Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-17
WILL MAKE UP
FOR LOST TIME
If Weather Conditions Are
Right, Griff Means to Push
Nationals to the Limit.
ONLY ONE WORKOUT
is SECURED TODAY
Team Compelled to Give Up
Field in Order That College
Nine May Play.
BY J. ED GR1LLo.
Special Dispatch TO The Star

!, A strenuous week is in store for the Ma.
| tionals With the storm apparently at al
end Griffith is planning to make up some
| lost time which was stored up last week
| and the players are to suffer accordingly.
/, AT $50 this morning he had his players
| at the field, and there was no halt called
until after ]. The work was incessant
! and about an hour or so before quitting
time rolled around game was started
! between the Vets and, Colts. Had it MOI
! been for the fact that the Virginia team
| is scheduled to play Catholic University
| this afternoon. there would have been ar
/ afternoon session for the players But
! in order to get the field ready for the
| game the big leaguers had to leave the
| field shortly after l o'clock.
! Virginia has several games scheduled
! for this week. and in order not to inter
fere with these Griffith has been forced
/ to change his working hours on these
| days. 1t will mean that the players viii
report at the field early and remain fol
/ about four hours. without a stop, but or
! days that no games are scheduled two
sessions day will be resumed. BY some
time today there ought to be regula,
| army of ball players here. Besides the
! forty under Griffith and similar number
on the college team. the Montreal club
| next few days. and 1t will then be a mat.
| ter of dividing up the time each squad
can spend on the ball field.
"Zeb' Milan has come to terms with
Manager Griffith. and has signed his con-
tract. For 1918 the champion baserunner,
| of course, got an increase. In fact, he
| WILL be one OF the highest priced tfielders
| In the league this season. Cobb, and per-
haps one other man in that department
| of the game, drawing more than Zeb. 1t
required only, about five minutes confer
ring to arrange matters. Griffith, In his
| usual fairness. managed to transact busi-
ness in double time with Milan, and when
the latter came out of the managers
Office he was all smiles.
The report that Sam Crawford had gone
to his home vowing that he had quit
the game. is not taken seriously by the
members of the team who know him well.
The Tigers slugger likes money too well
to remain out of the gsime. and 1t is pre-
dicted that he will be found In harness
when the season opens. The stand which
the Detroit club has taken against the
disgruntled members of its team is caus-
ing some surprise. 1t was believed by
many that Jennings would not attempt to
open the season without having all his
regulars lined up; and no doubt he would
be willing to make CONCESSIONS But
Owner Navin has both hands on the
noney-5ag and won't allow it to be
pried open by any threats that may be
made.
Navin's logic is that he finished sixth
last season with a lot of stars on his
pay roll, and that he cannot do much
worse without them.
Hospital yesterday none the worse for
his experience He has been on diet
for several days, but started out at once
to make up for lost time. He Will not
be allowed to take his place at second
base for several days, however.
Griffith will not have any trouble plac-
ing that portion of his recruits Which he
will not carry through the season He Is
overwhelmed with offers for his surplus
material, but is lending a deaf ear to all
these entreaties. preferring to wait until
he has a better line on his youngsters
before he swings the AK. In some cases
it matters not where the players land. Tor
make good here. But In other instances
the players give promise and Griff wants
TO put them where they will have the
best chance to improve.
That the Players Protective Associat ton
will in due time take action against Ban
Johnson's edict that ball players are not
to lend their names for newspaper arti-
c,es seems assured. The PLAYERS are
grumbling about the order. which, they
claim. is UNJUST. III lu0t II 6iSCS Tic
clubs control during the off season of the
year AS matters now stand. there is
nothing in a players contract which bars
him from following any line OF business
outside Of sports during the winter
months But there is no reason why the
contracts will not be changed before the
next season rolls around. There Is
strong movement on foot TO make the
players contracts for twelve months In
stead of six hereafter. That would give
.I,, I, che fn,,f- he. nd
| and might in many instances prove q
| fna ncial benefit to the players. who. when
, not getting their years salary in six
! months. will be more saving and less ex-
travagant
AS Vet the players association has not
received the official recognition it wants
from the powers that be. but there is not
| apt to be any hitch about that.
1t was week after the last season
opened before Eddie Foster began to
show real form as a thrower. He had
considerable trouble then getting his
throwing arm loosened up. But there
does not appear to be the slightest trouble
with it this spring. He is already max
ing those quick underhand throws on
; hunts which were SO startling in the last
race and whenever he can do that his
arm is in Very good condition.
Though both Laporte and Morgan are
D&nI1DX IL out I0F tux SctoHo-odoC JOb,
there IS no bitter rivalry between them.
They practice in the position at the same
time and are constantly encouraging each
other Morgan. in fact, is a great adj
mirer of Laporte's ability as hitter. and
does not hesitate TO number him among
the hardest hitters in the league.
Even IL Morgan should not succeed in
being placed at second when the season
opens he is pretty sure of job as one of
the teams utility infielders. for he is
clever in most any position on the infield
and much too promising player to allow
to get away.
When it comes TO getting into playing
condition without any apparent effort one
has to doff his hat to George Mcbride.
He seems able to play ball as well the
| first day he reports as any time during
the season, and he never complains Of
feeling in the least sore as a result Of
the hard exercise. Mcbride reports and
plays his game from the moment he gets
| into uniform, and his game does not
vary much from spring to fall. The most
remarkable feature Of Mcbride is that he
| is Very seldom incapacitated. Though he
! is almost constantly in danger from the
spikes of opposing base runners who
] slide into second, where he usually does
most of the covering he MANAGES to get