Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-19
FIRST SQUAD TO
COME TOMORROW
Rookie Pitchers to Begin Their
Training at Y. m. C. A.
+ Gymnasium.
GRIFF THINKS. WELL OF
HIS TEAMS PROSPECTS
Dick Cooley Is Still Identified
With Game-Latest Base
Ball Gossip.
BY J. ED GRILLo.

Within the next twenty-four hours
the vanguard of the Nationals will
have reported here to Manager Crit
fifth. This squad is made up of most of
the young pitchers and Catchers "Rippy''
Williams and Munich. the local semi-pro
The two catchers will work out the
young twirlers for the next ten days.
when they will be shipped to Charlottes-
Vile to await the arrival of the regulars
who are to leave here the evening of the
4th Of March for their training camp. 1t
was the original intention to have the
players leave here on the 9th. but Man
ager Griffith finds that it will be easier
to avoid the inauguration crowds the
evening of that event than the following
morning. Weather permitting. the play
ers will get busy the morning Of the
9Th, and every day thereafter two work
outs will be taken on Lambeth Field.
"All ask is fair break in the
weather. said Griff, land I will have
my team on edge by the time the season
opens. 1 know that have a willing lot
OF workers. who will set a hot pace. and
IT, the weather is right I am willing to
wager that none Of our rivals will be
better fit than we when the bell rings,
and, I don't care where they may go to
do their training, they won have any
thlng on us.
Hardly a day passes that Griff is not
asked to give his opinion on the Ma
tionals' chance for the pennant. Griff,
of course. Is making no claims, but he
is sanguine that he will have a better
team this year than he had last. He fig
ures that all the youngsters who made
good last year will be even better this
year.
1T is, Of course. not policy to claim
remnants. for luck cuts such a big
fiytyr tn ho cold crfT am
satisfied, however. that our team will be
stronger than it was last year. The one
years experience will make a lot of
difference, even If it should not make a
single change in the lineup.
II think that we have Jared wen in
selecting our recruits. There is a good
chance for us to get some very useful
players out of the bunch We will have
in training
Twin brothers have been signed to play
with the Montgomery, Ala, base ball
team, and the two will play against the
big leaguers in exhibition games in Mont
gomery this spring.
1t Is the first time lin the history of
organized base ball that twin brothers
have played together on the sams team.
Ernest Henry. play the outfield. and they
hail from Tennessee. Frank had a bat
ting average of 500 on a Tennessee col
lege team. while Ernest gained an aver
age of 1855.
Dick Cooley. former center fielder OF
the Phillies. who will always be remem-
bered by oldtime followers of the
Quakers is still in the base ball business.
Dick has been wandering around the
Western circuit for years. He has been
part owner OF several clubs. principal
stakeholder in others. and has nearly al
ways acted as manager.
Until he became too heavy, Cooley usu-
n nncif in he
field. During the winter months he has
picked up some odd change by making
use of his ability to sing coon songs by
appearing on vaudeville circuits.
CoOley's former home was at Topeka
Kan. once made famous by Carrie Ma
ton Of saloon-smas hing proclivities.
Dick was tending bar at Topeka one
night when Carrie came in and began
welding her Ratchet. He promptly took
refuge under the bar. When Mrs. Nation
took her departure Dick concluded that
he would find a less dangerous occupa-
tion for the winter months.
Cooley in the last ten years has prob
ably sold more minor league franchises
has been emulating the example of the
Indian and gradually working his way
west. Last year he was at Salt Lake,
Utah. This franchise he disposed of re-
Gently. Now he is reported to be on the
Pacific coast. helping to organize
Right-handed hurlers are regarded as
the iron men of the pitching peak, but
statistics prove that four southpaws We're
mighty busy during the 1912 season.
The big Four" to encroach upon Ed
Walshs famous title, are Harry Sallee
OF the Cardinals. RUDE Marquard of the
Giants. Nap Rucker Of the Superbas and
Rube Benton Of the Reds.
Figures on last years pitching perform
ances bring to light the record that Sallee.
MarQuard. Rucker and Benton pitched in
more games for their team than any
Highlander on the club. This Is,
That southpaws can be iron men is
proved in the case OF this quartet. Last
season they worked In 1.1s9 innings, more
than 49, full games. This is about as
many as worked by any other four pitch
ers in the league.
Then. going through the dope. 1t is
further found that they were mixed up
i'm 1S6 games in the 1912 season. They
did not start or finish all Of these. but
just the same they had something to do
with that many. The season calls for
only 1J4. so by these figures 1t is shown
that they took part In more contests than
played In the Tom Lynch circuit.
Take this quartet of left-handed stars
and put them with any team and they
would pitch 1t to the pennant. Their aver
age last season did not look SO big, but
then three worked with weak clubs. In
fact. only one landed above the 800
mark in the percentage column.
Their records for 1872: