Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-05
"DIXIE' WALKER SAYS HE IS
OUT TO MAKE GOOD THIS YEAR
Clever Twirler Has Cut Out Cigarettes and
Means Business = Cunningham
Pleases Manager Griffith.

fit the playing field for practice. accord
ing to Umpire Rigier. so that it is not I'M
likely that the players will get out in the
open by tomorrow.
Tom Hughes injured hand is as good
as ever Tom has tried 1t out and there
is not the slightest pain in the member.
Last fall Tom was unable to get hold
the falling off in his work during the
closing weeks of the season.
In the matter of having big men on the
team the Nationals will compare favor
ably with any team in the country. Bar
ring Guy Johnson, BOehling and Akers.
every one of the pitchers is six feet or
over, and no team has three catchers of
smith. These. together with knight,
Flynn, Mcbride. Moeller, will stack up
pretty well with any team which can
boast of giants.
Dixie Walker is changed man. To
begin with, Dixie" has given up cigar
cites and is smoking a pipe, a change
which has tickled Manager Griffith. Fur
thermOre, Walker insists that he will at
tend strictly to business this year. and
that he proposes to make the best record
of his career Walker was an inveterate
cigarette smoker heretofore, and there is
no doubt that this interfered with his
work. 1t has been nearly two months
now since he smoked the weed in this
form, and he looks all the better for it.
Il have been convinced that the proper
thing for me to do is to pay strict atten-
ton to my business this simmer, and
that. is what I propose to do" said he
- fellow only has a few years in base
ball and he cannot expect to get star S
salary unless he delivers the goods, and
that is what l will do this year. l am
through with everything but playing ball,
and no one will have any fault to find
with me from this OUT
Cunningham, Ainsmith and Henry are
three crack basket ball players. and they
gave an exhibition of their prowess in the
gymnasium this morning, which shows
them to be masters at the sport. OF
course, no rough work was INDUCED in
because ball players cannot afford to get
hurt. but they showed enough to convince
any one that either of them could hold a
position on any basket ball team in the
country, professionals not barred. Cum
Eningham and Ainsmith> are particularly
Eclever at the sport, and they gave a fine
exhibition of tossing into the basket
Manager Griffith does not look for Bob
Groom until tomorrow. Bob Is expected
| to come east with Walter Johnson, and it
| is not unlikely that the big fellow will
come down here with Bob.
| Manager Griffith is by no means certain
that Buck Becker can't be made good
ileft-handed pitcher. After watching him
work out this morning, Griffith comment
ed on the youngsters good motion and the
fact that he had a lot of speed without
Iany effort. He seems to think that Beck
er can be taught how to develop n quick
breaking fast curve. without which few
ileft-handerS have been successful. The
fact that Becker has long fingers which
he can wrap around the ball should make
hit easy for him to get curve ball, the
fault probably being that he does not hold
lit properly. Griffith intends to take him
i'm charge during the teams stay here in
an effort to get him a curve, and if he
succeeds in this he is satisfied that he
Twill be success. There is no reason
why Becker should not be good pitch
err said Griff. He has the size and
plenty of speed and control, and if. as 1
am told, he lacks q good curve feel that
II can remedy this trouble.
| All players are not jealous Of Ty Cobb
One never hears of them saying any
thing detrimental to the great Tyrus
Though he causes most of them great
deal of trouble during the season. But
what is true of Cobb is not so with Joe
jackson. That worthy made himself
decidedly unpopular last fall when he
! went around the circuit begging, for
base hits in order that he might win
the automobile. A catcher on the Ma
tionals told this story. You can't.help
but admire Cobb because he asks no ia
! vors, but makes his game a success by
his wonderful ability. Not so with
Jackson. He was around last fall beg