Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-22

From now until the season opens siren
uous days are in store for the Nationals
Griffith is determined to have his players
| toe the mark in as good condition as pos
sible and he believes that this can only
be accomplished by constant practice
from now out.
If the weather moderates and 1t is pos
sible to get out on the field. games will be
regular scheduled games with the Ma
tional League teams will not interfere
with clashes in the forenoon.
I'VE need plenty of work, and the best
way to get 1t is to play games" remarked
sible we will be out on the field, and until
then lot Of work will be done under
meath the grandstand. where 1t Is dry and
fairly comfortable. I regret. OF course.
that we had such a miserable training
we made the best of it. My team Is In
fairly good shape and II we can get ten
days or two weeks of outdoor work we
will be as At as We have ever been at this
season of the year"
Griffith and majority Of his players
reached here early last night Gandil
was the only one not in the party. He
took an earlier train out Of Chariottee-
vile and reached here several hours be-
fore the rest of the squad. As whole
the opening Of the season as could be ex-
pected. The players have had enough
work to harden their muscles and there
are no sore or lame throwing arms in
the outfit. But, of course. there has been
lack of real practice. On only three
DAYS while the squad was at Charlottes-
vile was it possible to put In some tell
ing ticks on the playing field In those
three days four games were played.
There were several other days when bat
ting and fielding practice was INDUCED
in, but on those days 1t was so cold that
a game was out Of the question. But
there was not single idle day spent by
the players excepting two Sundays. On
all days that the field was not invaded
work was done in the gym: While this
beneficial to the pitchers, for 1t helps to
strengthen their arms.
Just what portion Of the new materia
Griffith has tried out this spring vii! oe
retained is by no means decided. Iha'
he has picked up couple OF likely play
ers in Paul and Wally Smith is con-
ceded, but whether he will carry eithel
| one or both remains to be seen. Wally
Smith has the earmarks of making ar
ideal utility man. He has several years
experience in base ball, is still young
and strong fielder. There is not chance
for him or his namesake. perhaps, to re
| place any Of the regulars in either the II
or outfield, yet both Of them are handy
men to have around, ana manager 0rlI
fifth may take this view of it.
Paul Smith should be developed into {
crack outfelder. He is very fast ant
has an impressive way Of hitting thu
| ball Incidentally. he seems able to cove
a lot of ground in the outfield, but he ha!
| not had chance to demonstrate thu
strength of his throwing arm, which
of course, will be an important feature
1t will naturally be harder for him t.
break into the team than Wally Smith
for the reason that Griffith already has 1
very promising recruit in Acosta. VIII,
gives promise of making a great bal
! player in due time.
Joe Boehling may not duplicate hi
performance of winning twelve straigh
ball games. but 1t Is a pretty safe pre-
diction that he will be just as valuable
to his team the coming season as he wa
last, That the years experience ha
been of great help to the Richmond bo!
goes without saying, and there surely i
no reason for fearing that he has pitche,
himself out in a few months. Boehling i
still a mere boy. Only the other day h.
reached his twenty-second year. and !
seems to be reasonable to suppose tina
his best years are still before him. In
cidentally. 1t seems that Boehling vii
be in better physical condition this yea