Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24
RAIN AGAIN HOLDS
UP THE NATIONAL S
Continued from First PaeeD

ander OF the Phillies and Gregg OF the
Maps as the seasons sensation II would
be wonderful help to the team If he
goes Well, for two pitchers of the Johnson
Cashion type can come pretty near to
landing any sort of a team close to first
division.
There is whole lot of satisfaction in
knowing that no matter what intield COM
bination Griffith may decide upon he is
not apt to make a serious mistake. For
once the Nationals are supplied with an
abundance OF good infield ma terial some
thing that does much to make a good
ball team. He can play either Knight
or Flynn at first, Cunningham. Foster
or Morgan at second, knight, Morgan or
roster at short, or knight. Morgan or
roster at third. No other team has in
nelders who promise SO much versatility
and 1t Is this which will make a per-
manent selection rather difficult for n
time at least, but the games which the
Nationals are booked to play at home
before the season opens will furnish an
excellent opportunity to do such expert
menting as may be considered feasible.
mere are any number OF combinations
which can be tried out in those two
weeks at the end of which Griffith ought
to have fair line on which one will be
most beneficial to the team. With the
outheld 1t is different Milan and Moeller
are almost certainies and there will be no
change so far as Schaefer is concerned, IL
ne comes up to last years form Should
he fail. however. Griffith will have a
couple of fast youngsters yet to be select
ed to take his place Griffith has by no
means given up hope Of making Clarence
Walker a good ball player. He likes the
Spartanburgers speed and throwing pro-
clivties and he thinks that IN time he can
be improved in batting and base running
He would OF course prefer to have
Schaefer make good at the outset. be-
cause his experience wild be OF much help
to the team. but he VIII nave to go at a
fast clip in order to hoid his Job for there
on the bench. anxious 10 take HIS glove
away from him.
II Jack knight reports in condition he
will be in the game Wednesday. knight
informed Griffith some time ago that he
was working out every day with the
Columbia College squad, and as he
should have been at this for more than
a month. there is no reason why he
should not be ready to play when he
reports. Griffith. however. has not made
up his mind where he will play him,
though he Will likely start at third base.
Dan MoeIer is man of very few
words. He speaks but seldom, but is
a close student OF the game: Being
left-handed, Moeller naturally hits into
right field quite often in practice here,
but he Is practicing left field hitting, for
the reason that the short right field
fence on the Washington grounds will
force all the wise American Lea quo twirl-
ers to keep the ball on the outside cor
ner Of the plate, where a Ieft-hander is
not apt TO pull 1t to right field. Moelier
is far-Sighted enough to realize that this
strategy will be employed and he puts
in most of his time at the bat every day
practicing hitting just such balls as he
expects to have dished up to him when
the regular season opens. Moe,ler is
a thinker, and il is not stretching the
facts any when 1t is said that in tho
games here he has been under a pull. He
has never let himself out, because he
trains carefully and does not want 10
take any chances of hurting himself. He
will be an entirely different looking ball
player when he gets down TO the real
games, and he would not have to improve
his work any over what IL has been here
to make good.
When Griffith bats to his infield for
half an hour or so he keeps his men
at 1t until they become wabbly on their
feet. Every one OF them is in constant
action and about half an hour OF this
sort of work tires them badly. Just
as soon as he notices them going after
balls I'm a labored way he calls a halt
and the infielders fairly drag themselves
back to the gymnasium. But this sort
of strenuous work has had the effect or
getting the players In splendid condition
and they are getting faster every day.
Paul Musser's prospects are hamp cred
by reason Of his poor fielding on the rub
Der. The former Canton, Ohio. star has
lots of stuff, but he is not a good fielder.
which is a great handicap for a pitcher
in major league company. for once
team discovers such a weakness the
pitcher does not last long, for he finds
himself amid q shower of hunts. Musser.
OF course. will improve in this respect. as
do all pitchers. There was time when
Walter Johnson used to have his troubles
fielding his position, but he has developed
into one of the best fielding pitchers in
the league All the other youngsters are
unusually proficient in this respect Boeh-
ling. Becker Johnson. Akers and Allen
are much better fielders than the average
crop Of pitchers who join major league
teams In the spring.
Griffith contends that rest is the best
stimulant for a pitchers arm. He works
his pitchers carefully, giving them just
certain amount of work every day,
which varies to some extent. The pitcher
who works against batters today for fif-
teen or twenty minutes does no pitching
the following day. In this way Griffith
keeps his twirlers fresh while they
getting into condition, and he figures that
by the time the season opens any one OF
them will be able to go the entire route.