Evening star., 1914-03-16
WALTER JOHNSON
READY TO PITCH
Saws He Can Go a Full Game
at Any Time That 1t May
Be Necessary.
NATIONALS SHOW GOOD
FORM IN LONG PRACTICE
Players Hit Well, Pitchers Cut Loose
With Much Speed, and Field
ing Is Brilliant.
BY J. ED GRILLo.

ute session against the batterS yesterday
afternoon. and confirmed the impression
thus created by saying when his work
was over that he could pitch a full game
any time he was calico upon
Though johnson has been training a
| little over a week he has rounded into
| his best form. His arr, has responded to
the exercise given it, ahd in his work yes
| terday he displayed t.at same rernarka-
| Bile speed and perfect control which have
| made him famous. Only once did he re-
| sort to curving. and tslat was when his
| roommate. Milan, waa facing him and
| the spirit of josh prevailed. None of the
other pitchers rounds into form as rapid
ly as the greatest of them all. Johnson
does not know what II is to have a lame
or sore arm. He can pitch the first day
he reports, and withirs a week is usually
at his best. Johnson il sure to have an
other wonderful year an the rubber. He
is farther advanced So far as condition
is concerned than he has been in any
pae,,S previous 81 spring nda Thig is because his
off season.
By far the best b,E of training the
Nationals have done fesl to their lot yes
terday. A warm sun aild breezeless at
mosphere made the dag as sultry as one
would expect in July. and for three hours
the players put in telling licks on Lam
beth Field. There was Batting pl actice for
over two hours, and u.en the infleld and
outfield Of the regulars had their field
ing stunts. Every one of the pitchers
used in the batting practice gave every
! thing he had in the WY Of speed. Gallia
opened and Collier Bentley. Boehling,
Johnson, Shaw and williams followed,
minutes. The hitting: was remarkably
strong considering thgt this feature Of
the game has been sally neglected since
| the team has been k,-re. Every batter
| circled the bases every time the ball was
hit. This is to strengthen the wind and
limbs. In ALL about three hours were
spent that way and more was accom-
plished than has been during the preced-
ing weeks spent indoors.
Howard Shanks is creating the impress
sion that there is goi;ig to be decided
Improvement in his hitting the coming
| season. He is stepping into the ball with
| determination which Is pleasing, and in
! practice he is not only hitting well, but
hard. Shanks has made up his mind te
overcome his weakness at the bat, and he
| is in a fair way to realize his ambition.
There has never beeH: any fault to find
with the kind of balls sShanks picked out
, to hit at though he has probably handi-
| capped himself by waiting out a pitcher
! too long. In the future he is going tc
make it a policy to let go at the first
| good one. as Griffith believes that this
system will surely give him a much bet
| ter average
| If the weather whlsh prevailed today
| continues there need sbe no fear of the
teams condition by ghe time it reaches
home. It seems that much more has been
accomplished by the work done indoors
than was expected With the exception
| of Engel, every pitcher on the squad is
ready to cut loose. There are sore
arms. and, considering the fact that tho
/ other members of thesteam have had but
short taste Of real base ball since being
here. their work. too: is most encourag-
! ing. A week of real kpring weather will
have the squad on edge
| From this out two games will be played
| daily. If conditions Permit the Yanigans
| and Regulars will hlpk up in a couple
| today-the first connSg in the morning
| and the second in the afternoon. Tuesday
| the Vets and Colts IN the morning, and
| the Vets are scheduleh to meet the Vir-
ginia College team In dhe afternoon. This
| is rather strenuous w$rk, to be sure, but
| in view of the fact that so much time
| has been lost it is Thought to be advan-
| tageous to hustle things along and give
| the players a full dose Of real training
work.
About every member of the team has
been impressed with sthe fact that Jim
Shaw stands an excellent chance of being
a flrst-class pitcher the coming season.
His work in practices is of the highest
class He is not yey as steady as he
should be, but that j, probably due TO
his lack OF work OFT the rubber. and
there is constant Improvement. Shaw has
| a world Of speed and most deceptive
curve ball. and all th4t he seems to lack
acquire before the aging season ends.
ls 1t has been eighteen ynonths since there
has been any evidence of the weakness
in Dan Moeller's shoulder 1t did not
jump out Of the sockst once during the
last season. and he believes he has abso
lutely rid himself of this trouble. Noel
Ter placed himself in charge Of an osteo-
path winter before LAST and while he says
that the treatment proved an ordeal. he
benefited and perhaps permanently cured
This fact should make big difference III
Moeller. II was demfnstrated last sea-
| son. when. because ST the chances he
ss., r. Is,
ting.
Harry Harper. who ty reason Of a con-
tract he has with the club is excused
from Sunday playing.S did not work out
with the squad yesterday, but is sure to
make up for his absence by appearing in
| one of the games sches siuied for today.
A report from the sSuth is to the effect
that Germany" Schaffer has jumped to
the Federal League. Manager Phillips Of
the Indianapolis clue of the Federal
League says that he expects Frank La
| porte and schaefer to report to him with
in the next few days.
Manager Griffith has not heard a word
from Schaefer since fast fall. He sent
Nick Altroek to meets him when he re-
turned froia Europe. .and Schaefer told
Altrock that he was gting to Chicago and
! would then; make a siort stay at West
Baden Springs before reporting here.
| but Manager Griffitt. 9oes not believe he
| lied base b:.ll.
jumped said Griff file has too good a
job here lie is gettifg good money and
does not have to play regularly. / don't
| believe he could play regularly. though
| he is a mig.ty good iIsan to have around.
| l am satisfied that hh will report to US
| in due time. for he Vould be making a
serious mistake II he Eoined the outlaws.
when he knows that ;his job with us is
base ball.
One would not thilsS, to see the Ma
| tionals' fnfield in actt.Sn. that these play
ers have only had tiS$-ee periods on the
| field this spring. 1t 8 nothing short OF
| marvellous ahe way they handled them
selves. There were stveral hundred fans
in the stand yesterdaS' afternoon watch