Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-09

Capt. Neff leads the bunch in experience
as well as ability. He worked at short
stop and in the box last season. and in
the FORMER position made good impress
SION on Manager Griffith of the Nationals
lie was by no means a failure in the box.
winning six out OF eight games in which
he worked, and defeating Holy Cross
Georgetown. Cornell and Princeton This
year, however, Coach Ryan says that
Men VIII remain on the infeld as he is
OF greatest value in that place, and he
thinks he can develop 4 couple of new
pitchers, who. with the help Of Cannon.
the only regular slabbist of 1918 to report
this year, should fortify the mound
Green a Good Catcher.
Next in line is Green, the sturdy little
backstop whom Ryan developed into
star of the first caliber last year. Green
hit well over .3GO for the season, has a
nice arm and is sure on foul flies, which
features, together with the experience
gained last year. should enable him to
hold his own with the best catchers In
the colleges. Jack says he is expecting
great things of Green this year
The other old men tQ return are Phil
lips Stickley and White. Phillips who
was stationed in right field led the team
in hitting last year and was fair fielder
as well as base runner. He is the only
left-hand hitter on the team and stands
up to the plate well Most of his hits last
year were for extra bases and he was
also watched by Manager Griffith. He
also should improve this year, as last
season was his first in college ball. and
the experience will no doubt help him
lot. Stickley. though not as good a batter
AS any of the others mentioned, played
line game at third base all last season,
and. like Green and Phillips, WAS ex-
periencing his initial attempt at college
ball. He has been playing basket ball
all winter and has not been able to report
for work on the diamond as yet, but now
that the indoor season has closed he will
be out for the first practice
Since Coach Ryan has decided to keen
Nef at shortstop during the whole sea-
son. Jim White Will in all probability
be shifted to the outheld. He played the
short field position last year when Neff
was in the box, and though there is a
possibility that he may be tried out at
second, he is not a bad outfielder. and
there are two vacancies in the outer gar
den left by Fitchett and Lille. who are
unable to play because OF the four-year
rule.
Tinlay Will Be Missed.
The hardest hole to fill will be that
vacated by Capt. Finlay of the 1913
team, at first base. There are several
promising candidates for the position at
present, but Billie Word, who caught for
the Richmond ccllegians seems to have
the call Myers, a big lad from Brook
lyn. handles himself well on the sack.
and it will probably be a question of
who can hit the ball in determining be-
tween the two.
Beckwith, Nirginia's dim;nutive second
baseman. failed to return this. season,
but he seems to have substitute in
Wood. hrst-year man from Hampton
Sidney who gives promise OF filling out
the infield In good shape. The two out
field positions left open will no doubt be
filled by either Smith, White or Guy All
three PLAYED III a number of games last
season, and II is hard to tell which pair
viii land the joins. Coach Ryan says he
Is particularly pleased with The material
he has charge of. and that to him it
looks - per cent better than ut this time
last season; all OF which il very en-
couraEing.