The Washington times., 1912-04-18
GESSLER'S SQU|TT|NG
BRINGS NO Loss TO
WASHINGTON CLUB
Kansas City Suffers From
Veteran Outielder's
Decision. r.e .
OUTLAW LEAGUERS
TO BEGIN 7KAINING
Nationals Playing Field Has Un-
dergone Considerable I'M
provement.
By SENATOR"

Even though Doc Gessler has retired
from the diamond to pursue his study
Eof medicine, the Washington club will
pose nothing thereby. The sale price
has been paid over by the Kansas City
club and the loss falls on Charlie Carr's
club owners.
II was interested in that announce
ment OF Gesslers retirement" said
Manager Griffith today. "only because
he was a good player in his day. The
sale to the Kansas City club has been
recorded and the Washington club is
not loser by his decision to quit ac-
tive playing"
Gessler, as exclusively announced in
The Times yesterday, Is studying med
icine at Johns Hopkins and means to
open an office in Pittsburgh, after COM
pleting his studies in Germany.
To Start Training.
George Browne, manager Of the local
United States Leaguers, will have
twenty-one players training at Rich
mond tomorrow for the outlaw season
which opens May /. A practice game
is carded with the Richmond Virginia
Leaguers Saturday, unless something
happens to prevent.
President Whitman, of the Uncle Sam
circuit, announces the following UNI
pires for the coming season: George
Goodhart, Reading; Phil Massey, Phila-
delphia; David Lindsay, Pittsburgh
Joseph Bailey, st. Louis, and John
Though the outlaws have endured
much chatting, 1t is more than prob
able that they will start at least. The
caliber of their teams will not be high,
but they should play. part of their
hnfn ttk11H n o
to what seems the inevitable.
Today the International League opens
tts season in Providence, Jersey City,
Newark and Baltimore. President Bar.
row Is confident of having a success
full season, playing to large popula-
tions and with teams almost equal ir
strength.
Patrons and fans of the Nationals
the team takes the field tomorrow as q
result of the efforts of Groundkeepel
F1tzgerald during the teams stay
away. The old brown clay dirt infielc
like looking covering which has beer
placed on top of the old covering. rails
ing 1t more than two inches.
Groundkeeper Fitzgerald says the ole
clay dirt was almost impossible to drS
/. out, and that when 1t had rained the
clay stuck to the players feet, cloggine
their efforts in running, and at the
smoothness Of the infield paths. Now i
will be different, the new black mixture
which covers the old clay is calculated
to absorb practically all the water and
at the same time has the faculty o.
drying out much faster than the ole
covering.
To Fix 0utfeld.
According to Fitzgerald these are no
all tho improvements to take place
When tipe team goes way for its mex
long stay a force of thirty men will ge
10 work on the outfield and raise it t.
somewhere near the level of the infield
The ground in the outfield at present 4
Rough, despite what efforts could b.
made in trying to smooth it out F1tz
gerald says that outfelders have fount
1t almost impossible to properly gaug
ground balls hit into the outfield. ant
that it is a wonder that more balls hav
mot gotten by the outtielders In tn
ante-season games.
A CARLOAD of grass seed has bee
distributed over the grounds, chief
over the infeld, and before summer |
well on its way Groundkeeper Fttz
gerald expected to have grassy die
mond, surpassed by none in the circuit