The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-29
FAVORED
 WASHINGTON IN
 GETTING CATCHERS
Henry, Williams and Ainsmith, Un- known a Few Years Ago, Now
 Ranked As Stars

Some of the winning managers may declare there is no such thing as luck in baseball, averring that winning clubs make their own luck. Other success full managers, however, are more mod l. est. Connie Mack is one of them. When complimented upon the Ath- letics success in 1910 and 1911, the astute leader of the Philadelphians merely remarked: 'The boys have been playing good ball and we have been able to have our regulars in most of the games where the other clubs were crippled
 But, if there ever was a case of a team having horseshoe luck it was when Washington showed a catching staff of three men, every one of whom has almost the right to be considered a star receiver.
 At the start of the 1910 season no big league manager or writer had ever heard of John Henry. Ava Williams or Eddie Ainsmith. Now. their names are all but household words wherever the national game is discussed At that time Henry was studying law at Amherst college. Ainsnith was catching for the Lawrence club of the New England league and Williams was plugging along with Buffalo in the Eastern league. James McAleer, then manager of the Washington club wanted catchers. He instructed Mike Kahoe, who had been a catcher him. self, to beat the bushes in search of backstops. Kahoe grabbed two Henry and Anismith. They reported to the Nationals in Cleveland, Street being crippled and Beckendorf, ber- rowed from Detroit, being the only available receiver.
 In his first big league game Ain- smith had stage fright. the Maps run ming wild on the bases, his throws going to center field. He failed to turn back a single Cevelander. ies and Cleveland fans had the chance to see Anismith work twice and Henry twice. A total of ten bases were stolen on. Anismith in two games while five were collected when Henry was behind the bat Then came the got over his buck fever. He allowed no stolen bases and threw out the four Maps who attempted the trick
 In the meantime Williams, although ranking nineteenth among the East ern league catchers, and batting but .2S4 was bought by Boston. He was used little at first base during the 1911 season. Manager Stahl and Pres ident McAleer, however, thought but little of him, and when Griffith put through deal whereby Street went to New York for Knight, he demand ed catcher from the Yankees Woi- verton had none to spare but was able to get Williams from Boston at the waiver price, and turn him over to Washington.
 Neither Street nor Knight was able to last in the American league. but Williams, first assigned to bench duty jumped into fame by becoming the Nationals first catcher when Henry was injured. Henry now ranks with Ira Thomas and Oscar Stanage as a high class catcher. Ainsmith has al- so developed wonderfully and catches Walter Johnson as easily as he goes to the office twice a month to draw his pay. All three men are death on base runners. Tn fact fewer bases have been stolen against Washington than any other team in the league.
 When it is taken into consideration what strenuous efforts have been made by other clubs to get catchers who can throw, bat and think, Wash ington's luck in gathering three high class backstops is all the more re- markable The fans know that this +SiA hAS eaaAA Ea0A in a mechanical