The Washington herald., 1917-02-25
Trainer Mike Martin Leaves
for Nationals Training
Camp at Augusta.

The passing of Larry Lajoie from the
Big Show does not necessarily mean that
the greatest second sacKer the game has
ever known has hit the chute that leads
TO Baseball oblivion.
While 1t is true that the Incompatible
F'renchman never set any worlds afire
with his ability as a leader Of a major
league team. 1t just as certainly can not
be said that he proved a dismal failure.
Big league managing. the most thank
less job under the sun, at best. Is not
successful mainly through the fact that
one particular manager may possess any
more baseball sense than another. or
th-t he possesses the uncanny power
OF getting more. in mechanical way,
out of his play ers than some other man
ayers.
Without that natural ability to play the
game better than an opponent has any
team ever copped the bunting. How often
Is the assertion made that the famous
old White Sox. Of 1906, known as the
Hitless Wonders, snatehed the gonfalon
and a worlds title from the Cubs. mainly
through intelligence? We have read that
old crack until 1t nauseates-
Take a look at the figures compiled by
Fielder Jones' squad, of that year. and
what will they show? That as swat
makers their average placed them at
the bottom of the list What does that
grove? Give Washington or st. Louis, two
lamentably weak teams, of the present
day, when it comes to busting them where
they amt. Ed Walsh. Nick Altrock. Doc
White. and Red Owens. at their best. with
Billy Sullivan on the receiving end, and
then name a club in the American League
that could beat them to the finish.
There is not a fan or player in the
country that would dare to ever say that
Bender. Coombs and Plank; Wood. Col
llns, Leonard and O'Brien; Brown. Ruel-
bach. Pfiester and OVERALL Matthewson.
NIarquard. Tesreau and Au1es: or Young.
Dineen. Hughes and Tahnehill were a
more effective hurting combination than
Walsh, AItrock, White and Owens.
There is no denying the fact that Jones
had in back of him a team that possessed
average baseball intelligence, but man
for man 1t could not, nor cannot be
truthfully said that they played any
smarter baseball than some Of the other
teams that made up the circuit.
What they did do and what they did
possess was probably the greatest de-
upon a ball field. and pitching corps
that in point Of effectiveness no manager
before or since their day would ever
dream of having under his wing.
II local fandom will just go back four
years ago it will remember one of the
EIcdleSI GeIenSlNe teams IN Ine history
Of the national game. wearing a National
uniform and under the leadership OF
Clark Griffith
The defensive playing of this combina-
tiOn kept it in the race throughout the
season. but the Old Fox openly admits
that that great combination has cracked
and that 1917 will see a new team on the
field in the uniform OF the Nationals.
There's many combinations and
ha NV nd
in rebuilding the team at the Augusta
camp during the next month he will again
attempt to put defensive club in the
field. and with the pitching that can be
offered from a staff like Johnson, Harper.
Gallia. Ayers. Shaw and a.crowd of young
hurieTs. the old Fox is confident of
putting the Nationals back in the race
this season.
Official baseball opened in Washington
Yesterday when Mike Martin, trainer of
the Nationals. boarded the O'Clock Sea-
board Air Line train for the Augusta
training camp. Mike packed up suits,
sweaters. shoes and bats and has six
trunks packed with the playing material
that the boys will need when they hit
the Dixie" grounds.
The mayor of Cherrydale is making the
trio early SO that everything will be in
snip shape when the advance SQUAD with
the war correspondents hit the camp next
Thursday morning
The first squad of GriTmen will leave
here Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock
over the Seaboard Air Line. John Henry
the veteran catcher, will have charge of
this advance squad, which will be made
no of Ayers, Shaw, Ainsmith, Gallia
Harper Jameson and Flaherty, while
George Dumont. Johnny Berry and Nick
Altrock will come direct from their homes
IN the West. and Humphreys will report
from his home in Tate, Ga.