The Washington herald., 1912-04-11
NATIONALS BANK
ON TAKING FIRST !
FROM ATHLETICS
Walter johnson to Oppose
Jack COOmbs-Game
Called 8 p. m.
LOCALS ARE CONFIDENT
ny wLL1Am PEET.


Philadelphia, April 1O.-wfth confidence
stamped on the face of every washing
ton athlete. the Nationals blew into the
City of Brotherly Love tonight for a
good sleep in preparation for the opening
battle Of the American League season
tomorrow against Connie Mack's Ath-
Ietics
The fact that the White Elephants are
champions of the universe seems TO
bother Grint's band but little, and the
conversation on the train coming up was
something like this:
You go in and win tomorrow, Wal
Ter, and win take fall out Of them
Friday" said Dixie Walker 10 Walter
JohnsonN
"Yas," Cashion added, with his South
ern drawl, ''and hope Grin works me
Saturday. for I want TO start on the
season with a victory powerfully bad
The Nationals are not only banking on
winning the FIRST game behind Walter
johnson. but are determined to land all
three This is the kind Of spirit instilled
by Clark Griffith. Even the youngsters
have caught IT up and are .disgruntled
because they cannot see a chance to get
on the firing line.
When 1t became known that the Ath-
letics might not start the game with
Good Night Baker, oldring. or Lord
in the line up, the Nationals with one
voice shouted, That's too bad. for we
want TO beat the best team Mack can
Put on the field"
Conscience Is There.
Can the Oldest inhabitant in the Cap
ital ever remember when such confidence
existed in a washington team? Under the
CantiIlon or McAleer regimes, surely not.
Grif has the men keyed up to a high
pitch, and II the old fighting spirit SO
much in evidence tonight shows during
to-morrow's battle all viii be well.
1t was settled late tonight that Capt
George Mcbride would be In his old po-
sftion at shortstop. despite his injury,
also thai instead OF John Henry behind
the bat Eddie Ainsmith would have the
honor of handling Johnson's great speed.
Henry was hit In the arm by a pitched
ball during practice yesterday morning
ard the muscles are lame, so Griff de-
cided that Ainsmith would have to do the
work, although If Eddie develops one of
his erratic spells, Collegian John win
be quickly shuffied in.
Walter johnson, 10 to date, has not
pitched a full nine inning game, and
there was some doubts as to whether he
could stand the gan. The big twfrler
himself made the following statement to
the writer tonight:
i am in perfect shape, and IL / am
beaten VIII have no excuses to offer
It is true have not pitched nine in
ninEs this spring, but / can do 1t all
right. In the exhibition games / did
not let myself out threw very few
curves, and worked at three-quarters
speed. Those games did not count, and
was determined TO be in my best form
when the season opened.
Il believe we are going to win to-
morrow. We viii, too if the boys be-
hind me can pull down two or three
runs. l shall do my part, which will
consist Of giving up all I've got
Mack Looks for Fight.
Manager Connie Mack. of the Ath-
letics, was interviewed, and the crafty
leader made no bones of the fact that
he looked for a tough battle tomorrow.
Mack says that in Clark Grifith the
Nationals have a grand leader. and adds
that the club itself looks much stronger
to him than last year. An elaborate
programme has been arranged for the
opening game.
The gates will be thrown open at
noon. At ] o'clock Kenders Band is 20
give a concert, which win last until 2:l5
O'Clock, when both teams Will show up
for practice. The teams will march to
the flag pole in center field, where the
banner emblematic of the worlds base
ball title will be flung 10 the breeze.
The contest will start promptly at }
o'clock.
President johnson. of the American
League, has named his umpires for the
opening series in this city. o'Laughlin
and Westervelt are the men who viii
handle Thursdays game at Shibe Park.
SILK will have the task of breaking
in Westervelt this spring. Westervelt
has been umpiring for number Of
years in the minor leagues, and this
VIII be his debut in the big swim.
The Athletic players have seen Wester-
Welt work The young man oficiated in