Evening star., 1915-03-19
and Seet Fats Nationals Morning Pracce-Gossp of Grfnen
GRIFFITH ACTS AS AN UMPIRE
TO GET LINE ON HIS PITCHERS
Manager Assumes Role of Arbiter That He
May Be in the Best Position to Correct
Faults of Men Doing the Box Work.
BY J. ED GRILLo.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va, March 49,
The secret of why Manager Griffith
is assuming the duties of the umpire
in the games here between his two
teams has leaked out. There Is no bet
ter place for a manager to get a line
on his pitchers than standing directly
behind them He can do this during
pitching practice, but pitcher is never
the same as when in game, and that
is why Griffith has appointed hlmseH
umpire. Not only has he corrected the
faults of his slabmen from his posi-
tion behind them, but he has obtained
Ia correct line on their general ability.
Griffith now knows more about them
than he ever did before. In both games
every day Griffith is behind the pitcher
apparently for the purpose of making
decisions, but he really is giving little
attention to these decisions. He is
carefully scrutinizlng every movement
of the twirlers, and he frequently stops
the game Tor a Jew moments TO give
instructions to his pitcher. and IN some
instances he even coaches them Where
to keep the ball SO as to make them
effective. The scheme is mighty gooo
one and will not only help to develop
the young pitcners, but 1t VIII site
use his pitching staff to the best ad-
vantage
Bert Gallia, from the time that he
made his first appearance with the
Nationals, was considered in possession
Of one of the greatest curve balls that
the pitching art had ever produced
1t was because of this that NICK
Altrock originally recommended Gall1a
to Griffith, but during the several
years that Gallia was given a trial he
found it a difficult matter to control
that curve.
However. the one year he spent in
the American Association seems to
have made this possible. He now has
almost perfect control of that curve
and in his game yesterday morning
he used 1t to great advantage. the
players who faced him were helpless
whenever he cut loose the curve ball
and those to whom Gallia is unknown
came back to the bench and expressed
at it's deceptivepess.
In order to be prepared for his first
appearance in a game this season
Manager Griffith had Walter Johnson
take a workout against the batters
yesterday afternoon and he displayed
a world OF speed.
Judged on what he has shown in the
proved batter. He Is seldom in game
in which he does not hit safely once or
twice, and the beauty OF his stickwork |
lies in the fact that he drives most of |
slant practice acquired this art and 1t
is figured that this will help his bat
ting more than little in the coming
campaign.
Because the Virginia college team
takes possession of the playing field
every afternoon at 3:15 the afternoon
games between the Colts and Regulars
are always cut short. Griffith calls the
games at o'clock and then gives his
in and out fields fifteen minutes Of fast
fielding practice, which winds up the
days work.
There is never any telling what the
weather man has on tap here. One day
1t may be balmy and the next day cold
as winter. Wednesday, for instance,
was a rough day here and yet when
the players crawled out of their beds
Thursday morning it was pleasant and
warm, and as result the day was put
to good advantage.
None Of the new outf1elders who are
possible chance of beating out little
Acosta. True, Griffith is playing the
little fellow regularly at third base for
the Colts and he might have to take a
little practice In the outfield to At him
to play there, but he demonstrates hit
ting ability as well as speed and that is
what counts most. Acosta is sure to be
with the team the coming summer, and
that Is more than can be said of any of
the other outfield recruits.
Alva Williams caught both games for
the Regulars yesterday and showed up
well. Williams has been used at first
heretofore, but Griffith. who intends to
use Williams as his third catcher.
thought it was time to give him a
chance to work behind the bat few
times during the training period. Will
liams' throwing arm. while not yet as
strong as 1t will be, is showing to bet
ter advantage than it did last season.
The deceptive motion to first base
which Joe Boehling has acquired was
in good working order yesterday aft
ernoon. and both Massey and Ainsmith
were caught off that bag. Boehling is
an expert at this feature of the game.
for the reason that he really has two
different motions toward first base, and
before the base runners can distinguish
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