Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-12
LIKELY TO CHANGE.
TRAINING GROUNDS
Griffith Is Very Much Disap-
pointed Because of Adverse
Conditions.
HOLLAND SEEMS TO HAVE
MAKING OF GOOD PLAYER
Will Probably Be EARNED Out, But
His Ultimate Success Appears
to Be Assured.
BY ]. ED aRILLo.

! u. W
Manager Griffith has not given his off
! clal consent to this statement, it is not
| likely that he will recover from the dis
| appointment he has suffered here, owing
| to the Indictment weather which has pre-
/ vailed during the present training period.
| On just two occasions have the players
| been able to work outdoors. and then
| conditions were far from ideal. AT pres
| ent there are between seven and eight
| inches Of snow covering the ground, and
| even II the sun gets down to business and
| a thaw comes it will be three or four
| days before the players can venture on
| the field. True, they are kept busy in
| the gymnasium, a kind of work that will
| give wind and harden the muscles but
| 1t Is not of the character that bail players
need. The way to get a ball team in
| shape is to have it play ball, and that is
out Of the question here just now.
| After long deliberation Manager Griffith
| may come to the logical conclusion that
| Charlottesville is just a bit too far north
| to warrant expectations of real warm
| weather during the month of March.
| when ball teams are expected to get into
playing form. 1t is true, Of course. that
| during the past two years the team has
| been able to condition itself here. yet II
| has never had ideal weather on either OF
| these occasions, and this year conditions
| have been abominable.
Griffith will not admit that he will train
elsewhere next season, but 1t is eViden,
frow the appearance of his furroWec
brow that things are not going to his INK
ing, and in due time, no doubt, the an
nouncement will come that new training
quarters are being sought.
The players had two sessions in the
gymnasium yesterday and the chances
+, are that this program Will have to De
carried out for several days to come SC
far as the pitchers are concerned the gym
proves a good enough place to allow them
to get their arms in trim. but they are
not pitching to batters, OF course, ano
will virtually have to start all over once
they get outside.
The twirlers were put through hall
hours course Of real work yesterday and
this morning. The rule not to curve was
lifted, and all of them used as much as
they had at their command in pitching to
the catchers.
| The hardship of this work fell on the
backstops, for the very good reason that
tho low clouds made the gym rather
dark. and 1t was no easy matter to see
! the ball as it was sped by the twirlers.
| The fact that Griffith allowed his pitchers
to use curves would indicate that he Is
1 satisfied their arms are ready for this
sort of strain. which speaks we'll for
| the progress made under the unfaVor-
! able conditions that have existed here
| ever since IAe team went lnIO Cblup
! The other players also got their dose OF
indoor work. All Of them had to get up
a sweat by tossing and running with the
basket ball. though no playing OF the
game was allowed because OF the danger
I Of accidents. Then there was fielding
practice Of ground hits by batters and
| long sieges of tossing the cumbersome
medicine ball, which brought the perspira-
ton through the pores But TINS thing
Of working on a hard floor Is not con-
ducive to 1.-THE limbs and speed in run
| ming, so it has its handicaps.
hard for the success of the Federal
! League, and 1t Is but natural that they
| should. With opposition in the field
salaries will continue to soar. and
that after all. is why the average
| player is in the game. What the play
| ers to a man want to see is the Fed
| eral League go through the coming
season and be in the field egain next
| year. Thereby they figure they will
| reap q harvest, for. with the outlaws
| are sure to go un
There is of course, no doubt that a
| body such as the Federals. II success
full. is apt to kill Off the organizati ton
ball possible. But the players, as a
| rule, do not consider the sport. but
judge things, quite naturally, from a
selfish standpoint. and care nothing for
| WHAT may happen 10 the game III tue
future. so long as they can reap the
| harvest Of an exterminating war.
Little Holland, whom Griffith OBJ
| recommended him. is sure to make a
remarkable ball player some day. In
| all, the youngster has had but three
/ or four months professional expert
be ripe for this company. but there is
| no question about his ability. He not
only fields well and is fast in cover
| Ing ground. but he has an impressive
| position at the plate and picks out
good balls. He is one Of the young.
sters on whom Griffith is sure to retain
q string. for his development in due
time into big league caliber seems as
sured.
| 1t seems to take only few days OF
work to get Walter Johnson in pitching
shape. He let himself out in the gym
this morning. and he displayed not only
all his midseason speed, but a fast
| breaking curve ball and almost perfect
control. 1t was no easy task for John
Henry to handle his delivery in the dark
| ness. but he managed very well. though
| he seemed to be in considerable danger
| Griff is so we'll pleased with Joe Ged-
| cons work behind the bat in practice
| that he is thinking seriously OF develop
| ing the Californian into a regular CATCH
| er. Besides possessing splendid throw
3! ing arm and a good pair of hands, Ged-
con has a flow OF language which would
! stand him in good stead behind the bat
| The wise old catchers of the past did
| much to help their pitchers. and team as
| well. by talking to the batters. This
4! varied from sarcasm to jest, just as the
occasion required, and many a good hit
| ter has been known to fail in a pinch
| simply because he gave more attention
| to what the catcher was saying than to
| the pitcher.
| Old Tim Donohue Of the White Sox Of
| years ago was master of the art. while
! Heinie PETIT. another veteran, had a way
| Of disconcerting the batters that proved
successful. Heinie's best trick was to
express surprise to the batter that his
| club had asked waivers on him, and. of
| course, the batter was more interest ed
! in what Heinie was saying than anything
| else. with the result that he usually
proved an easy victim for the pitcher.
| Griffith figures that Gedeon would get
| away with similar line of stuff, for
| he is noted for his brass.
F., There is not chance of Bill Allen
| being retained by Griffith for the Ma
| tionals. Calling off the deal whereby
! Allen was to have Joined the Los Angeles
| team does not by any means mean that
| Grifith intends to use him on his own
| team. Aliens record in the International
! League last season was not very i'm
! pressive, and. Furthermore. Griffith is
| familiar with his ability, having watched
! him for over q month in practice last