The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1917-03-10

DECLINE HITS
WASHINGTON
(By United Press.)


WASHINGTON March 10-CIark
. Griffith. manager of the once feared
Washington Senators. more properly
STYLED Walter Johnsons,' faces the
coming season with his usual optimism
/ but with team that is likely to add a
noticeable bunch of recruits to his al
ready generous crop of gray hairs
Walter Johnson. the weak hitting Sen
ators best bet for. 10. these many sea-
sons. has shown an appreciate loss Of
effectiveness during the last two cam
paigns. and opposing batsmen no longer
20 to the plate with prayer in their
hearts and despair in their eyes when
the big Swede is laboring on the hill.
With Grins best bet getting his bumps
with regularity that besets ordinary
hurlers, he finds it hard indeed to come
out on top in more than one-half of
the seasons encounters
Handsome Harry Harper the chew
inggum southpaw. seems about to sup
plant the great Walter as the idol OF
the Washington bugs. He is remarkably
effective against all clubs and appears TO
bo improving. Ayres. Gallia ana shaw
experienced disappointing seasons last
year, and it is q question whether any
of them will be Of much value during
tho coming campaign. Thomas a south
PAW recruit from Des Moines broke in
with few good games last fall and is
expected to stick. Yingling. another
southpam, who has seen service with
Brooklyn and Cincinnati. also probably
VIII be kept
John Henry, who made himself OBJ
noNious to Ban Johnson last winter by
his activity in Fraternity affairs. is ex-
pected 40 share the catching burden
with Eddie Ainsmth The two of them
shape up as a bettcr-than-the-a &c
catching staff.
AT first base Will be found Joe Judge.
a fashy fielder and speedy base runner.
but hitting rather weakly. However.
last season was his first as a major
Lacquer, and as he was ailing most of
the time, Griff looks for an improve
mint il his fence busting procltvities
At second base Ray Morgan In all
probability viii he seen holding forth
If Joe Leonard shows as good a. third
as he did during hiss limited sojoum
there last fall. Eddie Foster. the star
of the American league thard sackers
viii be moved over to second and Nor
gan relegated TO tho bench
The ancient Mcbride. who has been
shortstopping for the Senators since he
fore Canrllon's regime. will have oppo-
sition this year in the shape Of one
Sam Crane. whom Griffith secured last
winter in a trade with Baltimore His
acquisition leaves Griffith with TWO
sensational fielding shortstops who
know nothing Of the secrets of welding
the budgeon. Crane hit only ~ with
the minor league aggre cation last sea-
son, SO Mcbride with his years Of ex-
perience. is not in much danger Of being
deprived of tbs sinecure that has
yielded him healthy dividends for the
past ten years
The outaeld probably viii be com
posed Of Smith. secured last season
from cleveland. who generally sends
them over the fence the few times he
does connect safely; Milan. considered
a star bat who appears to De slowly
going back. and sam Rice. former
pitcher whom Griffith converted into an
outfelder when he discovered that Rice
possessed ability 10 hit 'em whore they
amt" Jameson and Barber viii con-
tend for the utility outfeld position.
Griffith has an advantage over the
other seven clubs in being well fortified
in tho clown" department Nick A.
trock and "Tom" Sawyer again Will be
carried to entertain any hurlesque-sh
devotees who happen To find their way
into the bail park.
With what appears a fair team in an
Griffith IS confronted with
the possibility of finishing ahead Of no
one but The lowIy Athletics. He has
been content to carry the same aegrega-
tion that was so successful a few years