The Washington times., 1917-02-28
Tomorrow at Augusta, Ga,
Griff's Pitchers Will Begin
Their Preparations.
JOHNSON IS LONE ABSENTEE
Team Will Play Exhibition
Games in South on Its
Way Homeward.
BY LOUIS A. BOUCHER.

BY LOUIS A. BOUCHER.
Today jocund spring cometh upon
the scene. The ball players begin
their trekking southwark
Old Fox Griffith will speed his
pitchers and catchers toward Augusta
today. following after week hence.
In the week to come the forkhand
ers and the orthodox fingers will
toll beneath a Georgia sun in order
the better to BATTLE the batsmen re-
porting later.
II the battery players arrive in
time. they may get in their first days
work tomorrow afternoon. for they
are due to arrive in Augusta. Ca,
before noon.
johnson Only Absentee.
Walter Johnson is the only alb
sentee among the pitchers. He has
obtained permission to accompany
the second squad leaving Washing
ton, Manager Griffith being well
aware that his star moundsman is al
ways in good physical condition.
Harry Harper and Charlie jamie
son. southpaws. and Jim Shaw. Ed
FIaherty. Molly Craft. George Du-
mont. and Bert GalIia, right handlers.
are the twirlers making their geta-
way today.
Doc Ayers will be picked up at
Petersburg. Va
Drops Ed FIaherty.
Ed Flaherty, the local sandlot pitch
er, leaves today for Augusta, but he
has already been released TO Des
Moines in the Western League in
part payment for Claude Thomas, the
soUthpaw, who received a short trial
last fall.
"FIaherty wanted to get the benefit
OF early training" explained Manager
Griffith today, land so l have decided
10 let him go. We can use him. hav-
ing so many exhibition games before
coming back home"
Flaherty needs more experience be-
fore taking his place among big
league stars and for this reason has
been sent to Des Moines.
Reports at Augusta.
Due to arrive at the camp tomor-
Tow in time to join in the gladstone
labor of preparations for the COM
ing campaign are John Berry. the Chi
cago semi-pro finger: Claude Thorn
as. the southpaw obtained from Des
Moines last fall. and given a brief
trial before the season closed; Charlie
Humphreys. the wee southpaw tried
out at Charlottesville last spring. and
Uncle Nick" AltrOck, the funniest
coach in captivity.
All three catchers. John Henry.
Eddie Ainsmith. and Ed Charity.
leave today for the training camp.
They will all be needed to handle the
big squad OF pitchers to be tried out
by the Old Fox this spring.
All Must Hustle.
Mike Martin. mayor OF CherrydaIe,
Va. and in his off hours trainer of
the Washington club. has been or
dyed by Manager Griffith to keep
the pitchers hustIing during the week
he will have them in charge.
Unless the weather prevents, there
viii be two practice sessions daily.
The boys will be called from their
downy couches at 1880 each morning
and given two hours work before
lunch. Two hours more of practice
will be taken in the afternoon. and
then the boys won't have a thing to
do till the morrow.
Regulars Go Next.
a week from now Manager Crit !
fifth will take the remainder of his
team to Augusta. This. second squad
will include Walter johnson. Sam
Crane, Eddie Foster. Joe Judge, Joe
Leonard. Mike MenOskey, George Nc
Bride. Ray Morgan, Sam Rice. Carl
Sawyer. and Howard Shanks
The two Milans are expected to re-
port to Augusta direct from their
homes in Linden, Tenn.
The first regular exhibition game
OF the season for the Griffmen is TO
he played at Birmingham. Ala, on
March %, and so it is seen that the
practice before getting into a real
tussIe.
Play Their Way Home.
Once leaving Augusta. the Grin-
men will play their way home. open
ing at Birmingham against the Bar
ons. journeying back to Memphis,
clashing with the Cincinnati Reds at
Louisville. and then going with them
TO Cincinnati for three games.
1t has been Customary for the past
five years for the GriTmen to play a
long series OF exhibition games at
Georgia avenue. This season but
three games will be played there be-
fore the big league season opens with
the Griffmen at Philadelphia.
Georgetown gets one game. and the
PhilIies the other two. On Friday.
April 6, the Washington rockies will
play the Phillies at Norfolk, Va, but
the regulars play the remaining con-
tests.