The Washington herald., 1917-03-18
Second Base Has
Been Hoodoo Sack
King Believes Nationals VIII
Show to Advantage IN.
Coming Campaign.


club for the past fifteen years.
Looking back over the records for that
length Of time reveals the very inter
esting fact that no less than ten players
have at one time or another held down
the midway station. This, as It VIII be
seen. is an average Of only one and one
half seasons for each player, although
some haye been fortunate enough to last
longer.
In 1901 the Senators started ths season
with q local boy playing the baS-Gene
DeMontreyille. Following him In rapid
succession local fans have seen billie"
Reister, Barry Mccormick, "Bill' Cum
ningham, Frank LaPorte, Bob" Ung-
laub, Jim" Delehanty, Dutch" schaaf-
fer. Ray Morgan and Eddie Foster, hold
ing down this difficult position.
DeMontrevtlle in 1901 was fast ebbing
as . major Lacquer. and In lsoa ''BiIhe
Tom LOTUS. Keister, like. DeMontre-
Vile. lasted only q season ana the NEXT
campaign brought out Barry Mccormick.
Mac Is Q second sacker was far from
being star In the American League and
'Rubber-shirt BilP' CunntnEham was
wished upon the local fans, ana lasted Q
minute.
With wfld acclaim Frank LAPorts was
Welcomed BY local fandom, as II was be-
heved he would MI the hole at the mid
die bag. "Reddy~ O'Day, the clubs
groundkeeper. states that those mild
zephyrs that are sometimes felt at the
park are only air currents coming back
that were created by Franks efforts to
sting the pill
The departed Bob" Unsiaub was the
next to try his hand at the position
Bob" during the Greater part of his
oan playing career had always been q
nrst basenaan, and when shifted to SEQ
ona he for Q time was At sea- While
onelanb dd not set any worlds afire
with his ability to cover the bag q La COL
Inns or Lajoie, he nevertheless could
hit
The next second sacker to be introduc-
Cd was Jim" Delehanty, brother-to the
great Ed" Jim" IKE Keister De-
Montrevflle and his successor, Herman
schaefer, was fast losing his hold as a big
Lacquer. although there are some that
contend that there were other matters
that had more to do with his passing
rom the club than the fact that he was
slowing up.
With the advent Of CLARK ortfrIth. as
manager OF the Nationals, Schaeffer was
secured from the Detroit Tigers. Dutch"
managed to hang on for a while. more
through his baseball knowledge than any,
tnlns else, but the acquisition of Ray
Morgan saw his passing as a regular.
Setung down to the present, Morgau's
work around the keystone corner Ia wen
Known to local fans. as Is that of Fos-
Ter Had the Baltimore boy maintained
the physical condition he exhibited IN tbe
first two seasons of his career ss . NJ
ional he would right now be without on
position for the position.
CHARLES King, local manager OF tina A
G. Spaulding & Bro. agency, has iust re-
turned from Augusta, Ca, tn. training
camp or the Nationals, and gives ont
some very interesting dope on GrtnIth.s
squad.
KING accompanied the second section of
athletes to Augusta for the purpose of
measuring the players for the uniforms
mat VIII be used during the coming
season.
In speaking of the teams chances this
season King said. Unfortunately, I vss
IN the camp at time when the boys
were not Tar enough advanced with their
preliminary work to get a line on their
ability but 1 saw enough in the abort
tlme was there to warrant the predic-
lon that the Nationals Of 1917 are going
10 prove mighty hard proposition for
every team they face during the coming
campaign, OAs
mere Is one thing local fans NAV rest
assured Of. Every member of the 1915
squad reels that last season was a night
mare as far as individual playing was
concerned, and there Is a Determined air
prevading the camp that does not bode
any too well for the other seven teams
Of the American League.
The boys are imbued with the hone
mat the breaks OF the game are about
due to favor the Nationals. for at least
one season, and barring sickness and ac-
cidents, they will be a sadly dIsannojrto5
lot II at the end of the Campaign tbsy
are not in frst place. or within strIxinr
distance. iAiiis
crane. Berry, Moran and Menoskev
the newcomers. carry that nien VbiIs
on the field that leads one to believe that
.nese young men realize that they are
IN camp Tor one specific purpose-that OF
placing the Washington club IN ~ 80 "
ming for tho American Taa1,. !,