Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-12
MANY YOUNG PLAYERS CHOSEN,
BUT FEW MAKE GOOD
L looks Like McA1eer Will Have to Chase at
Least Half Dozen Back to
the Bushes.

! flash in the pan, and there is no reason
| for thinking that it was, will do whole
| lot to win games which were lost by close
! scores last season.
First base, Of course. leaves room for
| speculation, but no matter who fills the
place 1t will be better taken care of than
| it was last year. when Unglaub played
| there. In filling this position McAleer
will make a special effort to have play
er there who can Tit. There are no bet
| ter felders than SomerlOt, but he Will
| have to hit at least go to hold the job.
and either Henry or Leliven can do that
well, and perhaps better, with the stick
| A team which has a strong pitching
staff needs but few good hitters to
make'it troublesome, and that is what
| McAleer will keep in mind when he starts
| to arrange the lineup Of his team.
| There is a great difference in the ap-
parent weight of a ball when thrown by
various players, so far as those who do
| the catching are concerned Doc Gessler.
| for instance, leads. Those handling his
! throws would believe that the ball weigh
ed pound. while the speediest ball Wal
| ter johnson pitches is as light as a
! feather. Both Street and Ainsmith throw
| light balls. and their throws. therefore.
are easily handled by the infielder. There
seems to be "A difference In the twist the
! ball takes while going through space
| which makes this difference.
Though the impression was out that
Charley Street was the only catcher who
| could handle Johnson's delivery. 1t was
proven last fall that Eddie Ainsmith can
/ turn the trick just as cleverly. Ainsmith
| never had the Slightest trouble handling
johnson, nor did Henry for that matter,
and they attribute this to the fact that
| JOhnSon's ball is as light feather
when it lands.
Ainsmith likes to catch Johnson for the
reason that he is usually very true and
does not throw splitter. which is I'M
doubtedly the hardest ball to CATCH be-
cause it's downward shoot is so sudden
that it cannot be judged
Judged on what weather the players
have encountered since their stay here.
Atlanta is by far the best place the Ma
tionals have ever trained. The grounds,
while trifle soft. are plenty large, being
nearly again as big as the Washington
accommodations. which counts for much
during the training season. Then, too.
the weather has been ideal, and past rec
ords show that the rainfall here at this
season Of the year Is rather slight.
But. notwithstanding this fact 1T
seems strange that the various teams
that have trained here have not held on
to the spot. though this is explained by
lived up to their agreement with the local
club in the matter Of turning over such
players as they could not use themselves.
Manager McAleer proposes to leave
clean sheet when he leaves here. SO that
II no better place can be found the Ma
tionals can returns here next spring.
Jim McAleer is more popular with his
players than is the average manaser,
though there was time a few years
back when he was a rather hard man to
work for because Of his teamper. But
McAieer has governed this perfectly and
the players now swear by him. The very
fact that he has not had the slightest
trouble in coming to terms with his men
speaks we'll for his diplomacy, for 1t is
only in rare instances that manager
does not have a falling-out with some OF
his players over the sa airy question IL
is all the more remarkable in McAleer's
case. because he was forced to cut the
salaries Of several Of his players who did
not deliver the goods last season.
| Every man seems to realize that he must
do his share to hold his own, and McAl,er
really has willing lot of workers. His
| system Of telling the players what rules
he expects them to abide by and leaving
it to their honor also has a good effect.
| for the players appreciate the commence
he places in them.
| Living on a farm, Kid Elberfeld con-
tinues the habits in vogue there all dur
ing the playing season, and for this rea-
son none of the players are particularly
anxious to become his room-ma,e. The
| Kid arises religiously every morning at
sun-up, and he cannot understand why
the sheets until seven or eight. The
question of who should be Kids room
mate was settled for all time to come
when 1t was discovered that Trainer
Quirk is ano. her early riser, and this pair
can be found sitting in the lobby of the
hotel every morning long before the din
ing room doors have been opened for the
| breakfast meal.
| II any Of the players injure their arms
during the practice period it will be be-
cause they are violating one of Nc
Aleer's rules. He cautions every player
about throwing hard, and he e'en gets
angry when he finds them violating 1t.
Every now and then one Of the players
forgsts himself and cuts loose a fast one.
but no matter what part of the field Nc
! AIeer may be occupying. he is sur, To
get a call from the manager. McAleer
says that during his career he las seen
many valuable ball playe incapacitate
| themselves by carelessly throw. ng ball
with all their might before Their arm
can stand the strain. and he dos not
want that to happen to any OF his
| charges. Harry Howell had that exp RI
ence, and is probably out of base ball
for good as result.