The Washington herald., 1911-05-12
BY WILLIAM PEET.

by WILLIAM PEET.
Unless Manager McAleer changes his
mind. Walter johnson, the Nationals
great pitcher. will leave the club at st.
Louis Sunday. going to his home in Cof-
feyvflle. Kans., for a few days.
johnson informed the writer before the
/ club left Washington last Monday that
Manager Jim had agreed to allow him a
few days with the folks down on tie
old farm.
1t is more than likely now that john
sons stay in Coffeyville will be length
ened to a week or more, as a complete
rest may be just what is needed to bring
the pitcher around in shape
| There is also a possibility that Johnson
; may pack up and leave tonight. as 1t
was understood that the twirler was to
pitch against St. Louis in the opening
game Of the series on Sunday.
Charley Conway, the Nationals recruit,
who was carried with the club mill New
York was reached and then turned back
to Youngstown. Ohio. has been breaking
down the fences in the o. & P. circuit.
In the four games Conway has played
up to date he has been at bat IS times,
and has connected safely II times, twire
for two-bagsers, and once for home
run. giving him a batting average of GIL.
Conway has also scored five runs IN four
games. and has perfect fielding per-
centage.
Doc Meyer, the pitcher, who was also
turned back by Manager Jim, has found
1t hard shedding with the youngstown
club and has been suspended until he
can get himself into condition.
In Tuesdays game the opposing tear
got after Meyer for three home runs
and eight singles. and the pitcher HIM
self admitted that he was not in form.
Gordon Mackay, of the Philadelphia
Times, who was here last week with the
Athletics. has the following to say about
our ball park as 1t now looks: Playing
ball in Washington now is quite strange
to most OF the players owing to the
condition of the grounds since the fire
The owners are constructing new stands
and bleachers to be made of concrete
and steel Of the double-decker pattern
In the meantime the fans are without
covering overhead. and stands are not
carrying the usual bonnets. Sitting in
the open air with the sun beating down
on you in good shape is something Of a
novelty. and not a bad one at that"
n.
little fellow Is playing great ball for
Toronto these days. He is hitting with
his usual skill and has plenty of speed in
running the bases. In his first four
games he made ten hits. Keeler appear
ed to be all in when the Highlanders let
him out year ago, and even as a Giant
he lacked sufficient form to warrant his
appearing as a regular. But with his
old chum, Joe Kelley. he has become re-
inVanafad ie CT
Kelley has instilled the veterans Tim
Jordan and Bill Bradley with renewed ,
vigor.-Sporting Life.
The New Orleans Item says the Cleve- !
land club has had so much trouble with
its managers in the last couple of years
that it is almost a pity President Somers
cannot carry out his new arrangement
with the New Orleans club to the ex-
tent of signing its manager, Charley |
Frank.
II Frank was not so firmly establish !
ed in New Orleans he would probably |
be asked to take the Cleveland Job |
There is no minor league manager who |
has quite the reputation among major |
leagues that Frank possesses. Besides, |
his relations with the Cleveland people !
have become so close that Somers, who !
is one of the strongest men financially |
in baseball. has unloaded nearly all his |
surplus young players on Frank for |
their schooling. There is no blind over |
the fact that the New Orleans club is |
not buying these men outright, but is |
merely working under an agreement by |
which he must turn back the young
Maps at the end OF the season II in the |
meantime they have shown enough to !
entitle them to another trial in the ma
jors.
Having so much confidence in Cr> nix
as to give up the title to him to about
$4,000 worth of ball players. and know
ing Franks success as a minor league
manager, Somers would no doubt go fur
ther and call on Frank to take the man
agement of his club II he did not know
that Frank was tied UP in New Orleans
in such a way that even very lus-
cious major league offer could not PULL
him away.
Frank has had several opportunities to
go up, but the minor league field has
always looked good to him. Besides. he has
always been in such a position that to
desert New Orleans would have been to
break faith with men who backed him
II
He is certainly fitted in every way to
a big league ball club. and could
doubtless make a success Of the job tina.
Jim Mcclure mas given up IN disgust. |
Here's an umpire who is lonesome.
Listen to this blast from the Detroit
News: 1.-The life Of an umpire is not all
that 1t might be. Pete Shea thinks 90.
and Pete ought to know. This season
finds Peter in the North and South Caro-
lima League. Pete is lonesome.
so far Mr.. Shea has not been the VIC
tim Of any mob. Maybe that is why Peter
Is lonesome. He has had but one argu-
ment and that was Oh the first play he
called this year, a hair-breadth decision
at first that went against the home team.
Maybe that's why Pete's lonesome.
The decision was, hooted. but the town
papers came out and said Peter was
right and the audience was wrong In crit
cising him. Pete is the only minor league
umpire who ever got this consideration.
Maybe that is why Pete is lonesome.
They don't play ball on Sunday and
an umpire can't mingle with players
and maintain his official dignity, and
Pete has to stay in the hotel room all
lay long and write letters to his friends
in Detroit, and maybe that IL why Mr..
Shea is lonesome.
And the case Of Peter Shea shows
that whichever way the wind blows for
an umpire life for him Is not overbur-
iened with joy.
.sPfn1s Rodie the Chicago white Sox