The Washington herald., 1912-03-28
Bits of Baseball.

All the pitchers having been given q
try-out. Manager Chance will now start
and run over the list again.
Detroit is trying hard to sign John J.
Mccormick. the Holyoke boy. who for
merIy caught for Cornell University.
So bad has been the weather which
they have encountered that the. Super
bas have gained another sobrIquet. The
Rainmakers"
A strenuous baseball season ought to
be a mere picnic for Hughey Jennings
after his experience In auto smash-ups
and railroad wrecks.
The injury received by otey Crandali
last fall. Just before the worlds series,
has never come around right and Il IL
very doubtful II he will be able to work
this year.
Just now In Chicago there Is much
gnashing of teeth and tearing Of hair on
the part OF the Windy City bugs because
Of the failure OF Frank Chance TO sign
a real live southpaw.
Chick Autrey. the former Boston Ma
tional first basemen. who Is now with st.
Paul. Is laid up with rheumatism at Hot
Springs and will be unable TO get into
the game for two or three weeks.
President FogeI declares that there Is
still time for the players to get into
championship shape by the time the sea-
son starts. and he predicts that his team
will get a flying start after all and win
the championship with ease.
Jake Daubert was a star last season.
but he Is very anxious to be even bet
ter this year. HIS base running does not
suit him, and he has been practicing the
de-baek-to-first.' so that he will be
able 10 keep q longer lead.
Manager o'Day hopes and believes
that the Red pitchers will show better
form this year than they did last sea
son and that the average performance
of the twirlers will be much higher. suf-
hciently so to make the club pennant
contender.
Sooner or later they all come around
to Fred Clarke's way. OF thinking. Frank
Bancroft. who has seen the Reds go
South to train for the past twenty years,
fully indorses Manager O'Day's policy
of going South a week later In 1918 and
remaining there a week longer. He says:
That has been Fred Clarke's method
for years with the Pittsburgs. and they
generally line up the opening day in
shape to get a running start In the big
race"
Human flesh when cast In the mold
of a star ball player Is worth a trife
more than its weight In golden bullion"
says an old baseball man. How much
does one figure Mathewson Is worth to
the Giants as a financial personality? Or
Cobb to the Tigers2 Or Wagner to
Pittsburgh Or Ed Walsh to Chicago, or
johnson to Washington? II Cobb. Math-
ewson and Wagner are not worth $4,000
a season each, they are not worth
kopeck or a yen. But II any club at
tempted to pay a star his due the result
ant roar from a good many athletes upon
the same club would shake on the roof"
Jimmy Callahan desires TO see Zeider
and Collins working at first base. He
thinks he Is getting near the time when
he viii have to pick a man for that first
corner and so far he Is at a loss to
know which one will be the best. Tex
Jones Is going along at quite q merry
clip just now and Jacques Fournier looks
better each day.
Marty o'Toole figures that the Boston
League club will furnish q big
surprise this year. He says that Vincent
Campbell Is a great ball player: that he |
viii strengthen the team immeasurably, |
and that the rate at which the Braves |
Travelled during the last part Of last sea- |
son is only an evidence OF what this |
years team can do II II really tries.
Hughey Jennings INTENDS TO keep six |
lnfieiders. This means that three men