The Washington herald., 1911-03-10
FOUR DAYS PRACTICE
CRIPPLES NATIONALS
Strenuous Work of the Past Week Causes Many of
McAleer's Players to Complain of Soreness,
Lame Arm, and Other Ailments.

must come by thar naturally. 1 am not
worrying about my outfield.'
Do you baseball fans in Washington
know that Kid Elberfeld, the Nationals
peppery bird baseman, is ambidexrous?
..ell, it is the truth, aRd$ some day
| when you are out at the Florida avenue
bail yard before a game, ask him to
throw a ball left-handed.
The Kid startled the natives here this
morning, while warming up with Jack
Lelivelt. He tossed half a dozen balls
with his right wing and then remarked,
That old arm feels pretty good. Guess
I'll try the other. And switching his
glove he started to heave the ball from
the south side, using practically the same
free, easy swing.
Several years ago." remarked the Kid,
81 hurt my right arm, and the doctor
| told me 1 would never be able to throw
| a ball with it again. That didn't make
much of a hit with me, so l figured out
| that If could learn to throw left
handed. 1 would still be of use to some
ball club. 1t came hard at first, but I
] gradually mastered It, and just about the
| time l was able to give a good account
of myself, my right wing rounded into
shape-that's how / happen to be ambi-
dextrous, whatever that means"
Old man Solomon, in all his glory, was
never arrayed like Bill Cunningham, and
Joseph's coat of many colors would pass
unnoticed If Cunningham were near.
In addition to his regular dark gray
baseball togs, Cunny wears a dark red
jersey. and over this a heavy grass
green sweater with a natty monogram
on the sleeve, backed by a dark blue dia-
mond patch For cap the color scheme
is white and black.
In spite of all this array of color,
Cunningham impresses one as being
tirst-class ball player. He is still about
ten pounds overweight, which will likely
all come off before he hits the Capital.
From this distance it looks as if Jack
Levivelt would be found holding down
inst base when the Nationals line up
for the opening game of the season
against the Boston Red Sox next month.
Manager McAIeer has refused to put
Lelivelt in the outfield during the prac-
tice sessions thus far, but keeps him on
the initial sack all the time. II ever
man was put through a stif course of
sprouts. Lelivelt is that chap; for Man
ager Jim delights in batting out in his
direction the most wicked collection Of
savage grounders, liners, and short foul
flies known to baseball. On top of this,
Lelivelt is constantly being reminded of
certain faults, and he is doing his best
to correct them.
John Henry divides his time at first
base and behirsd the bat. He, too. has
improved a lot in his playing during the
few days the club has been out. Henry
is also meeting the ball better in batting
practice.
If Bill Cunningham has any weakness
ar the bat, 1 have yet TO discover It,
declared Pitcher Doc Meyer this after
noon He added:
When Cunningham joined the Nation
ais last September I pitched to him in
practice several times, and uEder Man
ager McAleer's ordere tried to find out
what kind of a ball Cunningham could
not hit ! shot over close ones, high in
shoots spitters. drops, and outside cor
ners. He waded into every one of themA
and usually slapped them to safe terri
tory
Tom Hughes declares that Otis ely
mer put up the best game of his career
NTH Joe Cantillon's Minneapolis club
last summer. Long Tom also says
Dave Altizer played sensational ball for
the American Association champs.
One ball player who was with the
Washington club last year is greatly miss
ed this season. He is Bob Unglaub, who
was sold to the Lincoln, Nebr., team of
the Western League. The boys called
Unglaub Col. Breeze and despite his
abnormal talking proclivities, he was
popular with the players.
Ungiaub's names is often mentioned dur
ing the impromptu fannngs bees around
the hotel.
It did hot take Germany Schaefer long
to get acquainted here. Schaefer had
not been in the hotel lobby an hour when
he was the center of the entire crowd,
pulling off funny stories. for which he is
noted.
Germany looks much better physical
ly than when he reported last spring
He is already down to playing weight,
and says that the trip to Hot Springs
was the best thing in the world for him
When the time comes for McAieer to
select a second baseman, he is going to
have a tough job on his hands, for
Germany" states emphatically that he
is going to be right there from the start,
and the man who beats him will have TO
travel mighty fast
Schaefer's work in practice would seem
to bear out this statement, too.
WARM AT HOT SPRINGS.