Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-13
BY II. C. BYRD.

Good pitchers are apt TO be very scarce
this year in the high schools. There does
not appear to be more than one team at
good pitching staff, and the others at
present have what might be termed poor
prospects for the development of good
twirling staff. Three of the schools which
last year had mines whose main depend
cncy was on the good pitching have lost
the men who did the work in the box.
and it is not likely that they will develop
ANYBODY as good this spring.
There are two schools which have no.
body who has done any pitching at ALL
They are Eastern and Western. Last
spring both schools had men who were
TO be depended on to twirl good ball,
but at present there is none in sight
who can do much of anything along that
line
Lyon, who pitched such good ball for
Eastern in two or three of the high
school games, is not in school any more.
and 1t will be an extremely difficult mat
ter for the Blue and White to find
somebody TO take his place on the mound.
Western also lost the man who did its
twirling last year-Holden-and whatever
the Red and White may do, it is not
probable that it will have as good pitch
ing TO depend on this year as last. 1t
was Holden's individual work that kept
Western in the race after the game with
Central, and that kind of pitcher is
not yet in sight this season.
At Business there are two of the men
who did the pitching last year. Wood,
who did some good work at times. is a
fair twirler, but he is such good hitter
and fielder that he will not be used in
the box If it can possibly be helped.
Central seems to be little better fixed
than any of the three mentioned. Both
men who did the pitching last season
are gone, and the Blue and White is
sure 10 miss the steady work of man
of Boteler's caliber. 1t is not likely that
any man will be developed who will be
able to do good work as he has for
the past two years.
Tech is the one school which appears
to be we'll fortified with pitchers. 1t has
Austin, who did some mighty good work
for the team which won the 1911 cham
pionship, and he will be the mainstay in
the box this year. To back up Austin
and to do the bulk of the work in the
preliminary games the Manual Trainers
have Cantwell, who is reputed to be
good man.
AS for appearances at present. they
seem to preclude any possibility of there
being good teams in competition in
the high school series as there were last
spring. Not only in the pitching STATS
have they been weakened. but some of
the best men who played in the other po-
sitions have been lost. When curSory
view of the seasons prospects is taken
it seems that Tech has much the adj
vantage to start with. the majority of it
being derived from the fact that 1t has
veteran pitchers with which to begin its
season
Whenever there is an Olympic meet to
be held il appears that South Africa al
ways comes forward with a good sprinter.
In 1905 that country came to the front
with a young man named Walker, who
was not figured TO have much of chance
against Jimmy Rector. but the latter was
kind enough to show, him how to start "a
few days before the meet and as a result
was left at the mark for his trouble and
beat out at the tape by narrow margin
of half a stride. This time ii is a fellow
by the name of Patching who will be
sent To Stockholm to represent the ve1dt
country, and while not much has been
said of him the mere fact that he is TO
be sent to the olympics is enough to
suggest that the American sprinters had
better pay special attention to him. Not
much had been heard Of Reggie Walker
either until after he had got away from
the mark in front of Rector and beat
him to the tape by scant six inches.
New York is to have "A professional
running event of exceptional class. Bill
KoIehmainen, the Powderhall mara thon
winner OF 1912: Hans Holmer, the Pow