The Washington times., 1912-02-16
TRAINING IS HARD
WORK FOR PLAYERS
Athletes Preparing for Opening of Regular Season. Suf
fer Many Aches and Palms. and Veterans Hate Daily
Stunts Necessary to Condition Them
BY SENATOR"

What do these fellows do when they
go OH these training trips?" asked a
National rooter the other day. II sup
pose they play ball, and play bail, and
play ball some more. I'd get sick OF
that l think, after about two days. |
don't see why they cont put off this
training until a week or so before the
season opens. Perhaps then they might
show more interest in their games"
Which indicates an absence of knowl-
edge on the part of the fan in question.
Ball players on a training trip work so
llard that they can hardly rest at night,
but they have to do this in order to get
into physical trim necessary to star:
the regular campaign. But they have
plenty OF amusements, too.
When the bunch of rockies leave here
on March for Charlottesville in charge
of Manager Clark Griffith, they will
Spena I2 their time gazing at the scenery.
Thats because they're rockies. Veterans
would nave a card game under way be-
lore the train pulled out of the Union
station. The few veterans in that first
bunch will be playing poker or whist,
John Henry pridinE himself on his mar
velous whist skill. John used to play
whist last year in his sleep.
Have Early Call.
At Charlottesville the call will be
heard every morning at O'Clock.
Breakfast done, the athletes will rest
before climbing into their duds and
marching out upon Lambeth Field for
preliminary exercise. For the first few
days Griffith will have every man run
around the track-not too long, but just
long enough to get him putting and per
spring. Then will come tossing the
ball around. That first week will see
the twirlers and catchers warming up
carefully under the watchful eye OF the
manager and completing their workout
with another fine young jaunt around
that track. It's this track work that
gets on the nerves of the boys. But 1t
builds up their wind.
What will they, do in the forenoon?
Well most of them will play cards.
Walter johnson, "Zeb" Milan. John
Henry, George Mcbride, Eddie Ain
smith, and most likely some of the new
players. will gather in some room in
Hotel National, the temporary quarters
o: the team. and put In several hours
showing their great skill.
Groom Likes Checkers.
Bobby Groom, the checker king. will
seek out some partner of class at the
game of squares. Last season Bobby
used to pick on Germany Schaefer and
Louie AlnSHntn, nellner OIL WnOH can
stay with him longer than ten moves.
To see Ainsmith foundering around
trying to keep Bob's vanguard from
penetrating his king row. gave the tall
tWirler great amusement. Finally
Jimmy McAleer took Sir Robert in tow
and soundly trounced him so often that
Bobby concluded that the checker game
was a great mystery to him.
If Charlottesville has a moving pic
ture theater, one Thomas Hughes, vet
eran pitcher, will occupy front seat
every time they shift the reels. II
there is one thing Tomasso dotes upon.
it is Stirring scenes of the Turkish Ital-
ian war. flights of aeroplanes. galloping
fire departments. gushing romanCes and
thrilling dramas, as depicted upon the
hustling pictures. Yes. Sir Thomas will
be a regular occupant of that front seat
while in Charlottesville.
"Gabby" Will Talk.
Gabby Street? Oh. Gabby will be in
the center of a large throng of open
mouthed citizens of Charlottesville, tell
ing of his adventures in the Spanish
War, when he and his brave compan-
ions of an Alabama regiment cut down
all the trees in Florida, or narrating his
experiences in the San Francisco earth
quake. However. here's one best bet
Gabby will be talking and will have all
the citizens in the town listening.