The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-03-31

Cheer up The sun IN shining
On both sides Of the street
And the tar will soon be oozns
Out of that bleachez sat
By WILLIAM PEET.
.'Merito" Acosta, the Nationals dimin.
utive Cuban outfelder, reminds ons
more Of Wee Willie Keller than any
other ball player who has broken into
the big leagues n recent years.
Opposing pitchers always found Keller
q hard man to pitch to for the reason
that he never offered at bad balls. or
in other words. a pitcher was forced to
put the ball over the plate to Keller or
walk him.
Keeler was a wonder at looking 'em
over as the players say, and the same
appears to be true of Acosta on what
the writer has seen of him thus far.
In Charlottesville, Acosta seldom hit
at balls few inches inside or outside
of the plate, and was a good judge OF
what the pitcher served him. high
one he always let sail past, and balls
thrown into the dirt fooled him once in
a while but not often.
During Acosta's brief period with real
ball teams down in Havana, he was
often sent in to bat at a critical stage,
for the purpose Of drawing a base on
balls, and, according to report, almost
always accomplished his purpose. One
game in particular is recounted by the
Havana baseball writer, Joe Massageur,
when, with the score a tie at the end
Of the ninth, two out and three men on
bases Acosta was ordered to 60 to the
plate and draw base on balls if posi-
BILE. He did SO and won the ball game
for his team.
Manager Griffith expects to carry
both Acosta and Calvo during the COM
ing campaign. These boys, will warm
the bench most of the summer, but
they are bound to pick up an ines
Unable fund of baseball knowledge,
and it would not be at all surprising
if, when the 1914 season opens, Merito
Acosta was lead-off man for the Ma
tionals ensconced in a regular berth.
1t would be hard luck indeed If the
services of a doctor, an undertaken, or
some other prominent citizen 10
needed in a hurry over in Alexandra:
for if reports are to be credited the
entire population will be over in the
National Capital this afternoon to wit
ness the ball game between the Griff-
men and the Cardinal Athletic Club
Mayor Tom Fisher has declared .
half holiday for the school children,
and 500 will be admitted to the game
free of charge.
The booking of this game was the
outcome of the banquet rendered Man
ager Griffith by the Cardinal Athletic
Club in Alexandria last winter. Grin
made a speech to the boys then, and
offered them the date on his exhibit
ton list.
The Nationals second team, in
charge of Germany Schaefer. which
defeated the Norfolk Tars last Satur-
day, came very near losing the services
of Jacinto Calvo. if the story related
about the Cuban be true.
Calvo, who speaks very little English,
had broken away from the squad OF
players and was taking in the sights OF
Norfolk all by himself. He lost his way
completely, and could not remember the
name of the hotel where the players
were stopping, in fact ii is doubtful
if he could have pronounced the name
had he remembered it.
Dutch Munich, with Norfolk friends,
ran into Calvo by accident down by
the water front, and quickly learned Of
the Cuban's plight Calvo was nearly
two miles away from the hotel.
Rebel Williams. the young inf1eIder
who is playing third base for the Pr
mientas, is greatly worried over the fact
that for the past two weeks he has
heard no word from his mother, and
fears that harm might have befallen
her.
Williams home is in Covington, KY,
near the scene Of the great flood, and
the youngster is afraid something might
have happened. He telegraphed her last
night.
jaw Carl Cashion and Long Tom
Hughes will do the pitching for the
Nationals in the game against the Alex
andria Cardinals this afternoon. Grin
will most likely start his regulars who
will give way to the youngsters In case
enough runs are made early in the. COM
bat to assure victory.
Lou Criger, the veteran catcher, who
was with the New York Americans in
1910, pays Eddie Foster, of the Nationals,
the following compliment: Eddie Fos-
ter, the clever young third sacker Of the
Washington Nationals. would now be
decorating the Yanks' far corner and
playing just as good a game as he is for
Washington had he received the proper
encouragement and opportunity when
with New York.
Foster was with the Yanks in 1910,
but for some unknown reason Stallings
wasn't permitted 20 use him, despite the
fact that even at that early stage he
showed indications OF being a big Lacquer
Now and then he would be used at third
again at short, and once in a while at
second He was slipped to the Rochester
eastern League) club, from where Jim
McAleer, then managing the Nationals,
obtained him. He proved one Of Clark
Griffirh's most valuable performers last
season."