Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-29

ments. No other spot has been consider
ed. let alone selected. and won't be until
IL is absolutely assured that harlottes-
vile cannot take care of the team. Gril
naturally wants TO return to the place
from which he had a successful season.
and he expects to overcome such obstacles
as have arisen in connection with the
Virginia college town and eventually
have the players report there. There are
several reasons why charlottesville is
preferable To any other place the Ma
tionals have ever trained. In the first
place, II does not require much railroad
fare to take the players and bring them
back II Is possible to work there every
day regardless Of weather conditions for
the gym is excellent, and. what is more,
there is little or no difference between
the climate there and here. 80 that the
players. after getting into condition. do
not undergo change of climate which
usually proves detrimental. The ball
park at Lambeth Field is one of tn. best
that can be secured. II dries out easily
Is smooth and level and well sodded Few
major league diamonds are superior and
with favorable weather a bail team ought
to get in playing condition at Charlottes-
vile as quickly as anywhere under the
sun.
While it seems assured that the opera
ton which John Henry is 10 undergo
some time this week will entirely cure
his injured knee and have him III to
play ball i'm plenty of time for the
coming season. II might be "A serious
blow to the Nationals aspirations
should Henry be kept out of the game
for some time as result of his in
jury. Two. catchers are hy no means
enough Tor major league club To
worry along with. one man might he
able to do all the work but the element
of danger to catcher lis great, and il
has long since been found necessary
to carry three men for that position.
IT is to be hoped that Henry will he as
we'll AS ever result of the opera
ton, for no young catcher that has
come into the league in recent years
had a brighter future before him. With
virtually but a single seasons expert
ence, Henry developed into one of the
best catchers in the league. and but for
the injury he would have climbed higher
in the estimation OF the critics by next
fall
Just what disposition Griffith will
make of Schaefer and Altrock has not
been decided. He may carry both of
his comedians as he did last year and
then again Altrock may have to single
out next season. There lis still chance
for Schaefer to play ball. not with
Altrock. His playing days are over.
Schaefer is drawing just good
salary now as he did in the days when
he was the second bdseman of the
champion Tigers, though he breaks int"
the game but seldom. Naturally, il is
quite an expense to carry Schdeter
around the country to amuse the fans
and it is doubtful il Griffith will retain
him.
Schaefer, by the way. seems To like
his position with the local club He
had chance last season to become a
minor league manager AS good salary.
but turned the proposition down cold
Griffith gave "A representative of the
Sacramento team the liberty to talk
business with Schaefer. He was Of
fered $4,000 season to take charge or
that team. but he refused, saying that
he could get more money than that
cracking Jokes OH the coaching lines in
the big leagues.
This may be true. but there are those
who believe that Schaefer has mana
gerisl ability, and he may be making a
mistake by not trying his hand at that
end of the game before II is too late.
Aside from the young pitchers. all or
whom figure to show Improvement, are
four men who will see their second year
in fast company, who may prove sensa-
tons. Gandil at first is Almost certain
to play even better ball than he did las
season. His debut with the Nationals
was nothing short of marvellous and
when the fact is taken into consideration
that he played all season when he was
far from being In good health, there is
real hope that he will do even better
The removing of his tons'ls has. from all
accounts, greatly improved his health. 80
that he Will not be handicapped in this
way.
Foster Moeller and Shanks surely have
been benefited by their years experience.
and If they play better ball than they did
last season 1t ought to make a materiai
difference in the teams showing. What
IS more. Griffith will open the campaign
with his team intact. barring accidents
of course. and he shoud be able to win
a much larger percentage of his games
during the first months Of the season
than he did last year. when his winn'n"
column was short OF figures compared
with the losing end of the standing.
=. Griff IS fortunate enough to find one
or two players of major league caliber
among his squad Of recruits this spring
h.. will be able to both strengthen the
team and fortify himself against nishaps
to much better advantage than he was
able last season. There is OF course,
never any telling how these young p ay-
ers will turn out Spring before last Nc
Aleer had carload of kids down in At
lanta and not one Of them showed
enough to warrant carrying him after the
season opened. Last year just the or
posite was the case, but IL may he years
before luck will break that way again.
But once a marager has gathered around
him a team which can be figured
being prominent in the race, there is
always chance for Improvement for
the acquisition of single player of ab.l-
ity may fill the hole and bring about
III u-in