Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-13
WITH BAKER ON THIRD
GRIFFMEN MIGHT
WIN PENNANT
Continued from First Page,

season was over that some of the reg
ulars were to be dropped. Mack picked
out the ideal time to make a change
While his team was winning world
championships he. of course, could not
indulge in any switching Of his team
without running the risk Of being rid
den by the fans in case things should
not turn out well. In the meantime
interest was dying out and the cost
Of running Tso the he club vas on the in
gave Mack the chance to make
changes.
The sale of Collins no doubt will al
low the club to make a handsome profit,
and judged from the caliber of the
youngsters Mack is developing he is apt
to have a real ball club again before
some OF the others get out of the rut.
AS yet there has been no decision
reached as to where the Nationals will
train in the spring, though it is I'm
derstood that Charlottesville is very
apt to be chosen despite the fact that
the Virginia college town has never
proven a proper place to. condition a
during the three years the team has
practiced there the work has been
done indoors. where. of course. batting
practice and real ball playing is out of
Of batting practice than the Griffmen.
other teams put in about four hours a
day at batting during the training sea-
son, and they usually go where a eli
mate prevails which allows few days
to be missed.
The chances are that there will be
but two ball players in the Nationals
camp next spring who will attract real
attention. These are Henri Rondeau
and Douglas Neff. These two young
sters may be given a chance to play
| regularly at the outset of the season,
Neff being given chance at second,
while Rondeau will be looked over in
left field.
These really are the only new men
figured on next spring. Most of the
pitchers to be tried have been with the
Nationals before, excepting Ehmke, the
Los Angeles phenom, who has not yet
signed with the team. Gallia is an
| other comeback, having spent cou-
pie of seasons with the locals before
having the finishing touches put on him
at Kansas City.
local pitching staff next season may
have a good effect on the young pitch
ers, in the opinion of many local
patrons, who argue that Johnson so far
estimation that they did not gain the
confidence in themselves that is so es-
sential Next season much of the re-
sponsibility of carrying the team along
will fall on the shoulders of the young
twirlers, and they should show to bet
ter advantage as a result.
The official batting averages of the
Federal League made public yesterday
shows that there were twenty-four
players in that league who hit 300 or
better The procession was led by
Kauff of Indianapolis. with 1866, whlle
Evans of Brooklyn was second with
1855.
There are three Washington cast-ons
In this select class Kenworthy, who
got a trial here couple of years ago:
hit .316. Frank Laporte. another GRIN
cats-off, batted at a 81 rate. Whiie
Sheer, an outfelder, obtained from
Youngstown during the McAleer reg.
ime and later tried out by Grlmtn' nit
at 800 clip.
It is very evident that there was not
,ouch class to the Fed outfit last sea-
son. for it is questionable If any one
of the players who hit over the coveted
mark would have been able to hold his
own in either of the major leagues.
The Gilmore circuit is not overlook
ing any opportunities to get publicity
Only during the last few days a Fed
erai League publicity bureau was es-
tabjished in New York, in which an in
div;dma1 named Brewer. who has some
hase hall experience as a critic. has
been put in charge.
II is the plan to have this bureau
see to it that the Federal League gets
az much mention in the New York and
other papers as possible. In this way
the Feds hope to keep themselves be-
60 +ha nubIic as much as possible.