The Washington herald., 1913-03-27
CROWD GREEIS
DIAMOND STARS
Big Throng at Union Station
When the Nationals
Return Home.
INTEREST IN THE CUBANS
Calvo and Acosta Cynosure of ALI
Eyes-"Team Is Fit," Says
Griffith.
BY WILLIAM PEET.

Five hundred rabid baseball fan:
braved the rainstorm last night to be or
hand when Manager Griffith and squad
of baseball players arrived from theiI
spring training camp in Charlottesville
The train arrived on time and the play
ers had to force their way through the
mass of humanity.
The Cubans, Calvo and Acosta. the
most widely advertised and talked OF
men in organized baseball today, Were
the cynosure of all eyes. Everybody
wanted to catch a glimpse of the dark
skinned athletes, and every now and
then a hand was extended with the salu-
tation. Welcome to the Capital-we've
read all about you both in the newspa-
peEs and will be out to see you per
form tomorrow.
1t was a new sensation to the Cubans.
Everything was strange: they could not
understand the language and did not
know whether TO smile or look peeved
until Senior Joe Massaguer, the popular
Havana baseball writer. informed them
that the fans We're glad to see them and
wished them we'll
MY players will be ready when that
old bell rings" announced Griffith. Il
have been working them perhaps a little
hard the past week. but It will not hurt
them "A bit. The weather in Charlottes-
willie the past ten days has been ideal for
conditioning ball players and I would
like to venture a little prediction that
my team is in just as good shape as any
ether in the American League.
Fright and early Yesterday morning
both regulars and recruits donned their
Iogs and practiced on Lambeth Field for
r. tNcv
rainstorm finally broke with all its fury
Manager Griffith was so busy closing up
camp that he put Coach Jack Ryan in
charge of the boys.
The programme this morning. weather
permitting. will he a stiff workout In
batting and fielding. In the afternoon.
prior TO the Georgetownagame. the Ma
tionals will also go through stih course
of sprouts in both batting and fielding.
1t will he interesting TO compare the
Nationals during the next ten days with
the National League clubs who are
scheduled for exhibition games. The
Phillies will oppose the Climbers tomor-
row and Saturday. aud then come the
others-New York. Brooklyn. and Boston.
Last spring these same clubs stopped
over in Washington for exhibition games.
and. if memory serves, Grifs club did
not measure up to them in general all
around ability.
The Nationals right now are 81 per
cent stronger than at this time last year,
not only in the matter Of physical condi-
tion. but in all the other departments of
the game, hitting, fielding. and base run
ming.
Griff has four pitchers able to step
into the box and go nine innings. al
though none OF them have thus far at
tempted the stunt. They are Johnson.
Hughes Cashion, and Engel OF this
quartet, Tom Hughes, the veteran, is
probably in the best shape.
Last spring Griff did not know what he
had for a ball club He was minus
capable first sacker Foster was an eK-
pertinent at third. as was Moeller in the
outfield He possessed no such sugger
as Frank LapOrte, but at that made
fair showing.
As far as possible, Manager Griffith
will use his regular players in these ex-
hibition games against the National
League clubs He wants these men TO
gain what benefit can he derived from
hitting against big league pitchers. The
youngsters will all be given a show
before the local public, but they will play
against such teams as the Cardinals OF
Alexandria. Georgetown University, and
Catholic University.
Griff expects to pitch Hughes. John
son, Cashion. and Engel against the
National Leaguers, probably working
two of them in each game. Both
Cashion and Engel are as yet a trife
wild and need the work. Johnson is
in better shape right now than at any
previous spring, while Tom Hughes is
the real sensation of the club thus far.
as his exhibition Tuesday. when he let
the regulars down with one hit in five
innings, can attest.
Clyde Milan, Germany Schaefer, and
Allen Scheer reported no i'll effects
from their long horseback ride behind
the hounds with the Albemarle Hunt
Club in Charlottesville Tuesday morn
ing. 1t was expected that they would
be stiff in the joints, but If such is the
case they did not exhibit any symp-
toms during yesterdays practice.
Carol Barton, the Washington boy.
has made a fine impression on Man
ager Griffith and the regulars. OF all
the young slabsmen Barton showed the
best control. and a brilliant future is
predicted for the youngster. Barton
possesses a good side-arm delivery,
and Griff worked him harder than any
of the other kids. Barton will hardly
stick with the Nationals during the
coming season. but the Washington
club will keep a string on him. for he
is sure TO develop.
Supcrbns Working Hard.