Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-21

club and signed a three-year contract at
S21.OoO. was just as popular with ms
teammates as when he drew but 81 500.
The best line on Johnson's disposition
was furnished one day in Chicago during
the season Of 1909. Walker. Reisling and
Groom had pitched three consecutive
shut-outs against the White Sox IN CHI
cago, and Johnson was carded to work
the final game With three shut-outs to
their credit and their star twirler to per-
form it looked like four sure victories for
the Nationals. But as frequently hap-
pens in base ball. there was q slip-up
and Johnson .ost his game, to In
thirteen innings. the winning run result
ing from a misjudged fly by Milan.
When the game was over and tho play
ers were getting in their bus to return to
their hotel crowd OF Johnson's adj
mirers. and he has them in every city.
gathered about him. expressing their
syLnpatl,y al his losing 81 Jou a game
The average man. losing as did johnson.
might have been upset. but Johnson only
smiled and consolingly said: We'll. II
isn't often that Clycc misJudges any
thing" There and then every player
his duty to do everything In his power to
help Johnson win his games.
--ager Griffith will have q large batch
OF young pitchers to look after when the
Nationals go into training. and II would
q couple of valuable twirlers out Of the
lot. Having been great pitcher IN his
day, Griffith is naturally interested In
all young twirlers, for he hopes some day
TO find one whom he can teach the art
from his own standpoint. Incidentally. he
has a couple Of fairly well seasoned twirl-
ers whom he may improve in Walker and
Groom. But it is the youngsters In whom
Griffith is most interested. There are
eight of them whom he has to look over.
They are Cashion, Becker. Akers. Musser,
Ainsworth, Engel, Guy Johnson and
since the Nationals have been in the
American League, there has been IS
much pitching talent taken into training
as Griffith will have report to him at
Charlottesville In March.
arty for third base the Nationals infield
would present i much more formidable
front than it ever has before.
There is little doubt about Jack Flynn
making good at first. for 1t should be re-
membered that he does not come here to
take the place of Hal Chase, though 1t
Is true that Schaefer gave a very good
account of himself at that base last sea-
son. Out of the batch Of young inflelders
it should be possible to find one who can
play second, and Mcbride is all that can
be wished for at short Moriarty would
fill in well at third. but there is really no
good reason why Detroit should want to
get rid of him. 1t Is but natural that
lions, as did the Tigers last year, some
one player Is made the goat for the fail
ure. and this seems to have been Mori-
arty's lot. He would nevertheless At m
nicely on the local infieid. and no one
realizes this better than Griffith. who will
not give up all hope of landing him
until he gets definite word from Detroit
club officials that Morfarty Is to be re-
tanned or that he has been traded or sold
to some other club.
Milan, Schaefer and Moeller. providing
the latter comes up to expectations, ought
to make fairly good outfield. Milan has
few superiors In base ball. and with
Schaefer playing right, where there 10
little ground to cover, it depends almost
tion will have to be changed or not. 1t
looks like a good move to place Schaefer
in ght field, where there is not much 70
do. providing Flynn hits as he is expected
to. Flynn is a tall. rangy fellow, snd
will be an easier mark to throw TO than
was Schaefer. If he hits as well as ne
did in Pittsburgh Schaefer's hitting VIII
not be missed from the infieid, put wiu
be added to the Outfield, where II Is sadly
needed The trio mentioned for the gar
den posts is fast and should come near
to hitting over the 800 mark, q con-
dition which has not existed here IN many
years. The teams greatest weakness Tor
years has been its hitting. Barrtpg one
or two men there have been no .SOO hltters
on the team, and even when the pitching
has been Of a high class the inability OF
the team to score has forced 1t down In
the race.
When it is considered that no less than
five positions on the team remain to be
filled before the Nationals
can hope to make an improved showing
in the next race. 1t becomes plain that It
would be foolhardy to make any sort OF
prediction for the team. Bar
ring Mcbride, there Is not an inflelder on
the list who can be counted on. though
several give promise Of making good. In
Milan IL the only outhelder
who has shown class, two positions In
that department remaining to be properly
filled If the right kind OF material 10
found for these positions the Pitching
STAFF would not have to be improved
whole lot to hold its own.
But there is hope, and surely the team
cannot do worse than It has In the past.
Young players will predominant, and that
means that there viii be increased speed,
which counts for much. But one cannot
Judge a players ability to make good in
fast company on his minor league accom-
plishments. Nearly every younGStsr that
comes up has shown enough to warrant
trial vet only q small percentage Of them