Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-08
BY J. ED GRILLo.

special Dispatch to The Star.
i CHARLOTTESVILLE Va, March SIT
would not be at all surprising if Griffith
| carried the legal number Of twenty-five
players after May l, for it is not likely that
he will cut his squad down to less than that
number, unless there are more disappoint-
ments among the youngsters than is now
anticipated. Every pitcher. for instance,
who shows signs of having a future will
be retained, while it is the intention to
carry two extra outfielders and two ex-
ira infielders and, of course, three catch
ers. Griffith figures it is cheaper to carry
lyoung players Of promise, even though
they are used but seldom, than to go out
every year to buy and draft bunch of
unknowns. To an extent at least his
team will be his place Of development.
Griffith figures that young ball player
of ability is better off with a major
league team where he does not work reg
ularly than If he were with some minor
league aggregation where he might be
spoiled. Base ball law compels every
major league club to cut it's playing
strength to twenty-five men by May 1.
But few will carry that number, but
Griffith does not expect to be far under
the limit.
His plans, of course, may all be upset.
for no one can surmise what surprises
| may develop by the time the season
| opens. As matters now stand he appears
to be we'll fortified in every respect. He
| should be able to get a strong infield out
of Flynn, knight, Cunningham, Mcbride.
| Foster. Morgan, Sheer and Gagnier,
whatever combination he may chose from
this lot. The outfield. with Moeller, Mi
| from, gives promise. That pitching staff
which is of the greatest importance, is
| bound to be better than 1t was last sea-
son. for the reason that there is not re-
cruit in the party who is not better
pitcher than any Of those tried out at
Atlanta last spring.
There may, of course, be some disap-
pointments, but for all that there is not
scarcity of material on Grifhth's list.
and, what is more. the standard set by
former members of the team should not
prove an insurmountable goal.
There is every reason for believing that
from this out the weather will be of
kind that might be expected at this sea-
son of the year. The sun did Trojan's
work yesterday. and though there was
a half a foot of snow in the morning. it
was virtually all cleared by evening. To-
day the players are very apt to get their
first outdoor work The snow was taken
off the infield early yesterday morning and
1t had the benefit Of the sun during the en-
tire day, so that it is likely the field will
be in good enough condition this aft
ernoon to allow the players to work on it.
The players are naturally anxious to get
outdoors. Indoor work serves its pur-
pose, but it is tiresome, and this thing
of being crowded together and restricted
to only certain kinds of exercise does not
strike ball players very well. 1t LOOKS
now as IL the next week would be blessed
with favorable weather, and that by the
time the second squad arrives here real
training can be INDUCED in.
While Griffith has instructed most of
his pitchers in their warm-ups, he has
deliveries, as he will do later. The rea-
son for this is that the pitchers arms
are not yet strong, and he figures it
would be taking a long chance to have
them curve and use slow balls, which
are particularly hard on arms before
those members are we'll seasoned.
Griffith has every confidence in his abil-
ity to improve several of the pitchers on
his staff. One thing that he proposes to
teach all of them is his famous slow ball.
He says it takes time to learn it, but
that once it is mastered it makes pitch
er. Grifith's manner of pitching the slow
average pitcher, for the reason that the
ball does not arch, but goes on a straight
line toward the plate thus making it i'm
possible for the batter to gauge its
/, with the remarkable speed of Johnson
and Cashion master a good, slow ball
| they are unbeatable. and he proposes to
put in much time this summer trying to
| teach them the art.
| While Eddie Ainsmith was sitting look
| ing out Of the window of the lounging
| room yesterday morning he saw rabbit.
Quick as a flash he was out Of the door,
! followed by Dixie Walker, and for the
next half hour the two ball players
chased bunny. There being a deep snow
at the time. Bre'r Rabbit was somewhat
| Handicapped In his speed and Ainsmitll
| finally succeeded in capturing him. He
| brought him indoors for the players to
| look at, and then when told he could
not catch him again turned him loose and
| started on another chase. But bunny had
wised up by his first experience and this
time evaded his .pursuer by jumping into
| a hole.
!! While the batteries get some benefit out
| Of this indoor work, it is rather useless
| SO far as the two infielders. Cunningham
I and Morgan, who are here. About all
| they can do Is to toss the ball or exercise
| at some Of the gymnasium paraphernalia,
| and 1t is a question whether work of this
do get a little fielding practice twice q
! day, but the ball bounds quite different
ON a board floor than it would out in the
open. Cunningham manages to keep busy
| and has not gained an ounce since COM
Ing here, but little Morgan is gaining
| with every day, though he expects to get
| down rapidly when he gets outside where
he can do some work.
It would be one on Hughey Jennings If