Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-03
BY ]. ED GRILLo.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
| CHARLOTTESVILLE. Va, March 8
| Getting his ball players in condition is
apt to prove serious proposition for
Manager Griffith this spring. To begin
| with. he has only figured on fifteen work
ing days for his regulars down here and
it is decidedly doubtful if they will get
in all of these.
The regulars will be here for work
March 6, and are to leave March 81
There are three Sundays on which no
practice can be taken. and it is hardly
to be expected that rain or other weather
conditions will not interfere several other
days. incidentally. there is no assurance
that the team will be able to get on the
field when 1t arrives here. Present wealth
er conditions are such that indoor work
alone can be INDUCED in, and. what is
more, it is going to take at least four
or five days under favorable conditions
to make the playing field fit to work on.
The teams exhibition season starts on
Its own grounds March %. when George
town is to be played and for the three
days following the Philadelphia Ma
tionals will be its guests Unless a lot
Of work can be done here between now
team to re in anything like PLAYING con-
oi'ion d! the time the exhibition series
opens, and to have a team plav before
1t is ready is serious detriment
Just now il looks as if tlIe vintcr
weather intended TO hover around for
some time yet. 1t was so cold here YES
.eiudy mat there was no opportunity to
lake the recruit pitchers out in the Omen
and even il the weather should noder.ta
there is no chance to so on the pla wing
neio' Where the frost is at least Il foot
deep. Unfortunately, some one not
Iaiiiiiar Win caring ior ball field has
proved up the inffeld along the skinned
portions and should a thaw come this
PORTION II the field will be turned into A
sea OF mud and may require = week to
dry out. ~
Griffith refuses to be worried nv present
conolt1ons. He contends that if the
weather moderates by the time his rcsu-
lars come down. the latter part OF the
week. he will have ample time to copdi
ton them before they leave here but
there is no doubt that he will have TO
nave a lot of lucky breaks with the
weather TO accomplish this. The pros
poets Just now are none too bright: it
may be that the young pitchers will get
themselves in fairly good condition work
Ing indoors. but it will be very different
when they are asked to pitch outdoors.
Weather such rs has prevailed is, of
course. very unusual, but the very fact
that it is possih TO turn So coid here
makes Charlottesville a rather doubtful
training place for ball team
Neither Walter johnson nor Joe Boeh-
ling is to be used in any of the exhibition
games which are scheduled to be played At
home this spring The National League
will be asked to face only the young
pitchers. if Griffith carries out his present
Plan. He figures that these games will
give the young pitchers some needed
coils ,t-l,
an opportunity for showing just how well
advanced they are. johnson and Boehling
are to have comparatively easy time of
it before the season opens, fer they arc
not to appear in any games, but are mere
~ to practice enough to have them On
edge for the regular championship games.
That Griffith has the best looking bunch
of young pitchers ever seen in a training
camp must be conceded. They arc a
husky. well built athletic looking lot who,
in their warm-up. create the impression
that all will learn to pitch. They possess
a lot OF natural ability and. if the course
of instructions through which they are
now going will teach them a few tine
points Of the pitching art. there is hope
that some of them will be able TO prove
worthy helpmates to Walter johnson.
But conditions under which tic young
pitchers are working here are not OF a
kind to give a good line on their value.
ent speed, but it is in actual games that
a pitcher is put to the test. so that 1t
will be some time yet before a wei
founded prediction as to what the chances
of these young fellows are can be made
Manager Griffith. who is about as
happy when the weather is cold wet
hon did not tarry here long. After
watching the pitchers workout in the
gym during the morning he boarded
train for Washington. and will not re-
turn until Thursday, when he expects to
bring the rest of the members of the
team down with him.
Nick Altrock will leave here Wednesday
night for New York to act as the re-
ception committee to Germany Schae-
fer, who is returning with the world
tourists Nick is preparing a speech OF
welcome which is expected to BRING tears
to the ewes of his teammates.
When Harry Harper makes his next APP