Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-17
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

i NEW YORK. April 17.-Rainy and
| cold weather usually encountered by
the clubs in the spring is piling up the
| customary crop of double-headers. Yes
| terday, for the second time in four
DAYS. the Griffmen were compelled to
remain idle because of unfavorable
conditions. Cold weather was assigned
as the cause of calling off hostilities.
1t was chilly, too, in the morning.
| Along about noon, with the sun on the
job, and the wind less in evidence, it
began to get appreciably warmer, and
by game time spectators could have
sat through a couple of hours of base
ball without being frozen stiff. but
Manager Donovan did not know this
| was going to be the case, and, having
ordered the mo game" sign hoisted,
there was nothing to do but let the
meeting stand adjourned.
| Cancellation of the battle did not
prevent the Griffmen from getting
much needed workout, however. They
were in uniform on the Polo Grounds
! at 1:40 o'clock, and from that time I'M
til 2:30 were given military drill by
Corp. Dean-ffty minutes of unlnter-
rupted maneuvering. Bats were car
ried in lieu of guns, the corporal being
| customed to the different spacing re-
quired in marching with weapons pend
| ing the time when rifles will be issued
to the athletes. AS soon as the players
have gotten all the foot movements
down pat they will proceed with the
work of learning the manual OF arms.
| If they show as much aptitude IN PICK
ing up the fine points in this as they
| have in mastering the details of open
I and close order marching. they should
be able to make fine showing by the
time they get their Springf1elds.
Immediately after Corp p Dean no. order hs
gan their base ball practice, and Tor
one solid hour they tossed the pail
about and limbered up their muscles
with short sprints around the bases.
Particular attention was paid to bat
ting practice. Jim Shaw and Molly craft
serving them up to the hltters LOT
| twenty minutes apiece.
Walter Johnson and Bert Gallia both
had a warm-up, the former being given
| a particularly long one to prime for the
game today. Not having pitched since
last Wednesday and being deprived. be-
cause of bad weather and a Sunday in.
tervening. of doing any work at All
two different days, the big fellow would
not have been in the best of shape had
he been called upon to work against
the Yankees yesterday. johnson is
tcher who cannot stand ldleness TOT
Ii any length of time and show his best
form The work he was given yester-
| day is expected to put him IN tlp-top
shape for the initial encounter OF the
with the Bakeries Yankees. however;
Ray Caldwell probably will be named
for mound duty by Manager Donovan.
| Although there was a light frost last
night and the air is none too warm TINS
morning, it is not believed that the
weather will prove f1ckle enough TO
prevent the conflict, this afternoon.
Under fair conditions there should be
a reasonably large crowd In attendance.
for Walter johnson Is a great drawing
card in this city, as he is all around the
circuit A delegation from the plant OF
the New York Edison Company, where
Judge formerly was employed: also Is
expected to be on hand to see him work.
Joe Is local boy and has a most OF
friends here who are pulling for him
i to make good in the big show.
| Although a complete quartet of Crit
fths pitchers suffered at the hands OF
Mack's murderous maulers SATURDAY.
more disappointment is felt over
Of the poor showing of Du Mont, jamie
son and Ayers. Once a team gets start
ed as the AS did there is no hating
them
with his offerings gave them that ele-
ment Of confidence that made all pitch
| ers look alike. Unless Shaw shows
! something before long he is liable to
nnd h1mSelI neaoeo LOT d ne" dssish
ment He was a better pitcher two
years ago than he is now. At that
time he had a good curve ball that
proved effective. mixed judiciously
with his fast one. After being hurt
summer before last. however. he began
to rely entirely upon his speed. trying
to favor his arm by not essayfng
hooks. In an effort to have Shaw re-
| gain the lost art of bending them
Manager Grifith for a period Of more
! ooL nn
any fast ones. to pitch nothing but
curves Upon the measure Of sue
cess he has in rehabflitating his stock
of twisters will depend his future with
effective against teams like Boston and
Chicago. What he will be able to &C
| complish against the two Sox outfits
| remains to be seen. but it Is assured
he shows evidence of ability to win
more ball games than he did in 1915,
when he was credited with three VIC
tories and FIVE defeats. Shaw should
make a wonderful pitcher. Few are
moro adequately endowed with physi-
cal requirements or natural ability.
Manager Donovan Of tho Yankees is the
latest outstanding figure in base ball IT. to 9
the fans want moro hitting. and that the
rules should be changed to that end. On
this point wild Bill" who is close
That to my mind is more or less bunk:
For the sake of argument, try to recall
some of the most thrilling base ball
games you ever saw. They were games
matter of fact. were they not? Just
because pitching was my game when I
took an active part do not overesti-
base ball nut wants tight pitching II he
did not I would advocate giving him what
| he doe want
II can recall games whore the hit
| ting was all out Of proportion. There