The Washington herald., 1913-03-29

'Grif has a ball club this year that
will be right up in the fight from the
start. It is 50 per cent better right now
than the team we played against here
last spring.
In the first place, the Nationals have
speed, there is no discounting that, and
if the rest of the pitchers are as good
as the two we looked at today the Old
Fox need not worry much about his
twirling staff.
You can go as far as you like about
quoting me. / followed the destinies of
the Washington team last season and
thought that perhaps they were just a
flash in the pan, but the game they put
up against my ball club today convinces
me that Grif has a bunch of players
able to hold their own against any team
in organized baseball"
The foregoing statement was made by
Manager Charley Doom. the peppery
leader of the Philadelphia Nationals,
after the ball game yesterday at the
Florida Avenue Park.
After handing GriT such a nice bou-
quet, Manager Doom had a few kind
words to say regarding the work of
Pitcher Doc Ayres, who worked against
the Phillies down in Richmond last
Thursday. According to Doom, Ayres
looked to have a lot of stuff, and also
appeared to be in fine shape physically.
Manager Griffith, when asked If he
would permit Ayres to join the Nation
ais when the fingers college term closed
next June. replied: Yes, he can report.
but 1 have imposed a fine of 800. which
will have to be paid before he can put
on a Washington uniform. 1 warned
him that if he did not show up in Char
lottesville he would have to suffer the
consequences"
Griff also stated that he had notified
the National Commission to put Ayres'
name on the ineligible list.
With the Phillies are Billy Weart. the
clever baseball writer of the Philadel-
phia Telegram, who is secretary Of the
Baseball Writers Association of Amer
lea; George Young, of the Public Ledger
and H Perry Lewis, of the Philadelphia
Times.
Mr.. Weart said last night that in his
opinion the Washington ball club right
now was a more formidable aggregation
than the team which finished the 1912
season. Coming from such source
there is a world of meaning in these few
kind words.
Germany Schaefer and Nick Altrock
have agreed 10 put on their screamingly
funny baseball farce at Chase's Theater
Sunday night. contributing their share
toward the monster benefit for the flood
sufferers. II Schaefer and Altrock in
vaudeville are half as funny as on the
ball field the act promises to be one of
the headliners.
Walter Johnson and Eob Groom are
the pitchers whom Manager Grifith
has selected to go against the Phillies
here this afternoon. The former will
likely twirl five innings.
Just who will oppose johnson and
Groom is not known. but Earl Moore
and one of the youngsters may toe the
slab.
Johnson is in better shape this
spring than at any previous time, and
is sure to give a good account of him
self. while Bob Groom has entirely
recovered from a severe cold and is
not afraid to hook few over.
Catcher Billy Killifer. of the Phillies,
is a hold-out, and declares that unless
he is given the salary he demands he
will go to his home in Paw-Paw, Mich,
as soon as the Dooinites reach the
Quaker City.
Killifer was first seen in Washington
while a member of the St. Louis Browns
n 1910. but has improved wonderfully
since then, and is rated as one of the
cleverest receivers in the National
League. He is the brother of Red KILL
fer. at one time of the Washintog club,
but who has been with Joe Cantillon in
Minneapolis the past three years.
The work of Joe Engel yesterday was a
great surprise. Engers pitching down m