopped. He proved such a
powerful sticker that Mack kept him on
the bag and let Carr go. Just how Davis
got his batting eye so unexpectedly vas
q mystery, and when / asked him about
II one day he said he couldn't tell the
reason. L just began hitting he re-
marked, and Mack told me l was a
wonder. So guess l am"
Next season winds up Ty Cobb's three
year contract with the Detroit club, which
that Cobb will demand and most likely
receive a substantial increase when he
signs his next agreement to play WI h
the Tigers. He is undoubtedly worth
much more to that club than lie has been
getting, and should he demand $4,000 Tor
the next three years there is hardly a
chance Of his being refused.
That figure appears enormous, to be
sure, and yet when 1t is compared wi n
the salaries of other players who a. g
ordinary and cannot be conside ed in the
he would be entitled to this money. OF
course. much depends on what sort OF
showing Cobb makes next season. Should
he exhibit signs Of deteriorating the club
would not want to tie itself up to an ex-
pensive contract. But Cobb realizes this
better than any one else, and he w II
hustle harder than ever during the sea-
son Of 1912.
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