The Washington herald., 1917-02-21
Martin LEAVES FOR
AUGUSTA SATURDAY
Mike to Make Arrangements for Wei
coming Griff's Pitchers Thursday.

the Nationals, will leave here on sunday
for Augusta, Ga, to prepare the training
camp for the young pitchers and veterans
who will leave here next Wednesday.
Martin expects to have things in ship
shape when the squad hits the Southern
town on Thursday morning. John Henry
the veteran catcher OF the Nauonais,
will have charge of the squad which Will
leave here Wednesday.
This squad will include Catchers Henry
and Ainsmlth, Pitchers Gallia, Ayers
shaw. Harper, Craft and Flaherty. NICK
Atrock, the veteran coach OF Grihth
UftchC.s will 90 direct from his nome III
Chicago and will be accompanied oy
young Jack Berry, the Windy CITY semi
FRO.
Du Mont and Thomas will also make
the trip direct from their homes out west
while Charlie Humphreys will report on
Thursday from his home at Tate, ia.
Griffith expects all the boys OF the iIIst ,
squad to be at work on Thursday Ihe
main string of players Will IeaNe heI :,
on March Z but many OF them VIII NIsl'
here to take a slant at the inaugural pa
rade.
Four men who were at one time oase-
hall nagnates in the National beasue
ave 10 assed away since the close OF the
Iast nIsyinp season. The first was Uncle
Nick" Young. who. after winning iatlte
a. rj;ayer. was for many years pres'-
dent Of the National League. Iheh calL
the death Of William c. Temple lorIle
" president of the Pittsburgh ciuo. iAst
saturday DR.. Stucky. who was presloeh'
~ the Louisville club when 1t was IN the
EatIonaI League, passed away, and yes
terday William Kerr, formerly presloeh'
OF the Pittsburgh club died.
DR. Stucky was a magnate at a time
when the National League maSnates
we're continually at war with each other;
Tie factions always held Whlp nam
over the Louisville club because 1t could
NAV games at home on Sundays. In those
davs The big hghts centred around the
schedules. Dr. Stucky usually waited
until ne saw how the factions were gong
TO line up, and then he sided with the
strongest knowing that thereoy ne
would get the most advantageous scneu-
ule for his club. 1t was a policy Of self
preservation for the Colonels that usually
worked out well.
This winter a large number Of the con-
tracts expired and the time was at hand
to cut into these fat yearly stipends. IL
was an unpleasant task, but 1t had to
be done. It was to be expected tnat tne
PLAYERS would make an issue OF the sal
any slashing, and then 1t was that Dave
Fultz cut in with his strike talk.
plans carefully. He fully understood
conditions and realized that there would
be a lot Of dissatisfied ball players around
the country when the contracts were sent
out. He struck when the iron was hot;
it is history, that, but the magnates
held the whip hand and won out
Thus baseball has been through fire
since 1914 First came the battle with
the Federal League and then the fight
nil ba nj W a
development OF the original war. The
fact that the game has survived is strik-
ing evidence Of the hold which 1t has on
the American public. The storm is over
and there appears to be clear sailing
ahead for the greatest OF all sports. 1t
is to the interests of ALL magnates. play
eTs and fans, to put shoulder TO the
wheel and push. Away with the knock
let US have boosts and then more boosts.
Many baseball stars have been in the
lineup OF the Cincinnati Reds since 1900
vet at no time has a team from that
city been up in the running for a Ma
tional League championship. Christy
Mathewson, from present indications, has
a fine roster OF national pastImers for
the 1917 campaign. but the once great
Giants hurler has the old hoodoo to over
come IN his endeavor to bring a title to
Cincinnati. Star players who have worn
suits in the last sixteen years are Beck
ley. Steinfeldt, Crawford. Amos Rusie,
Moy, Cy Seymour Donlin, Higgins, Sc
bring. Overall, Phelps, Bridwell. Lobert,
Paskert- Mitchell, Weimer. Dubuc, Hob
litZell, Bescher, Fromme, Covaleske,
Burns, Benton. and Doak, vet with this
geodly assortment Of baseball material
the Reds never were within striking dis
tance Of the pennant
Fans are wondering what Benny Raufr
Will do this year. A year ago Benny's
name was in the newspapers with great
regularity. He promised to do all kinds
OF things, even to hitting AlexanC er's de-
livery so hard that Grover ould be
driven back to the bushes.
The young man didn't make good in
causing the Phillies to give Grover his
passports to the minors and he did not
set the world on fire with his hitting.
In fact, Kaufr was outclassed last year
by two other members in the Giants out
field. A National League manager said
to a group of reporters the other day:
There are sixteen managers in the
major leagues I am confident that II
they were given their pick Of the Giants
outheld that every one of them would
take George Burns and Dave Robertson
and that Kau1 would be the third man
instead OF the first or second selected.
Last year Kaufr was the victim of too
much press agent work. Lack of public
ity this winter NAV improve Renny's