Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-16

MANAGER GRIFFITH SATISFIED
WITH HIS PLAYING MATERIAL
Refuses to Predict Place for Nationals,
But Says Team Will Be a
Pleasant Surprise.
BY j. ED GRILLO.

BY j. ED GRILLO.
Special Dispatch to The Sta.
| CHARLOTTESVILLE; Va. March l6.-
| Clark Griffith is we'll satisfied with the
material from which he will be forced to
select his ball team. He believes that
when the campaign of 19l. is over there
will be occasion to express surprise al
the showing that the Nationals have
! made, though he refrained from predict
ing any position that they will occupy in
the race. He has seen enough to convince
! him that he will not be lacking in pitch
ing strength. that he will have a hard
hitting, fast-fieldins outfeld. and that his
infeld will bat and field up to standard
necessary in major league company TO
make a credita BILE, showing.
Regardless of what combination he may
decide on to fill the four positions around
the bases. he is sure to have better nit
ters and faster fieders than any team
reaching Washington in recent years has
been able to boast Of This too, holds
GOOD so Iar as the outfieid is concerned,
and under his tuition there is no rea son
why the pitchers should not show much
more than they have, for if there is one
thing i'm which he should prove an eff
cient instructor it is the tWirllng art, in
which he shown for so many years
He does not believe that the absence of
Street will be felt. Gabby was good
ca tcher for the team. but Ainsmlth,
Henry and Williams are expected to up
hold this department to general salts
faction.
An ask for" said Griff, is that we
have enough good weather to get ready.
we will be better off than some OF the
teams who are in the extreme south ana
must become accustomed to the north
ern climate after the season opens Two
weeks of good weather will tit US ana
then l will ask for no favorS.
Regular meetings of the players. over
which Griffith will preside, will be one or
the innovations this year, and much bene-
fit should be derived from these. There
was one last night at which Grimth
made it plain what he expected from ms
men during the season. He is a Sucker
for discipline and he did not hesitate to
make it plain that he would not tolerate
any infractiOns Of the rules, whoever IS
the guilty one. Furthermore. II Will be
an imperative rule that every PLAYER shall
report at the ball park at ~ O'Clock In
the morning. ready for practice. Last
year some of the players slept until noon
and reported at the park before their
eyes were fairly open. incidentally a
school of what might be termed inside
base ball has been started, over which
Griffith also presides. Signs and plays
are discussed in these sessions, and an
effort made to learn how many OF the
p,avers can think for themselves.
IL is plain that Griffith proposes to con-
duct his team along up-to-date lines. 1t
is GrifI's intention to drill his players SO
thoroughly in their signs tnat there can
be no excuse for overlooking any or
them There are not to be many signals,
hut each set of players which is apt to
be in the thick of rally at any one
time will be absolutely familiar with one
another's intentions SO that there can De
no miX-ups. Approximately there are
hut four signals used in inside play-the
hit-and-run, steal, sacrifice and squeeze
There are. however, lot of other plays
which do not require signals and Tor
which the players eyes must De keehiy
trained, for observation alone IS TO
govern them.
Strangely enough, the players do not re-
sent the new systems Griffith is putting
into vogue. They realize that In the past
there has been no head or tail to their
playing aside from that whlcn tneir own
m nds invented and consequently there
was but little unity of action. In lact
the players are delighted to know that
their manner of play is to De more M
ished and smooth the coming season; Tor
success of the team means much TO them.
Outdoor work had to be abandoned
Yesterday. 1t ra:ned all night and all
day and there was not a chance TO get on
the field Griff cut down the indoor work
RI two hours in the morning, during
which every man put in his full share OF
work but gave them all rest in the
afternoon. If there is the slightest chance
the second game OF the series win the
Virginia University team Will be played
today and Waiter Johnson is to go part
OF the route, while Big Rixey is to oppose
him.
CT dox
morning for the first time and handled
the deliveries of several of the young
pitchers. Though Ryan has been in base
hall for something like twenty-five years,
he still is agile and a good catcher. CRIT
fifth figures that he will be of great value
i'm bringing the youngsters into form and
teaching them the fine points of the
game.
Cashion and Ainsmith arc physical
giants. Neither ever thinks of firing at
ANYTHING he tackles and there are no
better developed players in any training
camp. Schaefer is great admirer of
both. and he insists that they have mus
cles in their eyebrows.
Ray Morgan is on the injured list. In
some manner unknown to him he hurt
his right leg Thursday and he was unable
TO don a uniform Yesterday. for when he
arose his leg was so stin and sore that he
walked with difficulty.
The average city of 100000 people
feels fairly proud when 1t can boast of
having half dozen professional ball
, PLAYERS among it's sons, but the record is
undoubtedly held by Linden. Tenn, the
home of Clyde Milan. Linden is a little
hamlet in the center of the state, with a
population of $50. and yet there are ex-
actIy five professional ball players who
register from there. Milan is the only
one in the major leagues. He has a
brother who is with Nashville. Then
| there are two boys named Morbid and
another named Paskell. who are playing
| ball in some of the smaller leagues.
| II would be a difficult matter TO find a
better fielder in any league than Eddie
| Gasnicr. He does some astounding stunts
! around short field and has arm OF
| steel. but he does not impress one be
| ing a hitter of ability enough to help q
/ team in this respect. But when it comes
TO fielding he has few equals and no SUI
| periors. and this takes in his ability tc
| cover the bag on thrown balls. Griffith i:
/ going to do lot of thinking before he
| lets Gagnier out, for in the event of in
| jury to Mcbride he would be a great mar
/ to fill in there.
| George Mcbride has been playing ball
| for eight or nine years, and because Of
| his position he is forced to do a lot OF
| throwing, and yet he has never expert
enced sore arm, which is the bane OF
all players in the early spring. An easy
| graceful motion, which brings into play
Iasc DItv sc Gil Ia To,