The Washington herald., 1914-04-02
Methods Pursued by Crafty
Leader Told by the
Giant Star.
NO LOAFING Is ALLOWED
By CHRIsTY MATHEwsoN.

Come on now. boys. 1 want to see
some pepper all the way North, because
we've got to hustle away in front again
this year." said McGraw as the Giants
were leaving Marlin to crash into their
exhibition schedule before opening sthe
regular season.
From this remark. and the way that
he has been driving the team ever since
we left the spring camp, there is nc
doubt but that McGraw expects to fol-
low his customary habi. Of getting the
jump on the field in April, SO that his
club will have a chance to ease up q
little bit IL some of the men begin to go
stale along toward the middle of the
season.
Come on. No loafing there" shouted
McGraw at a player who failed to run
out a hit in a recent game. You had
all your chances to take II easy when VIC
first hit the spring camp. Now I want
TO see baseball The next man who does
not run out hit will be fined
McGraw is not like many of the gen.
erals who order the advance Of their
armies from a comfortable position ia
a hammock swung safely in the rear. He
is always on the firing line. the first TO
be on hand during the spring drill. and
the last 10 leave. He has more pepper
than the most ambitious recruit. and sets
pace that tires most Of the squad
before they have followed him very long.
A Late sleeper.
After the cIuD has finally swung into
the championship schedule. Mac" sell
dom rises befor4 noon, leaving the morn
ing practice at the Polo Grounds to
some trusted lieutenant. This man used
n no Wi1haFf Rnhingnn huf I dnD'f know
who will take charge this year unless
Dick Kinsella. the scout, sticks with
the club and looks after the job.
When the team has once gotten away to
a good start. McGraw does not make the
regulars put on their uniforms in the
morning. but simply insists that all
hands show up ~ 10 O'Clock in the club
house so that he will know that his play
ers have retired at a reasonable hour.
The lieutenant only calls the roll and
puts a black mark against the name OF
any man who fails to appear. Such a
mark means a hne, and, IL the Offense
is repeated. a much heavier one the sec
ond time.
Drive. Club Hard.
But during the spring practice in Mar
lin and throughout the trip North. Nc
Graw adopts an entirely different sched-
ule OF hours. The breakfast stops and
the dining-rOom doors are closed at 3
o'clock in the Arlington Hotel. where
Giants put up n Marlin. but McGraw 4.
generally pretty nearly ready for lunch
by the time they pull the curfew on
breakfast. He Is always up early and the
first out at the field. He works hard di-
reeting and playing all day and is the
last to leave the park at night. Still he
does not go to bed much earlier in Marlin
than in New York. because the Giants
leader has a peculiar nervous tempera-
ment which makes Il impossible for him
to sleep soundly until along toward
morning. Yet he is effervescing with
nervous energy in the spring. which he
considers the most fruitful time OF the
year. and accomplishes all that he does
on very little sleep.
To me he is a marvel of nervous force
and activity. He would not let any OF
his men go along with so little sleep.
and | don't believe there is any one OF
them who could keep up the pace.
But TO return to the Giants condition
to begin the race for the fourth con-
secutive pennant. II our club wins the
championship this season. it will have
accomplished something that has never
before been done. All previous pennant
winners have stopped at three flags in a
row. Therefore. McGraw has driven
harder this spring to get his club in the
best of shape to take a running jump
into the race. He is extremely anxious
to repeat and establish a record The
men are all in fine condition. except Bes-
cher. but for some minor injuries that will
not affect their playing ability after the
season gets under way. OF course.
Fletcher had his broken finger. and Snod-
grass cut his foot on a bit of glass from
a broken bottle in a game in Corsicana
some time ago, tut both these men will
he in shape to start the season. Bescher
is the man who is giving McGraw the
greatest worry at this time. since his
ankle does not appear to get strong II
his been "othering him ever since he ar
rived in the Marlin camp. and Mac
is afraid that his outfieId speed merchant.
who was acquired by the club this win
Ter while he was on the other side of
the world. won't be in shape to start the
season. II may be necessary to perform
some sort of an operation on the ankle
before Bescher will be right again, and
an operation would lay him up for some
time.
Wants Warm weather.
McGraw is pulling for warm weather
when We near home. because a cold snap
VIII do as much damage to his players
as 1t does to the crops at the wrong
season. 1t will set a team back several
weeks in its training Last spring the
Giants pulled out of Marlin the best con-
ditioned team, on McGraw's own say so.
that he ever led north. Then We en-
countered a cCld snap near home that
took lot of condition out of some of
the players. But McGraw thinks Marlin
is the best training ground he has found
in all his big league career. and he has
been to a lot OF them.
Il have had more luck getting my
teams into shape in Marlin than any
where else" says Mac" And / do
like to get that old jump in the race. I
believe that Marlin is largely responsible
for the good getaways that my club has