The Washington herald., 1916-03-30
T0DAY'S BATTING ORDER.
WASHINGTON

and Ira last spring to make a first
class right-hand pitcher out of a lad
named Harper, Connie saw possibilities in
harper and bent his efforts to training
MIN during the spring trip. Harper had
made a splendid reputation in the North
Carollna League. his speciality being
strlkeouts. Unfortunately for Harper.
ne had bad defect in his twirling
This was that every time he pitched the
oau he let 1t go while one Of his feet
was on the ground. Day after day for
an hour at time Connie and Ira would
coach Harper. Before he pitched tho
ball they would impress upon him the
tact that he must swing forward and
plant his left foot on the ground beforo
letting the horsehide go towards tbo
plate. Occasionally Harper would follow
instructions, but he seldom did So on
TWO successive pitches. 1t was impossi-
Die 10 break Harper of his pitching FAINT
and he was sent adrift after being given
more coaching in one month that the
average pitcher gets in his entire ca
reer.
Ernie Shore. the elongated Red Soy
tWirler and former Oriole has developed
DOWN ball. which takes a slant
downward and away from a right-handed
batter and over which Shore has SPLEEN
did control.
HSHe" says that the new ball
is the hardest in the business to handle
Willie Keller is to don the spangIes
once more. Wee Willie, one-tine won
der with the bat and in the outfeld. was
Yesterday signed to mana ge the Allen
| town Club of the Pennsylvania State
League. Leo Groom, secretary of the
league, made the announcement.
Keller has not been active in base
ha 10 he
coach with the Superbas for a while
and did some scouting work. but in
the main he attended pretty strictly 70
real estate business in Brooklyn Keeler
was approached with what looked like
a good proposition in Allentown, where
II is understood he will have a financial
interest in the club Willies advent as
manager will be watched with great
interest.
There are other familiar figures among
the Penn State managers. Arthur Dew
lin, former Giant, will lead the Lebanon
club; Jimmy Schekard. one-time Superba
and Cub. will manage Reading; Lou Rit-
ter. another erstwhile Superba. will man
age Lancaster. and Mike DonlIn is
TO manage one OF the other clubs. George
Cockill. one of Tener's umpres last year,
is to lead Harrisburg
|, There Is going to be a splendid chsnce
TO compare the strength of the defsInct
Federal League with the American this
season if Fielder Jones uses his present
ideas In regard to the personnel of the
st. Louis Browns. According to reports
from Waco, Tex, where the Mound CITY
American Leaguers are conditioning
themselves for the 1916 campaign. Jones
VIII have mostly a pure Federal League
lineup to place on the diamond when the
opening play BALI sounds
Jones infield will consist Of Borton at
first, Pratt at second, Johnson at short
and Deal at third. Pratt is the only one
of the old Hickey club in this quartet
In the outfield ShotIon. Marxans and
Tobin will be the regulars. with Clarence
Walker playing In Tohin's place when a
left-hand pitcher 10 working.
Shotton is the sole s1mon-pure hmeri-
can Lacquer of the three steady tenants
named. Marsans is a former National
circuit performer, who Fitted to the Feds,
but did most of his ball playing in the
courts after he took the leap. Tobn was
charter member of the Federal or
ganization, starting with it back in 1913.
when it was running on a very small
scale. Hartley probably will do most of
the catching for the revamped Browns
and he is another Fed though a jumper
from the National. The pitching staff
will be more evenly divided. with Well
| Illdll, NOOO, SlSleT, hamilton ana may
be a couple of recruits from the old
Browns, and Plank, Davenport and
Crandall from the Feds.
Eddie Plank, the veteran twlrler Of the
st. Louis Browns, will celebrate his
forty-irst birthday in August. This is
his fifteenth season in big league harness
Many ballplayers are through at IS
Plank and Honus Wagner are the only
40-year-old men in major league harness
Plank says he never played a regular
nine-inning game until he entered coll
llege. Connie Mack secured him from
Gettysburg.
Batting fungoes and ordinary catch
was all I knew OF baseball when l en-
tered college," said Plank.
How did you put in your timer" in
quired the writer.
Farming" answered Plank That's
enough to keep boy busy morning, noon
and part of the night If he does it right.
I farmed twenty acres in the heart of
Gettysburg battlefield
The point about this yarn is that Plank
must have conserved his arm and athletic
strength by keeping out of baseball until
he was a matured man.
F1tz won the fistic championship at 20:
Charles Thorpe was a great Jockey at 40
and Edward Payson Weston tramped
across the United States at 70.