The Washington times., 1915-03-03
Coach Jack Ryan Gives Signal
For First Real Strenuous
Work as Sun Shines Warmly
On Field.
Lax SSy.i,
Catchers Henry and Ainsmith
Take Charge of Young Twiri-
ers-ShaW and Clarke
Stricken With Soreness.
By "BUGS" BAER.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, March 8.
The appearance Of beaming
sun which made the atmosphere as
warm as August was the signal for
the pitchers at Camp Griff to
loosen up bit today, and Coach
Jack Ryan gave his permission for
the first real strenuous work of the
camp.
As early as Q o'clock the entire
staff of twirlers was on Lambeth
Field and Ainsmith and Henry had
to be relieved on the receiving end
by "Old Jack" Ryan, himself.
So carefully have Ryan and
Martin watched the athletes who
are conditioning here that there is
not single case of sore arm in
the camp, and the only aches and
pains to date have been confined
to isolated examples of leg weari-
ness, caused by the first two days
Of track work. Jim Shaw and
Young Allen Clarke, particularly,
are leg sore.
Charlottesville caught the fag end Of
e. cold snap and the recent Newport
New York tennis squabble which has
been disrupting racquet welding So
ciety. A warm sun fortunately broke
n n ,,,I Ilc.s
pated both the cold snap and the squab-
bic. 1t seems that Jack Ryan. the
monitor of Camp Griff ventured onto
Lambeth field early in the morning and
got all his toes frostbiten from the chill
blasts permeatng the stadium. and de-
string to take no chances with the
young players under his tuition, ordered
the boys to practice on the sh eltered
tennis courts.
Now, every tennis bug knows that
there are a lot Of sins in tennis. but
only one unforgivablc one, and that one
is wearing any shoe but the regulation
rubber sole.
Jacks cadets practiced around on the
tennis Hats for an hour or so. all having
the time of their young existences on
the nice. level wind sheltered courts,
until two students happened along car
rying racquets rakishly over their
shoulders. They found all the courts
infested with animated Washington uni
forms.
."Hevings.' shrieked one. Goodness"
shrieked the other and pale with con-
cern. both pointed wildly at the rockies
1eet.
' Spiked Shoes" they shrilled in uni
son and rushed off to ring the alarm.
Now, in the tennis world. wearing
spiked shoes on a tennis court is eQuiva-
lent to eating peas with a knite, or
wearing rubber boots to tea dansante.
TO the racqueters mind, anybody who
would wear spiked shoes on tennis
court would rob the orphan and the
,,,, : 1, tNr
the rockies realized the seriousness of
their offcnse. and the whole bunch
started to qulver in their spiked shoes.
Fortunately, before a drum-head court
martial was proclaimed. Jack Ryan ar
rived on the scene simultaneously with
the sun. and after explanations We're
made, the crew beat it for Lambeth
Held.
When it comes to shifting reels swift
ly. this burg has it on 'em all. Todays
movie opened up with the Thermometer
having an average like Joe Engel, but
roll Of film, the old mercury was hitting
like Ty Cobb. In the A. NJ. everyone
was wrapped up like a sore thumb, but
by two o'clock the lads were shedding
their winter coats like a Scotch collie
In July.
From scene of dcsolation Lambeth
Field swiftly changed into a panoroma
PLAYERS everywhere, pitching. running.
fielding and batting Pop Lannigan had
about 800 of his stars out, keeping the
other 400 in reserve for a rainy day.
Darwin had a lot of theories, but even
he never explained to the waiting world
the psychological phenomena of Camp
Griff: Why does Joe Engel insist on
carrying bat wherever he goes?
Another mooted question is: Why
does n ballplayer hate to chase one of
his own oerthrows?
John Henry, Eddie Ainsmith, and Ray
Morgan busted into the hitting league,
walloping the offerings of Joe Engel.
Jack Bentley, Harry Harper and Doc
Ayers. Most Of the balls dropped safely
in the outiield, as Howard Shanks is
still on his honeymoon.
The newcomers. Hopper, Clarke, Rus
sell, and Thormahlen are all husky,
rangy lads. Russell is especially built
on the general outlines Of safe, but
neither he nor the others made any at
tempt to smoke EN- up, SO any resume
Of their respective abilities would be
simply conjecture.
Tet best time to judge young pitch
~ b the spring is to wait until fall
Douglass Neff had his first good work.
cut with the boys, and galloped around
the position made famous by fionus
Wagner with speed TO burn. Nefr is in
fine shape, and was kept busy getting
out OF the way of liners smashed at him
by John Henry and Ray Morgan. Men
started In to cover shortstop, but before
Re afternoon waned MlTb a. hei him