Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-07
SUCCESS DEPENDS
ON NEW PLAYERS
Griffith's Youngsters Must
Make Good If Team Is to
Be Winner.
NONE OF RECRUITS
IS HIGHLY TOUJEO
A Fact, However, Which Does
Not Affect Their Ability.
Griff Should Help Pitchers.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

y. Ell Gh41LO.
The success of the first year of the
Griffith regime depends entirely upon the
youngsters. IL ii should be the good
fortune of the new manager to have sew
eral of the young players make good
there is little doubt that his team will
occupy 4 higher position in the coming
race than il ever has before, and in order
to do this It would have to finish but
sixth
There is nothing to base the prediction
on that tho team will finish higher than it
did last yea. and yet with no accidents
bcCalii'iC one or two of the teams main
saws there is no good reason to be adj
tarccd why it should not finish as well
"a it did last year.
OF the dozen and i half or so of young
stcrs Griffith will take into training this
spring, really nothing is known. There
was nothing particularly brilliant ;Aout
their performance in the minor leagues
last season. nor was there any strenuous
competition TO secure them last fall
But this does not reflect on the merits
OF these players. Few of those who are
much touted have made good. while
players who have come into the big
show unheraded are numbered among
the stars Cobb, for instance, was never
heard of N connection with the great
players of the game until he reached
Detroit and it cost just 500 to bring him
there. Mathe%son did not cost the New
York club a. cent. and that is true so
Tar as Walter Johnson and the Washing
ton club are concerned. On the other
hand. there are Lefty Russell and Russell
Blackburn, the infielder purchased by
Chicago for a fabulous sum, neither of
whom made good. This, it would seem,
SHOWS that young players coming into
the big leagues without much OF rep
utation are not necessarily failures
Griffith has q lot of positions to fill.
There are three holes on the infield which
need plugging up. and aside from Milan
he has not single outfielder who can be
picked as a certainty. There is no reason
Tor worrying about the catching staff, but
aside from Walter Johnson there is not a
pitcher who would past performance
attract more than ordinary notice. With
this state OF affairs staring him in the
face, 1t is very evident that Griffith will
have his hands full. Fortunately the
players who will be picked TO fill the
positions of those. who have been let out
VIII not have TO be of high standard, so
that IL might be figured that the present
nucleus surrounded by mediocre talent
would make team which could finish
as wen as any that have represented this
CITY IN the american League.
With really only two or three positions
filled. the training period of the Nationals
should be the most interesting i'm their
history. With no changes to be made
=. short field, the catching staff intact
ana Milan in the outfeld. it is easily
seen that there are "a good many posi-
tons 70 be filed OF course, the pitch
M stan az II was made up last season
would do IT seventh place is considered
.ood enough. bat if the goal is higher
~. then there must DE Improvement
100. IN this department.
The very players whom Griffith
rust deperd TO improve his team are
mostly unknown to him and to Ioca!
patrons Of the game. Much surely de-
iends pm Ioeller and Foster, secured
from Rochester. According to the dope
winch has been brought to the surface
his is believed to be the classiest pair
of all the recruits on the local list. II
they should fail there is little to De
a1ped Tor from the others, if form counts
Ter anything. Base ball men who are
familiar with the Eastern League teams
insist tina, both Moeller and Foster will
make good here. and IL they do quite a
burden VIII have been taken off Grit
nthS shoulders. Griffith himself believes
that Flynn will win the first base DO
sltion. and there should be no doubt
about Schaefer making good in right If
rs batting last season was not a flash
= the PAN. and there is no reason for
believing that il was
With Milan. Schaefer and Noeller in
the outt1eld hitting 800 in the aggre-
-aie. the team win be better fortified
there than il has ever been before for
ms entire trio IS fast. But the inie'd
PRODUCES a problem. While Mcbride Is
brilliant fielder and really great BAL
ita%cr NJ Is not i lard hitter. and il
- absolutely Hesek sary TO surround him
with tirce -"LF Ei'teUs III order TO make
tHe team VEL t'aEced. Flynn. accord
ias 10 past = finauces. is hitter of
tue kind that .eeded-that Is to say,
he belongs 10 tla cleanup variety. OF
course. u Surn.i:@iam should come
md laEt Il -
~tsiat he joined the team the prospects
snould be bright. indeed. for then il would
be between Foster and Morgan to fight
II out for third base. and both these lads
look TO be at least fairly strong with
ne stick.
There Is no way TO estimate the team .
catching strength. In Johnson Griffith
viii have one of the best pitchers i'm the
country. lie ras some good material in
Walker, Groom and d batch of Young
sters. not To- speak % Hughes. vino. when
properly handled win more than earn
his salt, but il would make a great diff
ference If he was able TO develop one
pitcher who could be about as consistent
= performer as Johnson. With two strong
tWirlers 10 rely upon the team would be
materially strengthened and might prove
ihe surprise OF the campaign If the out
i'eld and infield pans as IL Is doped.
Griffith has been in charge of the af-
[afs of the local club for little over a
month. and during that time he has not
@lEade single move which has not met
with the approval OF the patrons of the
ZANE here. And yet there are those who
doubt the wisdom of his engagement be-
cause of his failure in New York and
Cincinnati. II failures they were.
The fact of the matter, however is
mat Griffith. when compared to those
ENho preceded him here, looms up by far
the master OF the lot. First there was
sIimny Manning. then Patsy Donovan
Tom Lotus, Jake Stahl. Joe Cantillon
a.t Jim McAieer. Surely Griffith has
been e-ery bit as much OF a success as
.tHts lot. IN fact, he has a pennant in
- American League to his credit, some
iil3@ 81 which none OF the others car
thp.ts:. Incidentally. he had three con-
i@rtcrs write n New York and the team
'wbicn tie left TO Hank O'Day in Cincin.
Continued on Third Page)