Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-12

ton to it. Stricklett was perhaps the first
pitcher to use the splitter, and 1t was he
who taught CheSbro the trick and made
him a great pitcher" continued Grif:
1T was in the spring. of 1904. Stricklett
was with Chicago and was left in the
south, where we were training. He
worked out with us and he taught Ches-
bro the spit ball. Ches'bro did not use
it In a game until one day in Cleveland
he was hit numerically hard in the open
ing inning and 1 suggested when he went
back on the mound that he try his spit
ball. He did and he struck out the side
and was hardly hit out of the infield dur
ing the remainder OF the game. L re
member how the Cleveland fans got alter
La oie for striking out. They accused
him Of having been out the night before
and abused him Shamefully because he
could not hit Chesbro. But no one could
have hit him with that splitter working,
for the players had never seen 1t pc
fore and could not gauge it. When
Chesbro lost that splitter he was through
as a pitcher.
John Henry's knee is progressing nicely
and 1t will be question oily OF a lew
days when the cast will be removed and
with the aid of a cane the big catcher
will be able to move about. 1t is earnest
ly hoped that the operation Will en-
tirely mend Henrys knee and that ne
Will be able to catch as well as ever the
coming season. Henry gives promise Of
becoming one of the greatest catchers in
the game. He was picked as one Of the
best In the league last year. but was
handicapped by the injury to his knee,
which kept him out of the game Tor sew
eral months at a time when the team was
doing its best work.
ontracts to Alva Williams, Laporte,
Schaefer, Ainsmith and Hughes were not
IC~fl hyotr
counts for their not being returned duly
signed. Griffith expects all of them to be
in his safe by the end of the week, with
the players names attached. Milan Will
probably be the only player not to sign
and he will get into the fold as soon as
he can have a heart-to-heart talk with
Griffith in the south this spring.
Griffith expects great things from Carl
Cashion the coming season. He is con-
WINGED that the big fellows control will
be vastly improved before thee battle
opens and he says this was his only fall
ing last season Cashion, according to
Griffith. will be able to do even more
work than Walter Johnson, once he gets
SO that he can be worked regularly, and
he looks for him to be one of the pitch
ing sensations of the year. "Cashion
has as much any pitcher when he let's
himself out, but he naturally held back
for fear of his control. 1 look for him
to cut loose this year and if he does he
will be mighty hard to hit Give me
Cashion with control and we will have
nothing to fear in the pitching line, for
he. Johnson and Groom will make a most
formidable trio. of which no other team
can boast. Groom and Johnson are both
due to have their best years. They We're
great last year. but they will be better.
mark my word"
Frank Chance Is sure to have his wor-
ries with his infield. He has a hard hit
ter. a good catching and pitching staff
and a great first baseman but the other
positions are going to fall into the hands
of Inexperienced players. and no team
can expect to be up in the race unless it
has an experienced, strong intield. Chance
has several experiments for short field,
one of the most important positions on a
team, and whenever club fails to pre-
sent strong man in that position It's
chances are slim, indeed.
Nor is it at all certain that Chance will
break into the game himself 1t is doubt
full If he could stand the strain. and he
would be foolish to attempt it unless he
has every assurance that he can go the
route If he plays himself Chase could
play second. there is no doubt about that.
for there is no better fielder of ground
balls than he. But Chance and Chase
alone cannot play all the intield positions
and that is where the rub will come.
Griff built up a good intield around Nc
Bride. That was all he had when he
started, but that was considerable, for
there are no better shortstops than the
Nationals captain. He formed the nu-
cleus which Griffith built into mighty
serviceable infield. Chance will have to
try the same thing, with Chase as the
starting point, though Chase does not
fill as near an important position at first
base as Mcbride does at short.