The Washington herald., 1911-02-01
By WILLIAM PEET.

about the latter part OF FeOrudfy, DC
cording to statement from one of the
high officials of the club last night.
Just what the improvements will be has
not been settled in every detail but it is
understood that the center field fence
will be moved back some distance and
also radical changes made at the en-
trance in order to handle better the big
crowds on Saturdays, holidays, and other
occasions.
According to the writer's informant. the
work Of renovating the bali park will not
take more than three weeks at the most,
and as the Nationals will not be back
from Atlanta until April ], there is no
need of extra hurry about preparing the
place.
The diamond itself will not be touched.
There is really no necessity for this, and
the preparation of a new infield surface
would cause no end of trouble. il would
take some time for the turf to settle.
1t is not at all likely that any of the
Nationals will report in Washington be-
fore they go to Hot Springs. Manager
McAleer has written to those whom he
intends sending down to boil out to so
direct to the springs from their homes.
Along about the 1st of March Bob Ung-
laub and Gabby Street, who winter in
Pennsylvania, will probably 90 II At
a day or so to renew old acQuaintances
The veteran twirler. Tom Hughes, who
made such a fine showing with Mime
apolis. is in Washington on visit.
Hughes, since the American hssocia-
tion season closed, has been spending
his time in Chicago. He looks the picture
of perfect health. and says that he will
he able more than to hold his own
again in the big show.
A recent dispatch from Omaha states
that Ollie Pickering, who formerly
held down right field for the Nationals,
has signed with that club, and that
great things are expected of him. Ollie
never set the American League on fire
with his work, but he frequently pulled
off brilliant stunts in the outfeld, and
he could hit 'em once in a while, too.
John McGraw, manager of the Giants.
says that Second Basenan Earl Gardner.
of the Highlanders, is one of the most
natural infielderS he has ever seen. Gard
ner was bothered by IA weak ankle prac-
tically all of last year and could not dc
himself justice. If he reports in first
class condition at Athens, Gardner viii
probably be the regular second baSeman,
otherwise Jack Knight will play that
position. 1t is understood that if Gard
ner can play second base regularly. Man
ager Chase will t-y knight at third base
until he has learned whether Otis Johnson
has quality enough to cover short per-
manently. If Johnson fails to make good.
then Knight will go back to his old'p place,
while Elliott and Austin will fight il out
for third base 1t is safe to say that
Daniels will play center regularly this
wear. with Cree in left and Wolter in
right That is the combination Chase has
been figuring ever since last fall.
With the present well-seasoned material
in hand Chase will have comparatively
few experiments to make.
Preferring to play football two more
years, Dave Robertson, the Portsmouth
boy, who, as left half back on the North
Carolina Agricultural and Mechanical
College. made the aIl-South Atlantic
eleven by universal selection of the sport
writer's in this part of the country, has
turned down an offer of s1oo a month
to play first base on the Augusta team
of the South Atlantic League.
Robertson played that position besides
pitching a few games on the \. and NJ.
team last spring, and made quite a rep
utation a long distance swatter He
was offered the contract with Augusta
some time ago, but turned it down at
once, as professional baseball would bar
him from the gridiron.
" l.. Presley a third-year student at
Atlanta College of, Physicians and Sur
Geons, jumped into prominence as
first baSeman for the Roanoke team in
the Virginia State League last year From
reports. PRESLEY has made a worlds rec
crd covering first base. In ia games with
Roanoke last season PRESLEY had 1,314
chances, accepting all but seven. an
average of 995, which is remarkable.
and establishes a new percentage for
fielding the first base position. Here is
a chance for Clark, of Pittsburg, to send
a scout TO look him over.
Catcher Charley Schmidt is very sore
on Manager Hughie Jennings, and wants
TO get away from the Detroit club. He
says so in a letter which he sent TO De-
troit sporting editors, with request that
il he published.
Schmidt says Jennings has vowed to
force him out of baseball, and has been
doing his best to make good on the vow
for three seasons. He recites how he
was benched for long periods. saying it
was for no otheN. reason than because
Jennings dislikes him Then he invites
dopestcrs to look up the records of the
last four seasons and see if he hasn't
caught a bigger percentage of winning
games than any other big league catcher
He complains that he isn't even recog-
4 VI lHe teaHl-
Elmer Flick, once the pride of the
Cleveland team, is an example of the ball
player who seems to have outlived his
usefulness at the game He fvas turned
over to Kansas City last summer by
Cleveland, who. however, held a string
on him. Now Flick wants to get his un-
conditional release from Cleveland, for
he says he will not play with Danny
Shays bunch another season. Flick is
sailing down the chute to baseball OBJ
lfvion almost as rapidly as he once
climbed the ladder, and in the course Of
few more years the once great heavy
hitting oItfelder will have passed out
Of the memory of the throng which used
to make his name resound with praise
and glory.
Old John Anderson, whose fame will
last while there are bases to be run,
wants to get back into the game again.
Long John" did not play last season.
putting m the summer Strengthening out
his real estate business. He has hunch
that his years rest has just about put
him in shape to cover. first for the Provi-
dence club, OF the Eastern League, and
he has written to the owner of the Grays
asking for q good contract.
He has been signed. though Jesse
II re-