The Washington herald., 1913-02-08
GANDIL ARRIVES
in THE CAPITAL
Nationals Big First Baseman
Here to Escape Louisiana
Malaria-Brings Family.
CLUB DIRECTORS MEET
by WILLIAM PEET.

Chick Gandil, the Nationals clever first
baseman, accompanied by Mrs. Gandil
an6> his little four-year-old daughter, ar
rived in Washington yesterday afternoon
from Shreveport. La, and will remain
until the 1913 season closes.
Il was afraid of the malaria down in
Louisiana" said Chick to the writer,
and as / am in good shape right now
L decided that II would be best TO come
10 Washington early. do not want to
take any chances, for should be sick
before the time to report in Charlottes-
vile II would put me back whole lot.
Where We live in Shreveport added
Chick, the marshy land and lakes breed
malaria, and am susceptible to the dis
ease. Once it gets into my system /
cannot shake it of for weeks, and have
been lucky so far this year in escaping.
Gandil had his tonsils removed last
fall, and looks better to-day than at any
time last season. He is about four pounds
overweight, and says he is as hard as
nails. He has never allowed himself to
get soft or out of condition since the
curtain dropped last October.
Il spent a lot of time hunting and TAX
ing long walks said Chick: ''also played
golf; and let me tell you right here that
golf is some game. You think it's easy
10 hit that little pill, but. take 1t from
me, it isn't. 1 dug up all the turf around
the tee the first time 1 tried to drive,
and then, when 1 finally hit the ball, It
shot off at right angles for a distance
OF six feet
The big first baseman is just as conf
dent as his manager that the Nationals
will finish well up in the coming race.
He thinks that with one more pitcher TO
help out Johnson and Groom the club
will have just as good a chance as either
Boston or Philadelphia to win the flag.
Old Directors Reelected.
The board of directors of the Wash
ington Baseball Club met in Manager
Griffith's office yesterday afternoon, and
reelected the present board officers. Ben
jamin s. Minor. president; D. J. Kauf-
man. vice president; Edward ]. Walsh.
secretary. and W. H. Rapley, treasurer.
The petition signed by three local sport
ing editors for better accommodations In
the press box at National Park was not
discussed, but Manager Griffith has
agreed to certain changes, and has ap-
pointed the writer to be in charge of the
quarters.
Privacy, in measure, will be assured
the working newspaper men in the press
box, only one scorer from each of the
four local newspapers will be allowed to
occupy the seats, in addition to the tele-
graph operators and visiting baseball
writer's serving their newspapers. This
will do away with the congestion, II is
believed.
Manager Grirt1th and President Minor
Will leave Sunday afternoon to attend
the meeting of the American League in
New York, when the schedule will be
adopted, and other routine business trans
acted.
Trial for Welchonce.
WeIchonce. who led the Southern
League in batting last season, will not
be turned over to the Atlanta club until
he has been given a thorough trial by
the Nationals. Grifr himself is behind
this statement.
The men 1 have signed up now"
stated Griff. will all be taken to Char
lottesville. Welchonce is included. l did
tell Billy Smith, Of the Atlanta club. that
in case l decided to dispose of the player
that l would let him bid for his serv-
ices"
Wclchonce is twenty-seven years old.
and this may mitigate against him, for
the Old Fox is partial TO youngsters; but,
If the player in question looks better
than either Shanks or MoeIler, he Will be
given a regular berth.