Evening star., 1914-04-14
GR|FF IN DOUBT AS
TO PITCHER TODAY.
To Make No Selection Until
Men Warm Up Just Before
Opening Game.
SKIES IN BOSTON CLEAR,
BUT WEATHER is CHILLY
"Oid Fox Confident His Team Is in
Shape to Begin the Long strug-
gle-0ther Gossip.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Il boS l'pN. Mass April 14.-JuSt which
! member Of The Nationals pitching staff
will be chosen to twirl the opening game
today viii remain a matter of conjec-
turc until a few minutes before play is
! called. Manager Griffith is determined
/! not to make selection until he has seen
both Joe Boehling and Waite. johnson
!, in action. He is hopeful that the team S
crack lefthander will show enough in his
/ warm-up to warrant being used, as he is
| particularly anxious to work johnson in
the final game here, or at least in any
one but the opener.
/ MS decision is in keeping with a plan
/ ne proposes to inaugurate during the
coming campaign. The scheme is 10 work
Johnson in the final game of every series
instead Of having him open it, Griffith
contends that to have team face the
| enormous speed of johnson at the start
OF a series handicaps the pitchers who
| follow nm. An experience of facing
| Johnson makes another pitchers speed
look ordinary. and, to Griffith's way of
| thinking. makes him look easy to the on
] posing team. While it is BY no means
| certain that Griffith will start the season
! by working johnson i'll the last game of
! ,he series, he proposes to enforce this
/ system OF working his pitchers before the
season is two weeks old 1t NAV he that
| Griffith will use johnson today. and then
| again in one of the New York games
| alter. which he will be rested until the
| opening game in Washington Anril ~
| fiis desire to work johnson in the tirst
game at home is the only reason which
| may cause him to be selected for todav,s
natue; But regardless of whether he
does this or not, Griffith insists that onre
all the openings are disposed Of he viii
pitch johnson only the last day of a
series
Though Manager Griffith has created
/ the impression for the past two weeks or
so that he was far from satisfied with
the condition Of his team. he came out
with the statement this morning that his
players We're as well fit to enter the cam
palgn as any in the league
Il have not been overioyed at the way
my team has been going, because / did
not want my players to think that there
was nothing left for them to do before the
season opened. said he but now that
we are to enter the campaign will not
hesitate to say that we are in as good
condition as l hoped for Any team
which beats US will know they have been
IN a struggle My pitchers are all in first
class condition, and they will show to
| better advantage when there is something
at stake than they have in the exhibition
games. There is not a man on my squad
who is not ready to do his best work, and,
while ] hope that we will be favored with
not weather now, / am perfectly willing
| to take my chances as we are am
making no predictions. but | feel that if
ever we had a chance to win a pennant It
is this year. ! think that we will get
good start in the race. and once we gain
the lead we will be mighty hard to CATCH
The indications are that the day will
! be clear, though a trifle cold. There is
always a chance for sudden change in
conditions in this climate, so it is haz-
ardouS matter to predict weather condi-
tions. Should it be warm The advantage
will be entirely with the Nationals for
there is no doubt that it is a warm
weather team in every sense of the word,
though it will be apt to make a good
showing even though it be chilly
There is no change in the lineup con
templated for the first game. Griffith
proposes to start with the same team
which finished last season. As matters
now stand every one of the regulars is
certain of his job for the time being.
OF course, if any one of them should fail
to come up to expectations changes are
apt to be made. There will be chance
for this to take place in the outfield, for
Griffith seems to believe that all the
gardeners will have to show fast pace
in order to prevent him from installing
Acosta, the Cuban, in one of the regular
positinos.
There are now twenty-five players in
the Nationals camp. There were nine
teen at Providence yesterday, and this
ing when Schaefer, Gedeon, Acosta.
Ayers, Wally Smith and Alva Williams
arrived. The rest of the youngsters, in
charge Of Coach Jack Ryan, will re-
main at home, taking daily workouts
until the team returns the day the sea-
son opens there.
After watching Carl Cashion pitch five
innings against Providence yesterday,
Manager Griffith gave it as his opinion
that the big southerner is going to be of
season. Cashion pitched by far the best
game of bali he has shown since he
joined the club. He gave but one base
on balls and allowed only one hit, which
:, was a scratch Cashion is a mucb
/ changed pitcher. His motion has materi-
! ally improved, and he seems at last to
| have conquered his failing SO far as the
| control is concerned. Nothing will prove
more beneficial to Cashion than to have
| him get a good start in the race. Ii he
1 should get away with victory or two at
| the outset, he will gain confidence in him
| self, and that will count for much. Cash
| ions physique is such that he will be
| able to do a lot of work. and his coming
! into form would greatly increase the
! Nationals chances for the flag in the
coming struggle.
| The members of the team are as much
| interested in the selection of the pitcher
| for today's game any of the fans
! Griffith has not given the slightest in
/ timation as to whom he will select
| though the players naturally have made
| every effort to find out They are, how
| ever willing to abide by the decision of
| their manager, for they realize that he
! will do that which he believes for the
/, best.
as if Johnson would be the logical Sc
lection IF Raw Collins works against
| him, though, the same luck which fol-
lowed the Red Sox left-hander last sea-
/ son against Johnson may prevail, in
which event Walter would waste another
brilliant performance. Griffith undoubt-
edly has this in mind. and may take a
chance with one of the other twirlers.
who may have better luck against
Collins.
| No one is more pleased that the exhi-
bition season is over than the players
themselves Playing ball games for the
sole purpose of getting ready for the real
campaign is not the most pleasant thing
in the world, according to the players.
They are anxious for the season to open
when everything counts. Under such
conditions they are interested. and their
work is really much easier. When the
final man was retired in Providence yes
terday afternoon the players gave a
mighty cheer. Now for the real thing,
they cried, and all shook hands.
Though Jim Shaw was a trif1e wild in
the eighth inning yesterday, he Showed a
remarkable lot of stuff, and after the