Evening star., 1917-04-15

From what the team has shown thus
far the fielding can be counted upon
to be excellent, and the players are
pulling together and displaying lots of
pep and fight, but it is the batting
prowess his athletes have exhibited
that really has caused the long-dor-
mant insect in Griff's chapeau to come
to life. There is an element of mys-
terry in the sincere manner in which
the Washington players have been
swatting the ball. There has been
nothing fukey about the hitting. Most
of the bingles have been clothed in
their own individuality and sent to the
spot at which they have been aimed
Griff thinks he has solved the mystery.
He attributes it to the preparedness
movement.
Il knew 1 had hard-hitting ball
club he confessed. ''and for that reason
1 was not surprised when the men
began to soak the ball. They are hit
ting pretty good for this time of year
and l lay it all to military drill That
corporal upset all my plans, and the
only thing I'm sore about is that he
didn't appear three or four years ago
AT the training camp when it was
decided that the players We're to go
through maneuvers in the morning, so
much time was taken up that l couldn't
give individual instruction to two
squads as in the past. Before this year
| would instruct one squad from 10 to
IL o'clock in the morning and the other
from II o'clock until noon. That gave
me an opportunity to correct the mis-
takes in the afternoon, and in a week
the squads were ready TO play against
each other. This year. however | had
to work on both squads at once, and
the only thing to be done was to play
ball games. We started playing March
Il. and staged two games every day
until we broke camp. AS a result the
players rounded into shape in d re-
markably short time, and in two weeks
We're ready for big league stuff. The
pitchers. having reported ten DAYS
earlier, We're in good shape and the
batters were benefited by hitting
against them. They soon had their
eyes on the ball, and in spite of several
exhibition games being postponed because
of bad weather. those we played put on
the finishing touches
Next year III try something differ
ent. I'll send my pitchers to the train
ing camp three weeks before the other
players and get them in good shape,
Then the others will he given seven
teen days of fast work and we win
be ready for any one.
Griffith is nothing more than amused
at the dope furnished by experts" in
which he has unanimously been
awarded seventh place. He figures a
reason for it may be that that is
where he finished last year, but he
cites the fact that he could have f1n-
ished fourth had his team won two of
the last three games, and it proba bly,
would have. too, had he not let John
son. Mcbride and other PLAYERS go
home and used some rockies in the last
two series with the Athletics and
Yankees for the purpose of getting
line on them.
Manager Griffith marshaled his ath-
letes into this center of the universe
shortly before midnight tonight They
got into their hunks in the Ansonia
Immediately to escape in sleep from the
memories Of that disaster in
They were not unduly
upset over it. TT just wasn't our
day." remarked Eddie Foster, voicing
the sentiments Of his teammates. With
Johnson and Gallia ready to shoot at
the Yankees Monday and Tuesday.
there is little likelihood of a repetition
Of the slaughter witnessed in Quaker |
town. BY Wednesday the others in |
Griffith's stable should have descended. |
What they got today often happens. in
tho best regulated base ball families.