Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-26
BY J. ED GRILLo.

BY j. ED GR1LLO.
| Charley DOOM and his Philies reached
here this morning. They are auartered
| at the Hotel Gordon. Doom says his
| team is not near playing form. He had
his squad down at Wilmington, n. c., and
! not only encountered miserable weather
| but the grounds were absolutely unfit for
| practice purposes.
| We are not in any shape Yet but
hope TO be by the time the season opens,
| said. the Phillies' chief. We'll have a
strong team. one which will be con-
/ tender in the race, notwithstanding the
y, fact that We have lost several of our
/ good pitchers. Alexander and Chalmers
| are the only veterans We have and Chal-
| mers is not yet in form. The rest Of the
! staff is made up of youngsters, but we
| have not had work enough to get line
| on them. We are SO far back in our
| work that we have not yet seen a curve
| bali, SO cannot be expected to play to
/ form for some time yet
| There are thirty-four players in the
! Doom party, many of them veterans of
! the game. but also a lot of youngsters.
| Among the we'll known stars are Hans
| Lobcrt. the fastest man in base ball and
| one of the Woodworking party; Sherwood
! Masee, of hitting fame; Gabby Cravath,
! the slugger. Luderus, the first basemaN
| of renown, and several other players who
( have made their mark in the game. Sea-
| ton. Brennan and Camnitz, who were
| part of the pitching staff last season,
| have jumped to the Federals. Bill KILL
| fer, the catcher. who after jumping to
| the Feds returned to the Phillies, is also
with the team. kilifer is being sued in
| Grand Rapids. Mich. where the Fed
e"al League is trying to obtain an in
junction against his playing with the
PhilieS
That suit, if it is won by the Feds.
will prevent killifer from playing in
Michigan said Doom, but We have no
city in that state in our circuit. so it
matters little which way it goes
Herman shaefer. looking in better fet-
| tie than he has for several years was
one of the first players to report at the
ball park this morning. Schaefer got
| right into harness and played first base
| for the Colts in clash with the Regu-
lars. Schaefer had team made up
| largely of the young pitchers, hence did
not have much of a chance against the
Regulars. But he played brilliant game
at first, and incidentally made 1t plan
that he has not lost his batting eye.
Schaefer is the same joviai character of
old. He is full of pep and declares
that he will have the best season of his
career.
Hans Lobert, the Phillies' clever third
baseman. who was one Of the worlds
touring party, is loud in his praise of the
trip around the world. Lobert says that
in addition to the expenses of all the
players being paid each man was handed
$500. and he believes that after the bust
ness end of the venture Is Strengthened
up the players will be handed some
| more money by the promoters, though all
accorded them to date
Lobert is great admirer of Walter
johnson. Walter pitched two games
against US out west las fall, when we
were on our way to Vancouver and /
must admit that he is the greatest
pitcher the game has ever developed he
said. He is not only that, but l never
met more transformations fellow OF
fame 1t Is a pleasure to see him go
through ball game. 1t seems to be so
little effort. and talk about stuff, well,
there was never anything like it"
On the advice of Manager Griffith
Capt. Mcbride will not don uniform
for the next week. While there has
been much improvement in McBride's
injured leg it is believed that the only
way to bring about permanent cure
is to rest 1t thoroughly. and this is to
be done. Mcbride hopes to be able to
play regularly after next week. Crit
fifth realizes that to have him out of
the lineup would be a serious handi-
cap to the team. and assurance is given
by the club surgeon that a weeks rest
Will have Mcbride in playing condition.
The Phillies are scheduled to play
here today, tomorrow and Saturday
and it is likely that Manager Griffith
will use both Walter Johnson and Joe
Boehling in one of these games While
he does not intend to use his two
pitching stars a great deal in these ex-
hibition games. he figures that it will
help to round them into form to work
them against hostile batters a few
before p,,t
every one of the young pitchers is sure
to be given a trial in the long list of
exhibition games. though none Of them
this early in the season.
Doc Ayers performance during the five
innings Yesterday showed him to be in
excellent form. The former Richmond
star allowed but one hit and struck out
eight men during the time he officiated
on the slab. True, he was up against a
college team which has had but little
practice. but for all that Ayres looked like
a real pitcher. The fact that he has al
most perfect control gives him an ad-
vantage over some of the young pitch
ers Avres has worked very hard since
Joinins the team and he is perhaps far
ther advanced in the matter of condition
| than any of his teammates He showed
/ yesterday that he was ready to go full
/ game at top speed.
| TO Wally Smiths ability to fill the utility
infeld role on the local team. Smith
seems able to give satisfaction in any one
OF the infield positions and with 1t ali is
| a hitter of more than ordinary ability.
On what Smith has shown with the team
tins spring he is by far the most valuable
utility man the Nationals ever had.
| That Clyde Milan is rapidly rounding
| INTO his best form was demonstrated YES
| terday when he made one Of his famous
| forward running catches. incidentally
he showed dash of his old speed when
in the sixth inning he hit into right and
stretched 1t into three bases. The most
| encouraging feature Of Milans work this
spring Is his hitting Never since he has
been member Of the team has his stick
work been so impressive this early in
| the season. II Milan can continue the
! present pace with the bat he is sure to
| league this season
| Georgetown's showing against the Ma
tionals, when the fact is taken into con-
sderation that the collegians have had