Evening star., 1912-01-21
GRIFFITH REFUSES
TO HAND OUT HOPE
Nationals Manager Can't See
Way Clear to Predict Sue
cess for Team.
GIVES ASSURANCE
THERE'LL BE HUSTLE
Five Positions to Be Compe-
tently Filled Before There
Can Be Improvement.
BY j. ED GRILLo.


in the minds of local patrons of base ball
and one which Manager Griffith has been
asked to answer several times every day
since he has taken charge Of the Ma
tionals is, Where will the team fnish?''
SO far as Griffith is concerned this has
been answered in the stereotyped way,
Il don't know Nor does he know any
more than does any one else. If the team
which he puts on the field the coming
season finishes seventh IL will not be
disappointment, and il il finishes higher
il will furnish genuine surprise. and
yet it may play better ball than last
season The fact must not be overlook
ed that while the local club has changed
its plans and is making an effort to
build up team of youngsters. other
teams in the American League have un-
doubtediy been improved. SO that in
order to finish higher in the race the
Nationals will have to be decidedly
stronger than they were last season.
IL sincere efforts on the part of the
manager count for anything. then the
Nationals may upset all calculations and
become factors in the race. but il should
never be forgotten that before a man
ager can show results he must have a
ball team. 1t appears to be the con-
senSus OF opinion that Griffith has made
forward strides in steps tnat he has
taken regarding the team since he took
charge here. but 1t Is hardly to be ex-
pected that a man taking charge of a
ball team with which he Is none too ia
miliar can change a loser to a winner in
u single year. Griffith has been decIledly
reticent regarding any predictions as to
his team, but when asked yesterday TO
express his opinion as TO what the Ma
tionals' chances were in the race he said:
Il am perhaps more at sea as to the
strength OF the Nationals than the aver
age patron Of the game in this city, be-
cause / have not seen the present aggre-
CATION in,action. l am convinced. how
ever. that we have some good ball play
ers. and l feel that there Is a chance Tor
US TO develop others who will hll the bill.
1t would be absurd for me to make any
prediction for the team, because ] really
only know 1t on paper, and / will have
10 see II in action at least few weeks
in the championship season before dare
make up my mind as to the sort OF ma
terial I have on hand. The only assur-
ance that can give Is that We will have
nine men on the field every day who VIII
do everything within their power to win.
That Is one thing that ! will insist on re-
gardless Of what steps / will have to take
to bring II about ] want TO say that
never before in my many years OF expe-
rience in base bail have ! been as well
satisfied with any position l have ever
held as the one ] now occupy. III l can
not show results here in due time will
have no one to blame but myself. l am
not hampered in any way, and lie ouiid-
ing up of winning team is e.itirely in
my hands. All ask for is a falr ehance.
Great Improvement cannot be made over
night II takes time. patience and iots
Of work to change conditions here, ana l
feel confident that l will not De founo
lacking IN any respect.
We are going into this next campaign
with the nucleus of a fairly good Dali
team. No one can predict what will be
the results Of our experiments. but II
must be conceded that the only way We
can ever hope to get winner here Is to
develop ball players, and we will follow
a policy from this out which has this in
view
Eddie McCafferty manager of the Mon
treuI team Of the international League, Is
in the city visiting Manager Clark Grff-
fifth Manager McCanerty Is en- route
south In search of training place for
his ball team. lie expects 10 iocate some
where near Raleigh. y. G.
Manager McCafferty expressed some
disappointment a the failure OF the Ihl-
cago National League club to get waivers
on First Bascnan Safer. who. together
with a pitcher and a cash consideration,
was to be traded for First Baseman Can
dill Of the Montreal team. The failure OF
the Pittsburgh club to waive on SAFER
made the deal impossible, and will prob
ably mean that Gandil, who Is said TO
lie a wonderfully improved ball player,
must remain at Montreal for another sea-
son
CLYDE Milan and Bob Groom. two play
ers who are among the unsigned members
OF the local team and are believed to be
dissatisfied with the terms offered them.
held q similar position last winter ana
did not come into the fold until the team
was In training at Atlanta last spring.
There isn't any danger OF either of these
players becoming hold-outs. Milan was
paid a princely salary for his efforts last
atovi a E..
was entitled TO it, for there is-Ro doubt
about his ability. True. Milan Was not
on a winning team. and his individual
efforts, perhaps. were not sufficient TO
help the team out of seventh place. but
In base ball a players ability is not over
looked because he happens to be on a
losing team. In fact. some players show
to better advantage when playing with a
lot Of mediocre talent than il they were
on a team Of xtars. This does not apply
to Milan. for there is no doubt about his
ability. nor Is there much danger Of his
being out OF the fold when the season
opens.
So far as Groom is concerned, he has
no complaint coming. The local manage
ment has been most patient with him He
has been treated with every considera-
zion, because he has shown an occa
sjonal lash which led to the belief that
there was bright future in store foi
Linn. But his demands for an increase
are ill-founded. for. on the whole. he has
been paid considt ably more than he has
earned
But for Walter Johnsons ideal dispo-
sitiou and the fact that every ball player
Iealizes his wonderful ability. his pres
ence on the team might prove a serious
matter. The fact that Johnson is one OF
the highest-salaried players in the league
would ordinarily breed "a lot of jealousy
and create lot of dissatisfaction. Blu,
johnson Is popular with his teammates
for the reason that his fame has not up
set him in any way. He never criticises
his fellow-players, is always willing tt
help them and takes blame which 9th
ers would shift to other shoulders. A,
a-gcneral rule ball players are envious o.
those who are In a position to demand
the highest salaries. This is PARTICULAR,
true on losing teams. and Yet Johnson
when he gained his point with the loca
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