The Washington herald., 1913-02-25
Catcher Returns from Texas
Looking in Fine Shape.
Gained Twenty Pounds.
NOT TO WORK my. M. c. A.
Griffith Does Not Propose to Take
Chances with Young Receiver.
Other Gossip.
By WILLIAM PEET.

Eddie Ainsmith. the Nationals young
catcher. who has been passing the winter
down in San Antonio, Tex, in search of
health and strength and a little recrea-
ton, reached Washington yesterday noon
and called on Manager Griffith al base
ball headquarters.
Ainsmith left Georgetown Hospital
October % a living skeleton, weighing
less than 10 pounds. A Siege of malarial
fever in its worst form, due to the fact
that the Young catcher was badly over
strained laid him low last September. or
during the farewell Western trip of the
Nationals, and he was sent back TO
Washington from Detroit.
Eut for the familiar old smile it is
doubtful if Griff would have recognized
his catcher when Ainsmith walked into
the managers Office yesterday afternoon.
Eddie tips the scales at 100 pounds. is as
brown as a berry. and declares that he
never felt better in his life.
Upon the advice of the club physicians
and others, Manager Griffith decided that
Ainsmith had best spend the winter down
South. live in the open air, and do absO-
lutely nothing until time to report in the
spring. One look at the peppery back
stop indicates that the right treatment
was prescribed. He is ready rlRht now
To go behind the bat.
Il spent four months in the wllds OF
Texas" &aid Ainsmith to the writer.
When l left Washington for San An
tonic | was pretty sick kid and after
iaofinS around the Texas city for a couple
Of weeks decided to seek the wild country
and camp out. | travelled fifty miles to
Il place where only small post-oftice and
railroad station comprise the town, ar
ranged to board at a farmhouse. and
spent all of my time riding horseback
and hunting small cotton-tailed deer,
rabbits. and squirrels. l killed a dozen
Of so deer with a rife. but cannot boast,
as Griff claims to have done, of ever
laying one low with a stone.
Asked how he happened to he here in
advance of the regulars. the catcher re-
Piled, Il simply could not stand II down
IN Texas any longer. ! had fully regain
I'd my health, the purpose for which I
took the trip. and wanted TO get back
among folks again.
The Texas country and open-ar life
proved just the tonic / needed, but, be-
lieve me. the best sight to my eyes was
old Union Station in Washington when
my train pulled in this noon.
AinsmIth left San Antonio last Friday
night. The open-air diet worked wonders.
lis face is fill ID out to such an extent
he Will b., forced to take off eight or
Ten pounds in order to put himself into
condition for the coming season.
According to Manager Griffith. the
,atcher will not be permitted to join the
little colony working out daily in the
Y. NJ. {. \. gymnasium. as the Old Fox
is not taking any chances of Ainsmith' 5
going stale.
Ainsmith'S collapse last fall was one
ri tn" few cases ON record. IL seems that
IA" had been IN training ever since the
1911 baseball season closed. playing bas-
kct-ball up North all winter. When he
reported last March he was in grand
shape. and his record early in the season
was as good any catcher in the
American League. As a matter of fact,
u" was trained down altogether too fine.
and toward the latter part of August
started 10 90 stale. \ breakdown of his
entire system followed. and he was sent
home just in time.
For six weeks last fall Ainsmith was
confined TO the Georgetown Hospital,
where he suffered relapse and accord
ing to one authority at the institution
..Hmc within an ace of caShinE in his
rheCks. Ainsmith is apparently recover
ed, ard declares that from this time on
he will never attempt to indulge i'll sports
every day of the year. but will obtain a
good long rest after each baseball sea
son