Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-08
GRIFF TO HAVE STRONG
PITCHING CORPS IN RACE


I
| Continued from First Page)
him is taking chance of putting himself
! out of the game by going to the outlaws.
| There Is not chance for the Federal
| League to last. The American League
were different and it was promoted by
| lot Of experienced base ball men. The
| fellows behind the Federal League have
| had no experience. but they will get lot
| of it at a high price before they are
through"
While Griffith is not overjoyed at
weather conditions here he refuses to be-
lieve that his team will not be ready for
the opening Of the season. The twelve
or thirteen days which the team will
| have to work here-that is, if the wealth
er perrpits-is sufficient, in his judgment,
to have the team ready to meet the Ma
| tional League teams in the exhibition
games which are scheduled for Wash
ington. He figures that at the end of
the exhibition season his players will be
| at their best.
1T is different now from what it was
| in the old days." said he. Players now
adays do not get very much out of condi-
\ ton during the of season. and conse-
| quently it requires but a little while to
| get them ready In the spring. They, Of
course, need a lot Of practice, but there
| is no trouble getting the mphysically right
\ to do their best work. l am not worried
about the setback we have had by reason
of the weather. and we are sure to make
| up for it when conditions change"
| George Mcbride is one of those who
| look for Jim Shaw to prove capable
running mate to Walter Johnson. The
| Nationals captain saw Shaw pitch an ex
| hibition game in Newark last fall which,
/ he says. proved beyond question that
Shaw has remarkable ability.
That Newark team had the reputation
of being a hard-hitting aggregation he
said. 1T won the International League
| championship on the strength of its clout-
! ing as much as anything else. Well.
| Shaw made those fellows look like lot
| of sandlotters last fall. He shut them
out. / to 0. and did it in a finished way.
1 was impressed with his speed and
curve. and he has a free, easy motion,
which marks him a pitcher of class be-
him this spring and by the time the sea-
| son opens he is sure to show a whole
| lot"
Conservatism is Griffith's watchword
when 1t comes to sizing up young ball
player. yet he is considered one of the
] best judges Of playing material. When
! must be something extraordinary to
Jack Bentleys ability, for Griffith never
tires of praising the youngster. Bentley,
according to Griffith, is going to be
surprise Of the squad. He looks for him
to gain a regular position on the pitching
stan this year, though he has had no pro-
| fessional experience and is scarcely nine
I teen years old. But Bentley is a giant
| for all that, and when he lines up with
| the rest of the big twirlers the team
he does not lose in comparison. Grin fig
ures that Bentley will prove a capable
running mate for Joe Boehling. He says
l. "A team nowadays to be well fortified
| on the slab should have two good left
handlers. or at least one who stands out.
| There is no chance for a team without
! a southpaw to win pennant, in my
judgment l think we will have a couple
! of cracks next season in Bentley and
| Boehling. for ! am sure that Joe will be
! even better than he was last season.
| Both sections of the big squad worked
! out again in the gym today. In the
morning the young pitchers took the first
workout. followed by Johnson and those
who were on the team last season Most
! Of the pitchers have reached that stage
where they can let out their arms, though
strict orders have been given against
| curving, which will not be INDUCED in
until the practice games start on the field.
! The out and infielderS worked them
selves into sweat playing basket ball and
tossing the medicine ball and then were
| worked hard for fifteen minutes or so
| picking up hard-hit grounders. The same
| program was followed in the afternoon.
| Sunday will be day of rest, but If the
grounds are ready Monday there are
sure to be two long sessions in the open,
and Griffith expects to be able to play
| practice games by Thursday. These will
| be continued every day thereafter, pro-
| viding the weather is suitable.
F, Notwithstanding the fact that Griffith
| tabooed the basket ball game for his
| players he permitted them to play this
afternoon for the exercise they could
get out of it. As result Clyde Milan
is now laid up with a sprained ankle and
/ will not be able to do his part of the
training work for some days to come.