The Washington herald., 1912-04-14
NATIONALS GAME
HALTED By RAIN


the last word impressed forcibly on the
mind OF each and every one 3 20 obey
orders implicitly.
These morning classes also keep tn
players together better they tend q
create friendly feelings All around, and
also add to Griffs general idea Of proper
training. No player Il excused from
these CLASSES
Il When the Nationals are at home the
morning practice win take thu place OF
the hotel classes for applied baseball
science. inaugurated BY the local boss.
! Two members OF the washington club
watch the papers closely each morning
and read with great interest what the
1 New York and Boston clubs are doing.
The players are Jack knight. the former
Il Highiander. and Al Williams. who last
season pastimed in . Boston RED Sox
uniform
Williams has expressed the hope that
Grin viii work him behind the bat every
time Washington plays Boston. Big Al
probably knows the weakness Of any
Boston players who may possess such q
fault. and as there Is little love lost be-
tween the baekstop and jim McAleer. II
IL cinch that Al win do his durndest
to beat the bean brigade.
While Jack knight and HaP Chase did
not get along like twin brothers. knight
bears no luminosity toward the New
/ York club In general. but the Gotham
fans who made life miserable for him
last summer by kissing him every time
an opportunity arose have aroused
knights ire, and he wants to show
J them that the Highlanders dld not get
anything Ike the best Of the swap for
Street
Pitcher Jerry Akers caught his FIRST
glimpse Of the Athletics and ShIbe Park
when the Nationals opened the season
in the Quaker City last Thursday. II
was all new to Jerry, who had never be-
fore played ball east OF Chicago.
II can easily see how the Athletics
won the worlds title last year and the
season before" said Jerry. They sure
have & grand ball club"
Howard Shanks. the brilliant young
outheIder who is with the Nationals on
the present trip. il having the time OF
his life
shanks was just a wee BIT homesick
while the club was training In Char
lottesviIle. but has evidently gotten
bravely over it, as the following win
show.
Philadelphia yesterday that he (Shanks)
might ask permission Of GriI to spend
Sunday with the folks IN his home
town. Monaco, Pa.
Not mueh,'' vouchsafed the young
ster. Il want TO stay in the big show
Just as long as can. am afraid II
ask 20 go home Mr.. Grimth win tell me
70 stay there :
IN the game against the New York
Highlanders tomorrow Bob Groom is
slated TO do the pitching.
wurra, wurrA, But did yer hear the
news that's going round7 Cleveland has
handed q couple OF pelts in the solar
plexus to Detroit right on the bat. II
Harry Davis hasn't won about al OF
Napland to his side IN these two VIC
tories. then the bugs by the lakeside are
not like they were won't to be. Davis
has shown right On the bat that he
knows how TO select his twirlers. which
is ono token that the guy on the bridge
knows how TO steer the craft
It's nut stun to be making predictions
about baseball the early part OF the sea-
son. but one thing seems 70 gticx out
that is that with one or two exceptions,
the second division teams in both leagues
are not going to be the cakes and ale
that they have been formerly. Most OF
u
have been whipped into pretty fair bali
clubs, and win not be the soft things
that they have been for several seasons.
One has only to gaze over the roster OF
the Boston Nationals to discover that a
pretty fair ball team Is working right
there. Johnny King knows the game.
and Is likely to have bunch that may
trip up some Of the swell guys at any
time. II looks like hot old race In both
majors and one that has not been seen
for some time.
Gordon Mackay. of the Philadelphia
Times. hands the Nationals the follow
ing bon mot:
II that travelling tidbit, Fadette Fos-
ter, can only get acquainted with the old
vallohpus, he'll make some OF the third |
saekers around the route don their
chapeaus TO him. The kidding is a natural
born fielder. and makes as easy work OF |
getting close to the whirIiug, webbing !
leather as dip going through coun-
~ fair. He had nine chances, and he |
took every one OF them with the ease /
and eclat that goes with the satin finish |
All he needs is to get those g1Ims OF |
his right on the pin and have his wicks |
trimmed to wallop the whiskers out OF the |
spheroid. Then he viii be just about /
what the doctor dictated. and make a /
swell young artist at the hot corner.
The Hon. Dixie Walker, who gets his |
nickname because he never went South i
OF GAINESVILLE, Ohio. before he came toll
washington. gave the most splendid ex-
hibition Of high and lofty doubie-cross-
ing the backstopper that has been seen /
IN this village for several moons. Dixie /
had chunk OF dirt in his eye, or the
catcher's nose must have stuck over the /
glove. For I'VE or six times d. W. paid I
as much attention to signs as a blind /
man parading down Chestnut Street.
With the result that the catcher was do
ing a glide into the air. and looking in
vain for the ball Outside OF this in
discretion Dix twirled a neat article of
ball, one that would hustle q Victory for
him nine times out Of ten.
There be amiable and ambitious Young I
men who are toiling on other pennantI
hunters that get more OF the bouchwoir
hurled in their direction than George /
Mcbride But there are few yeomen at
short who do elassier or more consistent
work than the cap OF the Sens. he is
Just about as dandiferous in that place
as one would want 10 see. He covers
ground galore. Mac is a finished fielder
IN workmanship mot in career ana he
looks as good now as he ever did.