Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-26

TRAINING SEASON
CLOSES TODAY WITH VIRGINIA
Team Due Home Tonight and Everybody
Is In Splendid Condition to Face
Georgetown Tomorrow.

nier. His fielding has been sensational
his hitting better than any one of the
| other players, and he has displayed
! Intelligence in everything he has done
| on the ball field. Had he been a
| youngster without experience when he
! landed here he would have been nailed
as the greatest find of many years
| but as he has past which marked
him as weak hitter, his showing
here is not taken seriously, and he
| must return to the minors. On its
merits his work here would absolutely
have secured him a place on the team
but it is his misfortune to have the
reputation of being a weak hitter,
though he leads the other players In
this respect in the games that have
been played here.
This should prove a great year for
Dixie Walker. He demonstrated yester-
day that he is near to perfect form when
he pitched four innings against the Yam
niSans without allowing n man to reach
first base. Dixie went into that game to
show what he could do and he acquitted
himself particularly well. Last spring
he was not only suffering with sore
arm, but he could not go the route. but he
appears to be at his best now and should
win a lot of ball games early in the sea-
son.
Bob Groom, however. is slow in coming
around. He is not letting his arm out.
bat is just taking a careful course of
training i'm the hope that this will be his
pitchers seems anxious to show to adj
vantage this year. Griffith, having been a.
pitcher himself. seems to have inspired
them with the spirit that makes ball
players try to take an interest in their
work.
When Dan Moeller saw it asserted that
he would have to be shifted from left
field because he could not play that posi-
ton he appeared very much amused, and
he lost no time in making himself plain
on the proposition. Moeller said that he
would much rather play left than right or
center, because he felt more at home
there than in either of the other positions.
To see Moeler playing the field would
suggest that he had played it all Of his
life. He is an excellent fielder and proves
it on balls that are hit over his head. for
he seems to have the intuition to stop on
the very spot where the ball is going to
come down. incidentally he handles
ground balls we'll and is a sharp thrower.
There is not the slightest chance of Grit
fifth changing the present makeup of his
outfield, it is sure to start the season,
barring accidents, and IL Schaefer hits
this year he did last it is very likely
to remain intact during the entire sea-
son.
Bill Cunningham may be out Of the
game for d few days as a result OF being
hit by one Of Walter Johnson's fast balls
during yesterdays game The ball hit
cruciating pain. Cunny had to retire
after the injury. but he hopes to be back
in harness in few days.
Milan made catch Of a fly ball off
Scheer's bat yesterday which if he had
accomplished it on one of the major
league grounds would probably have been
pointed out as the most sensational cap
hard and carried far over Milan's head
He set sail with the crack of the bat and
after long, fast run just managed to
reach the sphere with the tips of his fin
gers, but he held on to it. The catch
robbed Scheer of certain home run.
1t can be authoritativeIy announced that
Eppa Rixey, the Virginia University star
will not enter the professional ranks this
year. RiXey, who has had numerous Of
fers, does not propose to give up his
school for the ball field for a while yet
He wants to finish here before he starts
out with the big league. Just where he
will start no one seems to know. bar
ring himself. Griffith undoubtedly has
hopes. He has called at the Rixey house
several times, and while he contends that
acts very much like a man who felt that
he had an equal chance. to say the least
Though Walter Johnson has appeared
in several exhibition games here, ne has
yet to let his arm out All Walter has
been using is a fast and a slow one, and
there have been decidedly more slow
ones than fast ones dished up by him.
There is no more careful Of his
arm than Johnson. He realizes that IL is
a very valuable source of revenue and he
does not take any chances Of hurting it,
Walter Is one of the few ball players who
do not need to be coached in their train
ing. He knows what is best for him and
he does only that which is best.
The final game of the vets-Coits series