The Washington times., 1914-08-30
Batting Practice in Morning To
Be Program Hereafter for Griffs
Old Fox Dsgused With Poor Sckwok of His PIayers Orders
Daily Workout at Ball Park-Miians Signing Seems
to Foreshadow Johnson's Hooking Up Again.
By THOMAS KIRBY.

In an effort to brace up the offensive
strength of the Nationals. Clark Griffith
today decided that morning practice is
TO be resumed. with batting the feature
of the two hours work.
The manager now appreciates the fact
that If the club is TO get further up in
the.eace, or is to keep from sinking fur
ther back, it must have real hitting
sndxhe thinks that if time is devoted to
this In the mornings he may bring
ebout some improvement
Tomorrow. Tuesday, and Wednesday
tie Nationals will labor against the
Chicago White Sox here. and on Thurs
day they will be in New York, to start
a series of three games, which Will
clean up the years work at the Polo
Grounds.
A week from tomorrow the Griffmen
return to Washington TO make their
final stand against the team that now
seems destined to win the championship
of the universe. The Athletics will play
morning and afternoon games here on
Labor Day. and the following day they
will complete the series with single
engagement.
Griffith is today elated over the fact
that he has succeeded in binding an
other of his athletes TO contract.
which he thinks the Federal League
will not be able to break. 1t is Clyde
contract the document having been
signed yesterday afternoon. just before
the game.
In order to make the papers as sweep
ing as possible. the ten-day clause has
been eliminated, and, while no actual
figures are given out, II is understood
that the agreement calls for al m
crease over the amount of tie Expiring
contract, which VAS said to he S5'Voo
annually
This is the first time since he orig
EraIly became a member of the Wash
ington team that Milan has bound
himself to the Nationals before the
beginning of training. Additional sle-
through the fact that it probably
means that Walter Johnson will soon
follow suit and tie himself up to Gr1-
nth for another year at least. Milan
and Johnson have long oeen close
friends. and it appears reasonable that
before the outfielder attached his name
to a contract he talked the matter over
with his best friend. So II wouId ap-
pear that the signing OF Milan is hkeiE
to ne closely followed by the signing
Of Johnson.
When he made his first appearance
since his injury, Milan Yesterday re
ceived one of the greatest ovauons
ever d W
crowd was not particularly large, pul
the reception accorded the outfielder
when he went in 10 bat for Mcbrlde
showed how he stood in the esteem OF
those who are following baseball here.
What change will be made in the
Washington outfield when Milan is
finally ready for regular duty early in
the week is purely problematical. When
Mike Mitchell was first obtained it was
with the thought that he would simply
ne able TO bolster things up until the
regular outfielder would be able TO re-
sume his place Mitchelrs hitting.
however has been one of the sensations
Of the year. Seldom has day passed
since he has owrn " uniform that he
has not slaughtered the ball. and his
fielding has always been up to the ac-
cepted standard
Considering the necessity for offensive