Evening star., 1915-03-13

been playing third base for the Colts
in the games here and he has been COW
ering himself with glory. He has a
splendid pair of hands. can handle
hard hit balls we'll and his throwing
arm is of the best. Incidentally. Acosta
| continues to bat like a real hitter and
it is not plain how Griffith is going to
! keep him out of the lineup, for Acosta
! has long since shown that he frospers
| most when played regularly.
Some day Griffith will get credit for
having picked UP a mighty sweet ball
(, player in Douglas Nef, the former
spring Neff really never had chance
to show his real worth because of
| illness. but he is making good with a
vengeance now. Not only is he fielding
ing arm which has few equals. but he
hits the ball, as If it came natural for
him to do SO, and the chances are the
Nationals will not be materially weak
ened this summer if one of the regular
! infielders should be off for a few days.
Harper and Thormah h1en will be pitted
| against the Virginia College nine in
second clash of the Nationals with
their hosts. and if Harper and Thor
mahlen show up to their previous per-
formances there Is not much hope for
the collegians.
Some calamity-howler sent out a
story to The effect that the players were
endangered by case of scarlet fever
| which is near the camp. and that Man
ager Griffith was worried. There is
supposed to be such e case square
away from the house In which the
players live, but it is not worrying
any one.
Booth Hopper, in pitching to Williams
in the fifth inning, when he was in
danger of being scored on. resorted to
the use of his knuckle ball and struck
r. tiayY
asserts he never saw a ball perform
such peculiar antics In it's flight to-
ward the plate. and he is willing to
wager that If Hopper uses it against
will not be even fouled.
Chic Gandil is hitting in mis- true
form these days. and looks so much
better physically that there is good
reasons for expecting great things of
him again this year. The offensive
strength Of the Griffmen will be mate
rally better than it was last season
cleanup positions. continue as they
are going now. Last year there were
innumerable instances when the stage
was set for both of these inf1elders to
bring victory with base hit. but only
on rare occasions did they come
slump. 1t is going to be much differ
ent with this pair back in batting
form, for the Nationals will be able to
increase the number of runs they score
per game
Ainsmith and John Henry, who are
slated to do the bulk Of the catching
this season, as usual, ,<already are IN
first-cIass form. Both of the back
stops have arms of steel, and they are
throwing around the bags as if they
had been in harness for couple OF
months. Williams, too, appears to be
in possession of a stronger throwing
arm than he had last season, and while
he is playing first base for the Colts in
the practice games here. he takes his
regular turn behind the plate IN the
batting practice, OF which there is
much. Griffith had his charges out on
the field for nearly two hours IN .ne
morning, batting four or five different
pitchers, and this, too. piles up Work
on the catchers. though Jack Ryan IS
one Of the regulars in this respect.
stevens. the young pitcher who came
here for the purpose of getting himseif
TT for a job with some minor league
is proving himself one of the best Prac-
tice pitchers any team has ever peeh
able to boast of. Stevens is untiring.
He pitches about three or four hours
a day and he has a lot OF stun on the
ball at all times. and also perfect con-
troll. the result being that the batters
do not fear to stand up oelofe nm nI.i'
fith will make special effort 70 place
Stevens with some club. for he has won
the admiration of the Nationals man
ager by his faithful work here
Those Colts were a chesty lot after
Yesterdays game, which they won by a
score Of to 2. The victory was wen
earned and largely due to the enective
| lars scoreless for four innings. JACK
Bentley, who finished the game, was
wild at the outset and this fact helped
the Regulars to their only two runs
field and made two fast double plays.
Gallia again showed that he does not
like the cold. and after going along
for two innings without allowing
| Iy. Hopper. who took his. place. Jared
better
The Colts were the first to score
Brown and Henry opened the third IN
to sacrifice. forced Brown at third, but
Massey came through with a hit. send
| ing Henry home, and then Mem hit
| long line drive to left, of which Shanks
Harper to tally. They got another In
the fifth on singles by Massey and Mem.
| couple of force-outs and an error by
Morgan.
Regulars scored. Bentley started by
walking both Shanks and Mcbride, and
Ainsnith promptly singled to center,
Brown fumbling. Ainsmith got as far
tried to score on Milan's fy to Mas
sey he was thrown out at the plate.
In the final inning BENTLEY got into hot
water with two out. when he walked
from Henry to Ner caught Gandil nap
ping. and the game was over. The
score:
Regulars. AB. R.BH .sB. sH so. .BB. 20. A. E.