The Washington times., 1912-03-21
Griffith Determined to Get
Services of Left-Handed
Twirler.
YOUNGSTER is NOT
YET COME OF AGE
Ralph Maths Lost To The Ma
tiona1s For This Year
At Least.
By SENATOR"

CHARLOTTESVILLE Va, March Il
Failing to have q talk with the father
of Eppa RixeY Virginia's promising
young lefthand pitcher last night,
owing to the elder Rixeys absence from
his home when Griffith called, the man.
ager OF the Nationals is expected to
make another attempt to see him to-
night or tomorrow Griffith IL deter
mined to acquire the services of the
lany portsider as soon as possible. and
Is not letting any grass grow beneath
his feet.
Rixey gets his degree this year, but
has been thinking OF returning to col
lege for an extra year for special work.
In this he has the support of his
father, the twirler not yet being of age.
OF course. young Rixey would like to
play ball another year with the college
team, if he returns, and 1t Is this situa-
tion which has made him coy before the
advances of the big league clubs.
However, following Jack Ryan's boost
of the youngster, Griffith has become
even more desirous than ever of getting
Rixey's name on a Washington contract
and it is not without the bounds of pos
sibilities that he may succeed before
night.
Ralph Maths is lost to the Nationals,
no string being kept on him. This
Noungster, by reporting out of shape
and suffering from swollen neck glands,
lost whatever chance he might have had
of making a berth for himself in the big
show. The Nationals have too many
promising young outfielders for Grlf-
fn DO 81 A,.I
ing Maths until able to show his style
Another year in the Virginia League
may benefit the lad and he should be
grabbed by some big league club neXt
fall for a trial.
A heavy rain-soaked the ground here
last night and dark skies and a chill
damp wind dendered playing conditions
today far from pleasant. The players
bundled up in sweaters and got in theil
work on Lambeth field just the same
though, Manager Griffith declining tc
restrict them to the gymnasium wher
there was a possible chance for work
out on the diamond.
Cy Rigler, the National League um,
pirc and coach of the University o1
Virginia baseball team. is a strong sup,
porter Of Eddie Gagnier, and said to the
best infelder of all the new ones. I've
been watching him ever since he showed
up here and he doesn't seem to have g
fault in his fielding and his batting
is the strongest of the lot. He plays
the short field like a veteran, gets his
man sliding in with never the slight.
est risk of being hurt himself, and looks
like the most promising youngster eveI
trai mi ujt inr lau or,,f
team. His throwing is excellent and he
certainly has wing of steel"
GagnIer is the life of the Yannigans
here and his voice can be heard at al
times putting ginger into the pitchers
and the other infielders until the seconC
team really is breeZier and snappier in Its
play than the first team. Manager Grif
nth is watching the work of the Lin
coin star with considerable satisfac
ton, and judging by the fact that the
club has completed it's purchase of Gag
nier, intends to give him thorough
trial before severing his connection with
| the club.
Five Clean Hits.
in the three games in which he Ia,
played here Gagnicr has driven out nvt
clean hits for a total of twelve bases
lie meets the ball well and displays
plenty of speed on the bases. Ono o.
Two of his stops in the field have beGI
adorned with spangles, and his actions
ia the infeld denote baseball Lraius IL
every sense of the word.
In the short practice skirmsh be
tween .he Regulars and the Yannigan
Yesterday the honorS went to the Gan
with the whitewash score Of to
in their favor. Walter johnson an,
Carl Cashion, who climbed the era!
for the Yannigans. were In great form
the former allowing two hits and tn
latter not even the smell of one.
Dixie Walker, too, WIS in GOOD shap
and breezed through the first two in
nings like a tWo-yeaI -old, but in tn
third that wicked combination of A
Scheer and Tommy Long worked hi
undoing and showed across the frs
run of the battle. Scheer started it b
doubling to right field with one gone
McI'ride collareI W9lter Johnson
veal! pop, but Tommy Long, the "GadY
lie left field foul line for two sack:
! sending ,heHr over the dish.
Took Up Job.
Joe BOahltng. the Richmond battle
/. aN cut plug performer. took VI Dixi
Walkers job in the fourth aud yieldc
Two tallies in ths NTH frame Vii
me down Eddie Ga4nier Lrcczed
hcamtiful single 20 center bnd wcr
along when Bochling plurked Schee
iu tlIG arm. CashiOn hammered one q
Foster and the midget hurled wide |
lack Flynn, letting GaRnieT in. SchaC
reach third and Cashlun landed on s.,
end
flynn seized Tommy Longs hounc
and got Scheer at the plate, but Red
Walker smilingly punched a tN o-bas
swipr to center field and Cashio
danced his way IN from the midway.
Cashion had terrific speed while ]
worked trr the YRnnigans, and had u
trouble with the batsmEn. His Contr
vas almost perfect, ard they could d
littl" hut shove up little flies tn the II
fielders. lie famed fom of them
Manager Had Busy Day
Manager Griffith had "A busy day yel
terday, disposing Of two players an
his Man Friday At Griffith Han. "Nig
Clarke, the backstop forced unom Masl