Evening star., 1918-04-02
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

| AUGUSTA, Ga. April with the
close of practice this afternoon mobllf-
zation orders will be issued by Gen.
Griffith and late tonight his brigade
| will entrain for Atlanta, its first OBJ
; jective in the spring exhibition drive.
which will cover twelve-engagements
! in six different sectors in the space OF
| ten days. The division regains its own
| trenches in the National Capital week
| from next Saturday to do battle with
| the Boston Braves in the only contest
| in which Washington fans will have
an opportunity of seeing the Griffmen
| in action before they open the cham
pionship season with the New York
| Yankees, Monday, April 15
| Griffith processes to be we'll satisfied
with the physical condition of his
squad, despite the fact that n number
| of them are suffering from or just get
ting over the effects of colds and at
tendant stiff joints and sore muscles.
| The twenty days of exercise the
| pitchers and catchers have indulged in
F.; here have been used to good advantage,
| and practically all of the batt0y cam
didates now are as far advanced in the
matter of condition as the manager
cares to have them. with the except ION
! of Jim Shaw. who was set back a week
with a sore shoulder, and Joe Engel,
who has been out only 4 few days.
Shaw has almost entirely recovered
from his indisposition. however. and
now is throwing with a free movement
and no trace of pain, although his arm
naturally is a little weak owing to the
layoff it has had. johnson. Harper and
Ayers. the other members of Griffith'S
Dig TOUR. all are in prime shape. and
t the same may be said of Du Mont,
fingling and the youngsters-Craft
Waldbauer and Lynch The soreness
which was interfering with the ac-
curacy of Ainsmith's throwing gradu
ally is being eliminated from his arm.
while both Charity and Berman are
in perfect condition.
OF the regulars only Shanks and Lavan
are ailing. Both have had trouble with
their throwing arms and they still are a
bit sore or stiff. but daily Improvement
IS being shown, especially in the case of
the shortstop. whose trouble was due to
cutting loose with the ball before his
limb was property hardened. Wise old
Eddie Foster has taken things easy and is
not experiencing a single ache or pain.
and this applies also to Capt. Mcbride.
| For the first time in his career Ray Nor
| gan is escaping without the siege of sore
ness which usually Is produced by spring
training and this despite strenuous activ-
| ties designed to reduce his weight having
succeeded in hardening his legs, a most
| important thing for the second baseman,
whose underpinning always has been
somewhat brittle. Ray now will try in
earnest to take Off the three or four
pounds necessary to reach his best play
/ ing weight.
/ Little doubt now remains that Joe
Judge will be able to start the season
at first base. He is displaying speed in
| covering his territory around the initial
sack and on the bases. He still un
consciously favors the ankle which was
! fractured, and being careful to avoid
sharp turns on his left leg may slow him
up bit. but by the time the season is a
few weel old there should be nothing in
| his manner of play to call attention to
the fact that his leg was broken
Except for being little shy in the mat
ter OF endurance. which will be made up
| for in the next two weeks, Zeb Milan is
! ready now, and the other veteran outfeId-
| er. Bert Shotton, has come along in sur
i prising fast shape, considering his recent
illness The former Brown has lost none
| OF his speed and is throwing of yore
| Shotton is not hitting well in the prac-
tice games, but he always has been a
slow starter in this respect. never reach
| ing his stride with the bat until the
| weather becomes good and warm.
| A persistent drizzle which let up only
at brief intervals and rendered the dia-
mond unfit to play on curtailed the
practice yesterday and confined the
drill to warmup of the pitchers and
chasing of fungoes at midday. After
an hours work the athletes. We're per-
mitted to dress and go to the movies.
| The practice games are scheduled for
| today. the last in camp here, if the
! rain holds off.
The Nationals have no kick coming
on Augusta weather. In the two years
| they have trained here it has rained
fO
then not enough to prevent holding at
least one practice, though abbreviated,
each of those days
| The predicament in which Clark Grif-
| fifth finds himself due to uncertainty
regarding the status of Rice gives en-
phasis to the fact that there are six
other members Of the Nationals in a
somewhat similar position in that they
are eligible for war service and may
be called to the colors within a short
time. Heading the list is DIR. John NJ.
Lavan, who already has received his
commission as lieutenant in the Naval
days notice. Lavan Is scheduled to
plug the breach at short, where Griff
has been experimenting for a year or
SO. The former Browns chances for
| remaining with the Griffmen through
out the season are considered bright, in
view Of the fact that practically the
only boats being built for the Navy
now are destroyers. which do not carry
medical men, but such officers are
needed at the bases, so Grifr is not
banking too heavily on retaining the
surgeons services.
Next in order comes Ed Charity, who
| is in class 1, division A, although mar
ried. his nuptials not having been cell
| ebrated until the past winter. Grif
is depending solely upon Charity to
| fill in back of the bat in case any
| thing happens to Eddie Ainsmith. His
| loss would prove a severe blow in the
| event Ainsmith was injured as it
| would leave the Nationals without a
catcher. young Berman not having had
~I Eo.:-Ia LII II