Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-24
GR|FF HOPES TO
-.
. GET GOOD START
Figures He Will Beat New
York Easily, the Real Thorn
Being the Athletics.
WILL WORKOUT ON
WEDNESDAY AS USUAL
Nationals Must Go Through
/ Two Practices and Will Not
Get Here Till Night.
BY J. ED GRILLO.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. March "a
The first six games of the regular sea-
son will be played at the Nationals
grounds-three with New York and
three with Philadelphia-and of these
games Griffith does not expect to lose
more thar two. He naturally does not
figure the New Yorks to be very trouble
some. and expects TO get through that
series so easily that he will not have
TO use his hest pitchers, keeping them for
the Athletics. In this way he hopes to
outgeneral his rivals and get winning
start in the race. Unless Frank Chances
team proves a regular surprise 1t is not
Ia he feared. 1t does not seem to have
anything troublesome in the way of
pitchers. excepting. perhaps, Russell Ford
and that worthy will have to demonstrate
that the rather mediocre form he dis
PLAYED last season was only a temporary
slump
Just how Well the Athletics will fare
remains to be seen. If reports from the
south are TO be believed, Plank is still
the only one Of Mack's pitchers who
stands a real chance of winning. Bender,
according to report, has gone back. and
Jack CoomhS is not near himself as yet
But on the whole those Athletics are
always a hard club for the Nationals to
beat so they have no occasion to look
with certainty for victory upon their
coming IL is Baker, more than Mack
pitchers whom the Nationals have to
dread. He won no less than ten games
from them last season by the terrific
welding Of his club. and. judged from
the way ne has been hitting in the
south lie has not lost his cunning in
this respect Nothing that might hap
rim me- tha Hotr n
please Griffith more than to- get start
on the Athletics.
In fact. he believes that his teams
chances depend to large extent on how
his charges fare against the FORMER
worlds champions Last year they were
a thorn in his side. winning a large ma
jority of the games they played with
Washington. Luck. of course, cut an
important pert in these games and Grff
hopes that the tables VIII turn and that
he instead of Mack, will get the breaks.
lie naturally does not hold the Boston
Red Sox in very high esteem. His team
beat them on the series last year. and
he hopes to duplicate the performance,
so that what he most desires now is TO
win a majority of the games from the
Athletics. for ne refuses 10 give the other
teams serious consideration.
While it is hoped that the injury to
John Henry's knee is but slight, as is
supposed. there is no denying the fact
that the big catcher's mishap has been
a source of much worry to Griffith 1t
is the uncertainty about Henry's knee
that makes the catching staff a rather
doubtful proposition. Strong is the team
would be behind the bat with Henry able
TO take his turn, just so weak might IT
be without him. Danger turks behind
the bat, and usually it never rains, but
il pours. SO that one of the other two
regular catchers might also be injured.
in which event the team would be in
bad way for backstops. What is more.
Williams arm is not at its best. 1e>may
come around all right, but it needs treat
ment. Henry has been sent home where
Er. Larkin can treat him. DR.. Larkin
found that one of the liSaments about the
knee had been dislodged and when he
replaced it Henry was as good as ever.
hut way must be found to hold that
E-ament in place, or Henry may have
breakdown at any time.
The first cut in the pitching staff has
been made. Sullivan. who was secured
from Helena under the name of keenan,,
has been shipped back whence he
came. Just who recommended the slender
youth is not known but it is going to be
some time before any more of his tips
will he followed Sullivan is n5r.sef maj or
league callber He was the one pitcher
here who never showed even a flash be-
ing hit hard whenever he appeared on the
slab, and his dismissal was foregone
conclusion after he made his initial ap-
pearance in one of the games here
The final game here will be played
Tuesday, when the Nationals take on
Virginia. but there will be fun DAYS
work put i'll Wednesday Notwithstanding
the players pleading that they work i'm
the morning and take.an early train for
home in the afternoon. Griffith refuses
10 make any such concessioE~- He says the
PLAYERS cannot afford to idle away half
a day. and regardless Of the time that
they may reach Washington they mt:Sr
work morning and afternoon Wednes-
day. This will put them in Washington
late at night after a nasty ride, and
orders have already been issued that all
hands must report at the ball park al
2. 20 Thursday morning for work.
IL Is perhaps unnecessary to say thai
q lot of prayers for rain Wednesday are
being offered.
II hard work will make a second base
man out of Joe Gedeon he is sure to b.
a star In that position before the season
is over. From the time that Joe is on IN,
field he Is pracucing in the position wher
bets not busy at batting practice, anC
the Improvement he is showing speaks
well for his chances to become a regula,
one of these days. There are few play
ers who take more kindly to course o
training than Gedeon. He wants to be i,
uniform all the time, and once on thu
Ielu ne hidheS every posslpie EFFORT [,
figure in every play that is made Sucl
energy deserves 10 be rewarded with sue
cess.
Ii is not at all unlikely that Nick AL
llock will get an opportunity TO pitch ii
some of the games for the Nationals thi
year. The veterans arm Is Just as goo,
rs it ever was, but there is some~aalb
whether he can go through an entir