The Washington herald., 1913-10-26
RYAN BELIEVES
THAT MUMFORD
HASACHANCE
Veteran Player Praises Grifs
Youngster Picked Up
from the Lots.
1914 SPRING. TRAINING
Old Fox Goes to Charlottesville To-
morrow to Complete Arrange
ments for Early Practice.
1914 SPRING TRAINING
By WILLIAM PEET.

In doping out the probable list
of pitchers Manager Griffith will
carry next season, one young man
has been entirely overlooked by the
majority of local baseball writers.
The athlete in question is Johnny
MuInford. picked up from the Dis
trict sand lots, who has shown
Coach Jack Ryan enough to war
rant the prediction that Mumford
has all the earmarkS of a coming
star, and an excellent opportunity
to stick.
Washington fans probably do
not know that Mumford, who was
signed three weeks before the sea-
son closed, worked out almost daily
at National Park, warming up in
the bull pen and pitching to the
batterS.
Jack Ryan says: "Mumford has
shown me as much speed as half
of the major league pitchers pos
Sess, and in addition he has a good
curve ball. He is a six-footer and
weights 180 pounds, and is physic
ally fit to stand the gaff. Num-
ford's only fault is ineXperience.
We have been able to teach him
a whole lot at the bali park, and he
has shown a disposition to do as.
he is told. He also grasps quickly
the advice handed out.
1T would not surprise me il Mumford
looked a whole lot better down in Char
IottesviIle this spring than several of the
other recruits. for that is the place where
a youngster gets a chance to show the
stuff of which he is made. At any rate.
he has chance to stick I'll stake mS
reputation on that"
The question of where the Nationals
will spring-train in 1914 will be settled
before the present week comes TO close,
for Manager Griffith expects to take a
flying trip to Charlottesville tomorrow or
Tuesday for conference with the Uni
versity of Virginia officials.
1t has been stated that Charlottesville
spring. but no person in authority and
representing the college has confirmed
the rumor up to date, and the chances
are that little trouble will be experienced
in completing arrangements for training
in the college town next March. |
Griffith has under his wing at present
seventeen young pitchers. eleven of them
right-handers, as follows: Johnson. |
Groom, Hughes Cashion, EngeI. Dawson, |
Shaw, Williams, Barton. Munford, and |
Ayres. The left-handers are Boehing. |
Love. Bentley, Harper, Hedgepeth, and
AltroCk.
1t was announced shortly before the /
time set for drafting that Atlrock and |
Barton had been sold to the Los Angeles |
club. but it is doubtful if AltTock will |
go. GriT has stated that he expects |
TO carry the former star next year. Bar
ton may not go to the Coast until after
the club returns from spring training, |
when it is thought that he may have
company on the long journey.
The writer is in receipt of a letter from |
lack Bentley. the Sandy Spring, Nd |
boy who created such a good impression |
with the Nationals this fall. Bentley
says he is taking the best of care of |
himself, spending a lot of time hunting
He adds: Il will be in good condition |
next spring. and hope to convince Grif !
hat he made no mistake when he signed |
\ ne up
Billy Smith. manager Of the Atlanta |
-lub of the Southern League, who has |
Deen, visiting Manager Griffith ever since |
the worlds series. left for his home in /
Springfield, ILL.,, last night
In speaking of InfieIder Wally Smith, |
whom the Nationals have purchased, the /
Atlanta pilot said: ''Wa!ly Smith PLAYED /
good ball for me, and IT, Griff does not |
want him l will buy him back for the
price he paid. L think Smith will stick, |
for he can hit, is good fielder. and for
a big man, is fast
In deciding to make its annual ten-mile 1
championship run a strictly invitation |
affair, the Amateur Athletic Union is |
certainly becoming very exclusive in its !
old age. Only a limited number of in
vitations are to be extended, and those
only to representative clubs, according |
to a seemingly official announcement 4
That is all rot and all wrong. The A. A. |
Il. is supposed to advance the cause of |
amateur athletes among all amateurs.
yet upon this invitation basis il will be |
impossible for an unatts ehed athlete,
however clean an amateur he may be- to
compete for the national championship. |
1t is hard to conceive of any sufficient
reason for the adoption Of this invitation
plan. Certainly il cannot be to keep down
the number of entries, for in a ten-mile
race II matters very little how many
starters there are. On the other hand |
more dark horses come to the front in
distance running than in any other
branch of amateur sport. These should
he given every encouragement and every
chance in the world. Invitation events
at open meetings. where no titles are in
volved, are perfectly proper and make
interesting contests. II is an entirely
different proposition, however, when
championship events are put upon an in
vitation basis. No clean amateur should
be debsrred from participating for the
highest honors in the event in which he
is specializing.