New-York tribune., 1915-03-14
SlJPERBAS Give
NAP RUCKER A
WARM WELCOME
Big Southpaw Says he Is
in Fine Trim and Ready
for Winning Year.
RAIN PREVENTS GAME,
BUT PLAYERS WORK
Kelley Bombards Park WIN
Grapefruit from Aeroplane
Hits Robbie.
From . stan Correspondent, Of The Tribune. J

tr,or, sfsr Correspondent Of The TflD'he.I
Davtona. Fla. March l3.-Nap Rucker'
t,o,n,,s southpaw of the Brooklyn
Smrorhas arrived in camp from HOT
Snrircs This afternoon. Nap SAID that
be was in good condition, only four
nounds over weight. and that ms arm
and shoulder had not troubled MN an
winter. He went on further to declare
that he was morally certain that "e
would get back into his ora swins
again and be of material assistance ~
aiding the team in the hSht ior tne
pennant. The players welcomed the Dig
Georgian back to the fold, ana all prac
tice was suspended mill al! hshus nAu
shaken hands with him.
Charles II. Ebbets was among the
first TO welcome his returning star In
{ CT. the genial squire OF flatoush ran
half way across the held WIN ms i,sni sii
hand xtended and expressed his wei
wishes. ~,
"Uow is the old soup bone, Nap?' he
asked as he shook hands
"Walt and see, Mr. Ebbets; wait and
see" answered Nap. 80,
"Well. if you are right, Nap, we will
divide the worlds series money. TINS
season to moral certainty continued
MIR. vbbets. There is no team better
of in any department except the pitch
ers' box than We are, and with you
hack at YOUR best well beat the world.
Ioud cries of "Here, here!" came from
tv0 civilians.
Rucker has been taking the baths at
Hot Springs and said that they had
done wonders for him. He has been
working his arm lightly and 1t stood
up well under the slight strain. ,ol
course. | can't tell definitely just what
will develop when | cut loose with It,,
he said, "but | think it will be az
right. Needless to say, | hope t Will
be, for ! do want TO work on pen
rant winning team in the major leagues
before | lay aside the old glove Tor
all time"
Rain prevented the game between
the Birmingham club. OF the southern
Association. and the Superbas, at Ed
bets Field. but it did not prevent
Wilbert Robinson from ordering ms
men out on the lots for two strenuous
workouts. The morning was devoted
TO the customary batting and fielding
practice. with some time devoted to
the perfecting o. a signal system.
In the afternoon the regulars played
a snappv siX-inning game with Jack
Coombs's Mallet Heads. The regulars
won by score OF 4 to !. but they
know there was ball game every
minute. Buck Wheat settled the issue
when he drove 10 the centreheld fence
for home run, with two men on oase'.
Robbie eascd up on his pitchers and
sent them in in frequent relays.
Sherrod Smith, the big southpaw, did
well. and sent the ball tipping into the
nit OF the catcher. breaking his curves
sharply and with fine control. "a Ap-
pleton also bent them over. Hunter
Goodbred. the giant Florida boy, cut
loose with a spitball that broke like
the summer lightning, but which he
controlled perfectly.
Unless Frank Kelley, the club train
or. is restrained the Sup,rbas viii be
without a marager. Aeroplaning Is all
right in its place. but when II come 3
to bombarding Wilbert Robinson WIN
grapefruit at height OF 700 feet then
a halt should be called. This morn
ing Kelley made fight with Miss
Ruth Law, and after circling over e
ball park iroppcd nice ripe grape
fruit down. Robbie saw II coming
and thinking it was baseball though
that he would establish new record
True to the marx the fruit droppel
and Robbie tried to get it. He did.
The fruit struck him on his expansive
chest and exploded. spla-hing into his
face. The force OF the impact three Y
him backward and he fell to the
ground, describing a neat little somer-
ssu!t.
Kelley established record Of its
kind. N,ss Ruth Law said that never
before had she flown in the rain.