Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-07
GR|FF'S YOUNGSTERS
WILL REPORT SOON
All Young Pitchers to Begin
to Work Here Feb
ruary 20.
PRAISE FOR HANK 0'DAY
FROM NATIONALS BOSS
AIva Williams Appears to Be
Only Catcher to Be Relied
Upon This Spring.
BY ]. ED GRILLO,

In about two weeks the advance squad
of the Nationals will report here This
squad is made up of all the young pitch
ers Griffith has secured since last season,
ard they Will work out daily for a week
at the y. NJ. &. A. gym before departing
for Charlottesville. The exact date on
which they will report is February 20,
and they Will leave here for the training
grounds March =.
The regulars have been ordered to put
in an appearance here on March 3, and
after viewing the Inauguration parade the
following day will leave for Charlottes-
Vile March >. This arrangement appears
, to be very satisfactory to the players. A
letter.from Walter Johnson. received this
morning by Manager Griffith, expresses
pleasure over the opportunity given him
to see the Inauguration, and says that he
will be here on time.
GIiff figures that the work the young
pitchers will put in here will fit them to
furnish good batting practice for the
regulars when they reach Charlottesville.
Most of these youngsters have been
working out for the past two weeks. TAX
ing advantage of the balmy weather
which prevailed until a few days ago,
and most of them will report ready to
pitch for four or five innings. 1t is fig
ured big advantage to have some
pitchers ready to go at top speed when
the training period begins. 1t helps to
get the batters eyes on the ball and
brings them into batting form much more
| rapidly than if they We're up against
| easy tWirling.
II am more anxious than ever to have
the Nationals get good start this
spring." said Griff this morning. Much
depends how we get off. If we get Il
| flying start our chances Will be greatly
| improved for I think we will have a
| team which Will so better as the sea-
son progresses If we have good
weather ! expect to have the team toe
the scratch in as good condition as any
! team in the race. if not better
Though Griffith. during his many years
in the National League. has had numer-
Gus run-ins with Hank ODay, no one is
more delighted over the fact that Hank
| is to be the American League stan
! this season than the local manager
| "O'Day is a wonderful umpire" said
Griff in discussing the veterans appoint
| ment. and / am tickled to see him with
u.s. No man has better judgment on plays
/ or runs a game better than O'Day. and
| American League patrons have reason to
| congratulate themselves on his acquisition
| by the American League. ] would be im-
mensely satisfied If O'Day umpires most
|
would feel when it was all over that we
had received everything that was coming
to us, no more no less. ODay will more
than take Jack Sheridan's place. He was
the one man President Johnson needed
to make his umpire staff the most compe-
tent in the history of base ball
1t is impossible for a team to be too
strongly fortified in any department. Last
spring the Boston and Washington teams
We're rated as having the two best catch
ing stats in the American League.
Washington with it's two brilliant young
sters, Henry and Ainsmith, looked to
have the best back stopping department
while Boston with Carrigan, Nunamaker,
| Cady and Thomas, seemed to be carrying
excess baggage in the catching depart
ment There was some comment that
Boston was pursuing a foolish policy by
holding on to all these catchers when
! several clubs would have been glad tt
| have had one of the four incidentally. il
| was stated that Williams would have blu,
! little chance to get into the game mere
| But time proved the wisdom Of carrying
| these catcherS.
| Before the season was very old Cady
was the only available catcher on the
| Boston team and had 1T not been fol-
! Williams the Nationals would have haC
| a hard time finishing in the first division
| With both Henry and Ainsmith incapaci
| tated Williams took up the work, and he
did exceedingly we'll Nor is the Nation
| ais catching staff any too Well fortified
| right now Ainsmith is believed to hav.
! regained his health. that is true. but i,
| remains To be seen how he will do when
| the real work begins. John Henry ma!
| or may not be able to take his regular
turn behind the bat. it all depending OF
| how strong his knee will become since
| the operation This really leaves Will
| liams the only man to be relied upon
at this time.