Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-27
AS WILL PLAY
FOR SAMMEES
Give Up Morning Practice for
Exhibition Game at Camp
Johnston
MACKMEN DOING ELL
jacksonville. Fla. .rarch g.

jacksonville. Flu, .farch g.
For the second time since coming
here the Athletics did not take morning
practice today. The other time they
missed their mornings work was due
10 rain. At 1890 this morning the
entire Athletic squad was hustled into
Government automobiles and conveyed
To Camp Johnston. about fifteen miles
distant from this city.
Manager Mack was perfectly willing
10 cancel mornings practice for the
privilege of doing his bit toward pre-
yidlng some Amusement for few of
tbe thousands in Uncle Sans service
This Is the reason he graciously agreed
TO have his team play an exhibition
game inside the camp reservation where
every soldier who so desired might see
n major league team In action.
Lunch With officers
Lunch was provided for the players
at the camp, they taking their midday
meal at an officers mess. Manager
Mack and his players were entertained
and shown every courtesy by the COM
uandant. Colonel Fred l.. Munson and
his adlutant Captain Sterling. \ gem
ernl inspection was made or the camp
before the players dressed for the game
General satisfaction, not 90 make it
stronger by saying clatiou, prevailed
among the Mack players last night
after their defeat of Pittsburgh In the
second game of the series between the
two clubs. The Macks are so con-
yinced Of their superiority over the team
from the eastern section of the home
state that they are now confident OF
taking a majority of the contests from
the pesliy Pirates. \ break in the
chain of defense cost the Athletics the
first game while weakness in the at
tacl, was responsible for the defeat Of
the Corsairs in the second battle
Athletics Superior
Sizing ,Ip the two teams on what they
showed in the two games played. there
is little doubt that the Athletics are the
>unerior aggregation. This, however,
must not he construed as tantamount to
the assertion that the Philadelphians
will finish higher than even IL rs high as
III. Pittsburghcrs. iu the championship
races in the two leagues. Tho com
parison made here includes the general
personnel without considering the pitch
ing possibilities of the clubs. II heedS
no expert to determine this question,
Pittsburgh Is strong in twiriers ana 1t is
this factor which is going To keep the
Pirates in the running this season. ON
the ability of their pitchers alone the
Corsairs should finish in the first division
in the Tener league.
II certainly was a pleasure to watch
Larry Gardner perform in yesterday
bout. u the former Red SoX star does
not win the affection Of the Philadelphia
fans right from the start, 1t VIII be be-
cause they have no baseball compassion
or gratitude in their sport souls We are
l. AT slt r.
meut by the assertion that no thrd-base
guardian in the American League will
Hay the ball this season as will the man
whom the Boston management discarded
as having outplayed his usefulness
Yesterday Gardner gave as fine an eN-
hibition of the fielding art as we ever
witnessed. sI-.
Gardner Makes a Hit
His play in the ninth inning showed
the wise old head as well as the finished
artist. with Il man on first Moliwitz
pounded the ball close to the bag. Nine
out OF ten third basemen would not
have got up with the fast-traveling
sphere. hut Larry was on II like cat
pOuucing upon u mouse. With the ball
in mis- clutches he never hesitated for
second but whipped the ball with
rife-like speed and accuracy to second
base where he nipped the base-runner
by n step 1t was this base-runner and
not the batter that the experienced
Gardner was determined to get taking a
chance of retiring him rather than have
man,on second who might be scored Il
minute later by the succeeding batsman.
His mental alertness. aided by physical
perfection. served to complete a wonder
fu play 1t will be in such emergencies
that Gardner will show superior TO the
most Of third basemen this year.
Four Runs Without Hits
While the Athletics victory was di-
rectly attributable to the wilduess of
Sanders. the first twirler presented by
the Pirates. due credit must be given the
Mackmen for their patience and skill
in waiting the limit on the youngster S
lack Of control. Patience at the bat Is
not an early-season virtue, but the Maclls
made Sanders cut the pan before they
struck at his offerings, After Sanders
had ,completed his part Of the games
program, three innings, the Athletic
round scoring Il much more difficult
proposition; indeed it proved altogether
impossible. Steele and Miller, who sue
ceeded Sanders in the order named were
50 effective that the only chance the
Mackites had again to cross the plate
weak hitting prevented them from count
ing. With Dugan on third and Shannon
at tlrst and none out, the necessary hi
or ny to the out6eld was wanting. Me
Avoy breezed the gentle Florida ambient
while the best that Meyers and JamlesoI
could do was to hit to the pitcher ant
both were plnched at first,
Not TO be outdone by the generosIt,
OF sanders in presenting the Athletic,
win all their r0ns, the latter's pitcher
also We're inclined to be magnanimouslS
disposed. Both of the Pirates tallie
We're sarted on passes. but were not $,
tainted with baseball pacifism In tina
they were batted across the pan. No
hit figured in the Mackites' fou
scores.
Gregg in Good Form
Old man Gregg. he of the portsid
ming, blazad the path Of meritorius per
formance for the Athletic pitchers. Fl
was as mystifying aud deep as a pres
censor. and Pittsburgh at no time coul,
n solve his delivery problems. First h
~ was fast almost like bullet, the
" be was slow, oh. so aggravatingly slow
that the Corsairs almost disjointed tn
sockets of their arms In missing hi
fioaters. Then an occasional hook woul
scare them away from the plate. Greg
was the only man Of the six pitcher
to work on the hill who limited the bat
tiers TO one hit.
BOXING RHL IS DEAD: