Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-13

new YORK TEAM BELIEVED
TO HAVE SECURED HIM
American League Magnates
Believe Griffith's Team Has
Good Chance for Flag.
BY ]. ED GRILLO.

Malcolm Douglas, the brilliant infielde,
OF the Virginia College team will not
Join the Nationals. Douglas has quit
school and will play professional ball next
summer. but 1t won't be in Washington
uniform. Manager Griffith has been in
touch with Douglas ever since the col
legian made the statement that he had
quit school. For a time 1t seemed that
there was a good chance of Douglas join
ing the team. but this morning the local
manager received a letter from Douglas
stating that he was unable to give him
any encouragement. as he had promised to
join National League club in the spring.
1t is surmised that this club is the New
York Giants. Douglas lives in Baltimore,
where Wilbur Robinson, the Giants vet
eran catching coach. lives and it is under
stood that Robinson has been doing bust
ness with Douglas for the New York club.
Douglas gives promise of making a
good ball player. but he is far from being
OF major league class. He will need
every bit of a couple of years in a minor
league to develop him.
Pendleton. the Princeton player, gave
Griffith his word that he would not play
anywhere without first giving him a
chance at his services. Pendleton gradu-
ates in June, and there is a good chance
OF his joining the Nationals at that time
wire received by Manager Griffith
yesterday from Garry Hermann. pres
dent Of the Cincinnati club, confirms the
date of March 30 for a game which
Washington will play In the Ohio me-
tropois. 1t will be the first game of
appearance of the teams new manager,
Joe Tinker. SO that If the day is clear
and warm crowd of in the neighbOr-
hood of 5000 can be looked for.
That the Nationals are considered real
contenders in the next pennant race
seems to have been shown by the opin-
ions expressed by various club owners
the American League meeting in Chi
cago early this week.
II. G. Salinger of the Detroit News
wired his paper the following from that
meeting Tuesday:
1T is rather early to pick pennant pos
siblities. but 1t certainly Is not out Of
place to talk them over at the winter
base ball meetings. The magnates who
spent the. morning in gossip touched upon
the subject, and it is not Philadelphia
or Boston they were picking to win. 1t
Is Washington.
CLARK Griffith is the boy they are chief
ly afraid of. The fact that Grif finished
in. second place. last year with a team
sibilities makes the owners see a better
team for Washington in 1913, without the
addition OF one man.
They like the Nationals pitching and
catching staff. Cashion. they think, will
be world beaten next year. He has the
height, the weight. the speed. a good
base ball brain, and stamina. He has a
good hook to his fast ball, and some of
his teammates maintain that outside of
johnson there Is not a man in the league
who can flash a speedier delivery than
big CashiOn. Groom is another star. He
has been a first-class pitcher for a few
seasons and should be at least as good
next year as he was in 1912 And then
you could not convince anybody here that
Johnson is to be less Of a master next
season. Those three pitchers, with
young team behind them and two good
catchers to take care of the other end
of the battery. are selected as the pen
nant winners of 1913. Chances are that
Griffith will add two new pitchers. If
he develops another good one the pen
nant race should be easy for him, accord
Ing to the magnates.