Evening star., 1917-03-12
FIRST MILITARY DRILL GIVEN
PLAYERS OF WASHINGTON CLUB
Corp. John Dean Puts Griffith and His Men
Through An Hour Work In the Rudi-
ments-First Game Played
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

BY DENMAN THOMPSON.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
| AUGUSTA, Ca, March ia squad Of
thirty-four men, composed Of thirty bal
players, Manager Griffith, Mike Martir
and two newspaper men, today partici
pated in the first military drill of tht
-, Washington base ball club. The drill was
held at the ball grounds and lasted nearly
an hour Corp. John Dean, U. S. A, act
ed as instructor. The drill consisted OF
foot movements and saluting. including
such elementary tactics as right face. LEFT
face, about face. right and left dress and
marching. Corp. Dean was elated at the
aptitude Of his pupils and predicts they
| will be versed in the rudiments in ten
days. Some simple squad movements will
be tried tomorrow. Molly Craft was the
| tallest player In the squad and Charley
Humphries the shortest. The big four OF
! the squad consisted of Craft, Johnson
! Harper and Flaherty Immediately after
| the drill Manager Griffith started the first
game OF the season between teams select
ed from members OF his squad. Nick Alt
| rock did the umpiring. The weather
! was ideal for base bali, there being nc
wind and the sun causing the temperature
! to climb up to the region Of the eighty
degree mark.
Walter Perry johnson, the monarch OF
! moundsmen, walked in on his team
mates shortly after dinner yesterday
! afternoon. johnson came here from
Washington over the same line that
carried Manager Griffith and his party,
! the road that has been cut off Griff's
list for, it's failure to deliver the play
ers' luggage on time.
Johnson rea ached Washington Friday
vii htc rrrsf
! Cofreyville, Kan. taking Mrs. johnson
| and the baby to the capital, because
Representative Roberts Of Nevada and
Mrs. Roberts. his wife's parents. are
| there. due to the fact that an extra
session Of Congress has been called for
April Is.
Walter says his son. who will be
two years old next July. and whose
Illness was the cause of his .ardiness
in reporting for spring training. has
| improved materially and that he now
entertains but little doubt as to his
ultimate recovery. According to John
son. something the boy ate about three
weeks ago poisoned him. high fever
attending the stomach trouble which
followed.
johnson says he is in good health,
although he appeared somewhat fag-
ged when he got here. 1t is assured
he will not have to do any reducing. as
he weighs but 100 pounds. whereas last
spring when he reported he tipped the
beam at more than 200. Johnson said
the accident he met with last winter.
when he broke through the ice in a
stream near his home. was no joke. as
the water was quite deep at the place
where he went in He attributes his
escape from watery grave to the
fact that he came up in the same spot
that he went down in. instead of under
the ice.
Johnson got out in uniform this
morning. Immediately after the drill.
1t was the first time he has had ball
In his hand since last fall, but he toss
ed 1t with the easy. sweeping motion
for which he has become famous. He
does not know what it is to have
trouble with his arm.
walter will be the first man to be
ready to work a full game" Griff said
this morning as he watched the big
fellow lobbying the ball over. "He
will be primed when some of these
other pitchers, who got ten days start
on their hips"
Johnson was assigned to room with
Zeb Milan. whose "roomie'' he has been
since the pair Joined the Washington
team late in the season Of 1907. These
two are the Damon and Pythias of base
ball. and are inseparable while on
the road.
Manager Griflth's athletes were a
tired bunch yesterday. Many Of them
went to church in the morning. but
quite a number slept as late as they
could. The day was an ideal one for
training. the temperature climbing to
the S0-degree mark, with no wind in
evidence. but the boss considered they
had earned a rest and required no work
of them. Ainsmith. Harper and Nor
gan We're the only players to essay a
liz i
the bridge over the Savannah river into
South Carolina to see the deserted viii
lage," as North Augusta is called, but
their ramble was not an extended one.
Several of the players went to their
rooms Immediately after dinner and did
rip Van Winkle'' until supper time.
Hank Shanks was perhaps the stiffest
man in the crowd, his exertions of Fri
day and Saturday making his muscles
so sore that it was painful for him to
move. He also has several blood blis-
ters on his throwing hand
Manager Griffith. with Fred Harvey
cutter and one or two others, took an
auto ride in the afternoon. The air
sharpened their appetites and they did
full justice to their evening meal when
they returned.
That cash prize of $500 offered by
President Johnson of the American
League for the best drilled squad or
base ball players will be awarded to
the Washington team. II the efforts of
Corp. Dean can bring it about. The
sum of 500 has been hung up for the
instructor Of the most efficient platoon
and the drillmaster figures he can use
the century note to advantage.
Corp. Dean is one of the smallest men
in the United States Army, of which he
has been a member for little more
than four years. He is but five feet
three and one-half inches in height,
half an inch short of the minimum re-
quirement, and weighs less than 100
pounds. but is splendidly portioned and
well set up withal.
Only nine days remain in which the
players can be drilled here before they
leave March % divided into two teams,
for their series of spring exhibition
games on the road. That is hardly time