Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11
GRIFFITH HOPES TO
GET MORE PLAYERS
Continued from First Page.)

loser ever since he has been in the Ma
tfonal League. and yet he looms up with
the crack pitchers of that league. Had
he been with a winner. cannot begin
to estimate how many ball games he
would have Won"
Two positions have been created in
base ball which a few years ago were
unheard Of There is the assistant man.
ager, for instance, and the pinch pitcher.
Most OF the clubs are carrying a twtrler
nowadays who has the happy faculty OF
stopping batting rallies. Griffith has
Hughes for this purpose, New York has
Crandall, Boston, Hall. and only the
lon from Brooklyn for this purpose. Ed
Walsh, though a regular, and, in fact.
star Of his team. has always filled this
position in addition to pitching in his
regular turn. but there are few pitchers
who can do this.
That many teams would be benefited
by having an assistant to the manager
there is no doubt, providing the proper
judgment was used in selecting them.
Johnson to build around, there is always
g. good chance for the local, team to
have strong pitching STAFF something
which Is sadly needed here under exist
Ing conditions. It Is to be expected, too
that with so good an artist as Griffith to
teach them the art there should be gen.
eral improvement all along the line. and
ii there is anything to the bunch OF
youngsters some Of these. too, ought to
be able to hold their own.
Next to Johnson. Walker and Groom, by
reason Of the seasoning they have had,
should loom up formidably, but 1t would
not be at all discouraging If Cashfon and
one or two of the other youngsters came
along and proved winners. II 1t is Gr1f-
f1th's luck to get four pitchers out Of the
Int SUl1a fol- IN
rubber and deliver the goods he VIII
have solved great problem and set his
team in the way of making a better
showing than it ever has before.
So far as the In and outfield are con-
cerned It Is pretty hard to figure how
they can be any worse off than they
have been heretofore. even IL no real
stars should be developed out of the lot
Of youngsters that are to be tried out.
There will have to be 8 great change
in the weather within the next three
weeks If the first squad Of the Nationals
are to do anything but sit In their rooms
at Charlottesville. Three weeks from. to-
day the youngsters leave for the virginia
town. Just how suitable place Char
lottesville will prove for training pur-
poses is a matter which is causing Man
ager Griffith much thought. There Is no
assurance that the weather VIII open
sufficiently to make it possible to get the
should have a good break In this Char
lottesville will prove a better place than
some point farther south.
If the team is made up as is generally
expected left-handed pitchers ought to
have no terrors for the Nationals. Milan
and Moeller will be the only pair to bat
from that side Of the plate. as Schaefer
turns around when facing a southpaW'
while Flynn, Cunningham. Mcbride,
Foster and Morgan are all right-handed
hitters. Heretofore the Nationals have
been a left-handed hitting team to
great extent and southpaws have always
proven troublesome. In fact. many teams
saved their left-handed pitchers for the
Nationals. and scored mar many victories a9ide
Years ago, when left-handed pitchers
were comparatively few, team of left
handed hitters had great advantage,
but of late years most every team has
one or two left handlers. and, while II
does not make a difference to some left
handed batters, many of them are seri-
ously handicapped when facing pitcher
with this delivery.