Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-03-18
GRIFFITH WORKS SQUAD HARD.
DESPITE INCLEMENT WEATHER
Questionable, Though Whether the Players
Benefit by Practice Under the Adverse
Conditions at Charlottesville.
wired Cantillon of the facts and urged
him to grant the players request

wired Cantillon of the facts and urged
him to grant the players request
For nearly two hours last night Grit
fifth was closeted with his players. He
first had the regulars in conference,
and then took the entire pitching staff
and talked to them. The object of the
confab was to inaugurate a new sye-
tenn of signals for the coming season
and to talk things over in a general
way. Every detail Of play was dis
cussed, SO that a thorough understand
ing could be had of just what every
system by which the pitchers will
work also was discussed. There are to
be several of these conferences before
the season opens
The batting order Of the Regulars is
identical with the one Of last season, and
it is not at all likely there will be any
change in it by the time the season
4 lot of players becoming familiar with
each others habits, SO far as inside base
ball is concerned, and this, as much as
ANYTHING else, has about determined
tsIitfith to leave the lineup intact Fur
thefnlore. the way it is now arranged is
IDEAL Moe1ler is a cracking good lead
off man. for he walks often and is fast
and when II comes for a second batter
there Is none IN the same class with
Foster, who is recognized as the most
| boast of.
This pair is followed by Milan, a
good hitter and fast man. and then
come the cleanup hitters. Gandil and
! Morgan. When they are in form they
come pretty near to driving In their
| full share Of the runs. After them comes
Shanks, who on occasions is danger
Gus, and then Mcbride and the battery.
There are several pitchers on the Griff-
mems staff who are Just apt to come
tar tfrh yrrifH 81 Fa f1rfy N fap
their teammates.
| This boy Lamar does not stand a
chance to become a National this year.
but under proper tuition he Is pretty
sure to develop into good outfielder.
He has the size and takes a nice swing
at the ball, and he could be made fast
on his feet. Griffith Will very likely
farm him out to some minor league
club and give him 4 chance to de-
velop.
| A lot of inside ball is practiced in
| these exhibition games. The players
are using their code of signals for the
! hit and run and other plays. though
these are apt to be changed entirely
! before the season opens. as 1t Is gen.
orally deemed advisable not to have
! the same signals from year to year,
| for fear that the opposition will wise
up to them and protect itself accord
| inRly. For instance, if an opposing
catcher gets the batters' hit and run
| sign he can make the team at bat look
foolish by signaling the pitchers for
/! pitch-outs and then throwing out the
runners. 1t is the effort of every catch
er to unravel the strategy Of the oppos-
! ing team, in which event the other
team stands little or no chance to win
Perhaps the greatest handicap that
Acosta shoulders during his stay with
i the Nationals Is the fact that he plays
ball the year around and undoubtedly
goes stale after he gets through with
the spring training trip. It would
make a big difference in the little Gu
ban if he laid off whole winter and
then started in to train on the same
footing with the other players. He
would then fresllen up as the season
progressed, while now II is doubtful If
he Is ever at his best very long after
he joins the team. Acosta has world
of ability and 1t may prove a serious
mistake If he is not given the right
kind of handling.
The Colts beat Virginia yesterday
after seven innings of fast play by
score of 2 to 0. Harper went the en-
tire route and was just as effective at
the finish as he was at the outset,
striking out the three men who faced
him, Cannon pitched most of the
game for the Co1legians. and while he,
too. was steady and effective. he was
hit timely enough to allow the Colts to
score two runs. The score: