Evening star., 1915-03-25
By ]. ED GR1LLo.

o
material on the Washington pay roll
began yesterday when Roy Massey
was transferred to the Minneapolis
club of the American Association. otn-
er cuts will be made within fe"
days. Brown, the other Texas out
fielder also Is to be placed with
class AA club, probably Toronto OF
the International League. Brown Is q
player who is sure to make good In
that company. He Is a hustler, fast,
can throw. field and hit, and the only
reason that he is not kept by Grimth
is thought to be the fact that ne mas
been playing ball for eight years or
so and has reached that stage Where
he is not apt to improve. But he is
too good player to be sent BACK 70
the Texas League, and Griffith Is sure
he can place HIM with the Toronto out
fit, where he is very apt to be star.
as he has been in the exhibition games
here.
After watching Eddie Foster in prac-
tice and in the game yesterday scout
Mike kahoe gave it as his OPINION thdt
the little third baseman bids tar 10
Foster is rounding into his very best
form and his playing for the past week
has been Of a sensational nature.
Il believe that Foster is going to
have the best year OF his career lnIs
season." is the way kahoe put it. lie
seems to be faster than ever, is hitting
as only he can, and who has displayed
such an arm at this season OF the
year. Foster is by far the most val
liable baseman in the league, and that
opinion will be general by the 1lhae
the present season Is over.
When it comes to being in condition
after week or SO OF % Work - IN VINE hn1
weather conditions prevail, there are
few players, if any, In the same class
with George Mcbride. The Natiohais
captain is today playing bail OF e lhs
kind he produces in midseason. HIS
throwing and fielding are of the high
est caliber, and what is most encour-
aging is the fact that he has been MT
ting at a much stronger clip than ever
Mcbride hit as well during the season
as he has to date In the games here
it would make wonderful difference
in the teams offensive strength
It is not always good pitching which
makes a ball team look foolish, and IT
was not twirling of high caliber which
held the Nationals in check yesterday.
Galloway and Flanagan. the two vir-
ginia pitchers. aresnot marvels by any
| means. In fact, their pitching is
rather ordinary. yet the Nationals $
failed to hit them when hits would
have brought victory. On such occa-
sions If the ball was we'll hit it was
usually right at some one of the field
ers. Virginia would not have had run
| If Jim Shaw had known when to back
up throws. In the third inning, when
| White singled with two on, Acosta got
| the ball and threw 1t back into the in
| field. This is a play which has been
taught the outfelders. The pitcher is
n and
| make a play at one of the bases to
! which the runners are advancing.
Shaw failed to do this and the ball
rolled past him and Williams also. and
three runs resulted. which gave the
Collegians more than they needed.
1t was too cold day for Shaw to
! make any effort to curve the ball. He
relied solely on his speed, and. while
| not hit hard. failed to hold the Vir-
ginia batters in check as he would
| when using all his stuff. Four hits
were all that were made off Shaw in
in the third. when he also walked a
man, which worked the havoc.
Engel, who succeeded Shaw and
pitched the last five innings. did not
allow run or hit. 1t being his second
Is showing lot of Improvement in his
pitching and ought to come through
this season for better results than he
has ever before achieved.
Ray Morgan does more work than
any one else in the squad. He always
is In action. While his side is at bat
he has some one bunt to him, and in
this way not only keeps warm, which
is quite a problem, but he keeps in
action and gets up sweat which
helps to get him down to weight Nor
gan has reduced n whole lot. His face
has lost much of it's fullness and he
is beginning to resemble an athlete.
Clyde Milan has Joined the hospital
list. He has stiff neck and did not
don a uniform in the afternoon. John
son. too, is complaining Of a cold, and
Griffith changed his program and did
not work either Johnson or Boehling
against Virginia yesterday.
That old failing, lack of timely hit
ting, was much in evidence with the
Nationals again yesterday. There were
several occasions when the stage was
set for a rally. but when base hits
pop-ups which retired the side before
any damage was done. In the very
opening inning runs were in prospect.
Moeller, after walking. was thrown
out at third when he tried to reach
there on Fosters hit to center. Then
Acosta walked. and after Gandil had
flied our Morgan singled. but no runs
were scored, as Shanks was thrown
out at first. Ainsmith. who hit for
Shaw in the fifth. singled with one
down, and Moeller followed suit, but
Foster forced Moeller and was safe
himself when White dropped Berkley's
throw; but further aid was not forth
coming.
Roy Massey was greatly pleased with
the deal which sent him to the Minne-
apolis club. Il have not shown at my
best this spring for some reason or
other, but l am glad that I will ad.
vance and get chance to play in
faster league than / have ever been
in. I hope to show well enough to
come back next snring, for Manager
Griffith assures me that I am to re-
main the property of the Washington
have me back next spring. or perhaps
In the fall. ] am confident that 1 can
make good, and I do not regret in
the least that / am not to be with the
Nationals the coming season, for I fig
ure that year in a fast minor league
will do me lot of good" Griffith ad-
mits he has a string on Massey.
While the weather here has been
particularly cold and unreasonable this
week, the squad has not had much
worse experience than many of the
teams in the south, which encountered
snow and cold weather. The present
state Of affairs, from all accounts, Is
general all over the country, but the
advantage that the other teams have is
that these chill streaks are unusual.
part of the daily diet. No team in
fraipinp needs siege of warm weather