The Washington times., 1914-03-04
OVERLOOKING LADS
WHO MAY SUCCEED
Cashion. Musser, and EngeI
Have Earmarks of Corners
When Spotlight Flashes.
Bv THOMAS KIRBY.

| CHARLOTTESVILLE Va. March l.
| Three men now here have apparcntlN
! been overlooked in the progrosticatinG
| of the probable pitching staff OF the
| Washington club. They are Carl Cash
ion. Joe EnEel and Paul Musser.
When Cashion hurt his arm last
summer it was one of the worst blow S
to whicl. Griffith has been subjected
since he assumed the managerial job
70" the Nationals. Griffith thought
| " hen he took charge that nc would be
allie TO match Cashiom with thc veteran
material that he already had i'm tow
and in this way fortify himself through
a GUnners staff that would be without
q superior in the league. lie mad the
! highest admiration for the big fellow
and started out to teach him all the
fl esse that made the Griftith;an system
UIeXCelled during manv years.
Wien cashion popped his elbow it
WAS considerably a more severe blow
TO Griffith than is generally felt. for
ii meant that the whole pitching STAFF
had TO he rebuilt. TO attempt to say
at this time that CAshion is ready or
his arm is as strong as it ever was is
strorg End it may not be strong, but
the little experimenting that has been
Ioint on here would not afford an am
plc opportunity to judge one way or the
other.
There has not been curved ball
l'itCEed since the athletes assembled
here and in refraining from bending
the Dall the twirIers hav,. girply fol
lowed the instructions of their chief.
Griffith has said there will he no curves
and no curves there have Leen.
WhCneN or YOU attempt to pass on the
merits % ary pitcher you must decide,
in YOUR cwn Judgment. whether he has
a curve. II he has not h. is through
$" far as sna ior league baseball is con
CcTned.
CaShiUn has unqualified and undivided
confidence in his own ability to counter
act the impression that when he injured
himself last summer h" 50 placed him
self THAI be waS worthless In the upper
strata uf haS"hali. In his reply 70 the
pitchers contract. Griffith WrOt" "A let
ter commanding that prccaut ON he ex-
ercIScd in the training camp and the big
carol nian has senSibly reserved and pro
tected himself in all of the practice that
has been going on since the first asSOrt-
ment Of thu Nationals assembled here.
Barring Walter johnson. there is no
NOR" popular member OF the Washing;
ton pitching staff than II Carl CaShion
and that he will be- abb" to reach the
mark for which he set sail when he re-
ported her" is the hope of tn" many
boom cOrnpa Mons to which h" has gath
cred to himself since he first came here
as a rather crude. college pitcher.
Joe Engel'S cas" Is today as 1t always
has been. II there is anyone In Wash
inptOn who will take hold of tbs nat
rraIIy endowed pitcher and through
either hcnding club over his head or
10y way of cX"rti0n lead him to feel that
the battle which the Washington ball
club is putting TN is q s"rious propusi-
ton. that same individual will do great
work that will make for the advance
nert Of the chances Of the team.
Engel is a lighting man In the hest
sense Of the word. He does not know
what IT means to quit and II is largely
upon this :, ore that he has now the ad
miration Of his boss.
but E.lyci. willie hs has not refused TO
do 50. has tnuS far failed to thoroughly
appreciate the sincerity and Importance
OF the game which he has adopted as
his profession. Should Joe E.ngel get
down To tacks' as the saying goes and
try TO get through his head the fact
that h" is being depended upon by the
Washington ball club as one Of us
the whole matter a joke. he will i'm
Prove his value SS a member of tn.
twirlinC corps by many and many a
per cent.
Paul MuSser Is one of these distinctly
serious individuals who does not con
slider work at the training camp as A
lark. In this respect he is far removed
from Engel. When he was let go by
Griffith last season Musser went West
and made Il great record.
Gusscr is now here taking al the ad-
vice Of the veterans sent down by Grif-
filth, and lie is a whole lot better pitch
cr in general appearances than he was
a year ago. That he will be able 10 sur
viz. in th. battle Of the fittest is a mat
ter " hich cannot be answered until that
battle Is fought Mussor. however de-
spite his natural silence, Musscr is one
Of the most popular men in quarters. and
thai he will make good in holding the
job is the hope Of more than one with
whom he come into contact