Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-03-16
BOD Fielding and Hard Hitting Feature Game
ACOSTA HAS BETTER CHANCE
FOR A PLACE THAN RECRUITS
If Any One of Last Years Outfelders Is Re-
placed Griffith Probably Will Give the
Job to the Cuban-Other Gossip.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

BY j. ED GRILLO.
II CHARLOTTESVILLE, March i6-l1
one of the present regular outtielders
should be replaced this year. Acosta
stands a better chance of landing the
job than any OF the recruits The re
tention of both Neff and Pick for util-
tty infeld purposes is as good as set
tied. but, as stated yesterday, there is
q likelihood of Manager Griffith turn
ing back every one of the outtielders
who Joined the team this spring, in
which event Acosta vii! be retained
and if not played regularly viii be
! used for utility purposes.
4 These predictions may not be borne
4 out. some of the players may show
| more ability than they have to date,
! which would cause Il change in the
! managerial mind, but if il We're nee
| essary to make q decision as TO The
| makeup of the team right now they
| undoubtedly would be fulfilled.
| Eeff and Pick are just what Gritfit n
! needs. They will be an Improvement
! over any utility inielders Griffith has
| carried in Washington. Frank Iaporte
| was slow and did not hit while with
/ the team, and this also Is true OF
! .'Wally" Smith. Pick and Neff can hit
! and both are fast. Neff can jump IN
and fill McBride's shoes if the occa :
J sion arises, and Pick and replace roster
| or Morgan in emergency ana uPhoid
! the teams batting. 1t has long since
| been recognized that team IS no
! stronger than the players 1t carries on
| the bench for utility purposes. anu
| Griffith is sure TO be well supplied III
! this respect the coping season
| .Iacinto Calvo. the Cuban outiielder
-s@L $I,n
| before last. wired Manager Griffith this
morning as to where he should pay
| this season. Calvo stu IS the propeE.S
| of the Nationals, but Manager GRIMM
! has made no disposition OF nm lie
wired Calvo that he would let MN
know in a day or SO to which club ne
should report, and in the meantime ne
will try to place him, very hkeiy with
Los Angeles. with winch clup ne no"
is communicating.
While there is to be no change this
season in the style or color OF the uni
wearing ever since Manager Grlfnth
took charge. yet in addition to the blue
sweater a Mackinaw coat viii be add
ed for wear in the early spring and late
sufficiently warm at these seasons OF
the year, while the coats. which are
heavy, will give ample protection. Ihe
coats are to be of a gray material with
stripe.
It will not be surprising if Bert
Gallia proves of real worth to the Ma
tionals in the coming campaign. The
Texan seems to have overcome his only
weakness. lack of control, and -inci-
dentally seems to have much more
stuff now than he displayed during his
I former sojourns with the Griffmen.
In the afternoon game yesterday
Gallia pitched four innings for the
Regulars. did not give base balls
and the two hits charged against him
both were of the infield variety. He
already is in good shape and is one of
the few pitchers who dare resort to
curving the ball
! 1t would be a treat for the umpires
of the American League if they could
fsee Manager Griffith officiating as the
indicator handler in the games here
and hear the criticism which the play
ers of both teams bring down on him.
Incidentally, Griffith has had a taste Of
| the umpire business and seems to have
come to the realization that the paths
OF these officials are not streWn with
roses, for he already has declared that
he wants his players to leave the UNI
p1res alone the coming season
There is as much interest among the
players in the games between the Reg
uiars and Colts as if the championship
depended on their outcome. 1t is a
point is holly contested. The players
try their best, and as result the
games furnish the best kind of prac
tlce. Two games a day viii be con-
tlnued while the weather permits and
by the time the players leave here they
ought to be in fairly good shape. 1t is,
of course, absurd to intimate that the
team is ready now to start the season.
for 1t Is far from it, though remark
able progress has been made, consider
ing the short time the team has been
in training.
Walter Johnson played left field for
the Colts In both games yesterday. 1t
gives the big fellow a lot of needed
, exercise and he enjoys the chance 20
bat In the morning game ne got two
clean singles. and Joe Boehiing, who
was playing left for the Regulars, made
a remarkable one-hand catch OF q line
drive along the foul line from John
sons bat which was labeled for at
least three bases In addition to play
ing the outfeld. Walter Is taking an
easy work out in pitching every DAY
and Is gradually getting himself ready
to cut loose later.
Much IT, The anlusemen. Of his team
mates Ava Williams fell :, victim to the
hidden bali trick in the seventh inning
of the afternoon game Williams started
the inning with i single and Chic t;;1nail
hid the ball. Then when Williams Ven
tured off the bag, Gandi touched him
and Williams was declared out by Crit
nth. He vas tornlentef by his team
mates. but had the excuse that there was
no coacher at first base to warn him.
| Both John Henry and Eddie Ainsmith
, already are showing m'dseascn form.
This IS particularly true Of Henry, who
after catching nearly all winter on that
| trip through the west and to Honolulu
| took Just enough rest after returning be-
| fore reporting to make his arm good and
strong Henry probably is throwing bet
ter than he ever has at this season of
| the year and Ainsinith IS not very far
| behind him. whipping the ball around
accurately with q great amount of
speed. 1t is very evident that these two
J catchers will do the bulk Of the back
stopping In the coming race At least
| at the outset of 1t, for if Williams is
used 1t will be later in the sea son when
| the weather is good and hot 1t must
/ be said for "Rippy'' that his throwing
arm Is a whole lot stronger than II was
| last season. and that he expects it to he
! still better by the time the season opens
| The weather here is now ideal for
| training purposes. The chilly winds
| early last week seem to have spent
| their force. and for the past three days
| it has been delightfully."- warm morning
and afternoon, and the players have
\ not found II q difficult matter to work
| themselves up to a sweat
| What few ailments in the way of
| Charley horses and Wrenched muscles
| there are IN the camp are entirely con-
| fined to the young players. Those
| who have been in harness long while
4 y