Norwich bulletin., 1913-03-31
PROSPECTS BRIGHT FOR ATHLETICS
Philadelphia Americans Travelling Championship Form Training Trip Unpro6table Because of Heavy Rains Captain Danny Murphy Home For Brief Visit.

Arriving in Philadelphia on Satur- day from the southern training trip with the Philadelphia Americans. Cap l tain Danny Murphy pushed through to Norwich, and arrived here late Satur- day afternoon to spend a brief time at his home before getting back to Phiia- delphia to open the city championship series on Tuesday with the Philadel- phia Nationals.
 Expects to Play.
 Captain Danny was looking fine and fit, and said he felt as good al he look ed. He declared that that troublesome knee of his was improving steadily, he believed, and while he should be in no hurry to get into the game, he felt that he had a playing season ahead of him. The spring training trip to Dal- las. he said, was one of the most un- profitable of many, as far as actual practice went Because of the rainy weather they had only fifteen days of real practice, and most of it was with ho1dups every other day or so. so that they had only three days togeth- CT. One time the field was so flooded that the Dallas fire department was called out to pump the water off.
 Found Water Everywhere.
 The overabundance of water pursued the team also on the way home, as
 
 day and reached Philadelphia on Sat urday g hours late because of delays through washouts on the line At Gov ington Va. they were shown where wa ter had been up in the streets the day before they arrived and at an other point on trip the engine plough cd along through fields of water until the engine fires were put out and the train came to a halt until they ceu1d be relxind1ed. The special ear for the left "a eaf la TraiT ahording a chance for the baseball men to stand on the back piatferm, from which they could easily reach down with their feet into the water. At an other place they came to a washout about 200 feet long, which had left the track about forty feet ur in the air and the trip was finished in the ordinary day coaches. as the team had to desert their special car in order to get past the washout.
 Fast Young Fielders.
 . Regarding the outlook for the team in the coming season, Captain Danny was optimistic. He was with the reg ulars at Dallas, while Connie Mack had the recruits with the regular pitchers at San Antonio. Over some of the new pitchers that have been picked up the Athletics captain was especially en- tnuSiastic. Bush is a good one, and ther os another named Wyckoff who has binding speed. In fact speed, said Captain Danny was one of the things that the Athletics new pitchers have this year. For the series with the Ma tionals in Philadelphia he will have Plank and Brown, with four of the re- cruit pitchers.
 Connie Mack will keep Bender and the other regular pitchers in the south until the season is ready tC begin. Bender looks good to go in his best form. and Plank is right up in form today to start in and pitch his best. There is new catcher by the name of Schang that Captain Murphy says Is due to make good. and is one of the festest men on his feet among the backstops. They have picked up a marvellous fielding third basefnan in a man named Orr, who is a wonder in coming in on slow rolling bunts along ] the line. one of the points which Is an weakness in the great Baker. i
 Athletics Look Good.
 Taking the team as 1t looks now, the captain of the Athletics can see noth- 1!