The Washington herald., 1912-03-24
FIRST And THIRD
BASE POSITIONS
STILL In DOUBT
Morgan and Foster Fight
ing bard for Hot Cor
nsr Job.
JACK KNIGHT WILL TRY
Jack Flynn, Spencer, and Former
Yankee All to Battle for
Initial Station.
ociaI to The Washington Herald.

SPECIAL to The Washington Her7H
Charlottesville. Va, March 25.-Who
will start the season at first base for
the Nationals?
This question has the baseball writer's.
players. and others interested in the well
fare Cf the club guessing.
In the same breath might be asked
who is going to play third baseg' As
an answer to the latter query it might
he said that present indications point to
Foster. the Rochester recruit. a. the man
who will start the championship games
at third. but the first-base problem is a
hard one, ard promises TO be more COM
pick this coming week when Jack knight
shows up.
Foster and Ray Morgan. the former
Virginia League youngster. are the third
base candidates. and by virtue of his ex-
perience and present form the Rochester
midget would seem to have the call
In spite OF this one never can tell
what will happen. GrIf is mighty sweet
on Ray Morgan. The writer happens TO
know Of a good offer for Morgan's serv-
ices from a Glass "A league. which was
turned down cold by Boss Grifith, only
This past week.
Morgan looks like the makings Of a
cOTking good ball player" was Grifs
comment. and he is not for sale
Further than this the Old Fox will not
commit himself. which would indicate
;hat both Morgan and Foster will be
carried on the club pay roll during the
coming season.
kid" Foster Improves.
Foster has never played third base be-
fore and does not seem to be sure Of
himself. but mis- work has improved -
per cent since nc came TO Charlottesville.
and he is hitting the ball quite 10 Grin's
liking. Fosters favOrite stunt is drop
ping the ball over the first baseman'S
head. and Grin is coaching the midget
the knack Of right field hitting down TO
across with this stun when the cham
pionship games start. he will score lot
of runs for the Nationals
Ray Morgan has only recently hit his
stride. \ bum knee early last week
handicapped him. but during the past
three Gays the Baltimore boy has come
with rush He is hitting the ball hard
and putting Up grand defensive game.
The Nationals can well AFFORD TO carry
two such players as Foster and Morgan.
and. the chances are that GTiff will do
80.
who's Going to Play First Base:
Jack Flynn and Chester Spencer are so
evenly matched. at least their work here
thus far so indicates. that It's a toss
up. Next Thursday Jack knight. who
comes TO Washington in exchange for
Gabby Street will be on the job
Knight wants TO play first base. The
lanky boy held down that job while
Hal Chase was out Of the game for a
few days last season, and his work was
a revelation.
II Grin decides to give Knight chance
at the initial sack, where do Spencer and
Flynn come in?
In either case Knight will have to look
better to Grin than do either Spencer
OF Flynn. as the local boss Is playing
no favOrites.
Grif has all along refused to commit
himself on the subject Of where knight
is to be played. and until he shows his
hand the baseball writers are very much
like a man UP a tree.
On the showing up to date here in the
camp il would be absurd FOR a
person to declare that Flynn looked II
be a better FIRST sacker than Spencer. or
vice versa
There isn't anything about fielding the
position that Flynn doesn't know. He f.
4 finished first Sacker in this respect:
so is Spencer. As for hitting neither
PLAYER has done anything TO brag about
IN the exhibition games.
It's . Toss Up.
Flynn is not the fastest base-runner
On the club; neither Is Spencer. And
here you are. It's a toss VI.
Grit has had a fairly good chance TO
iize up these men during the practice
games. Flynn is holding down the mi
ial sack for the first team. and Spencer
covers first base for the Yannigans
The season Is still three weeks away
Ind there is plenty of time for Grifr
70 make up his mind which player to
leep. and a great deal will depend upon
he kind Of ball these men play from now
IN.
Jack Knight may he tried on second
lase. but at the rate Bill CUNNINGHAM is
yoing. Knight will have to show more
Ibility than he ever did while playing
hat position with the New York Yam
ices, for that boy Cunningham is not
'nly fielding his position in great shape.
tut Is smuggling the ball, and driving out
Ong hits.
The next three weeks will see a merry
cramble for the first and third corner
'ositlons on the Nationals, and until the
ntire list Of exhibition games has been
,layed here in camp and in Washington
would be foolish to pick the regulars.
or II the truth be told IL is doubtful
T Grinf himself Is quite sure. in view
4 the early form displayed by the cam
Ildates. WILLIAM PETE