Evening star., 1918-04-02
NATIONALS START HOMEWARD
DRIVE FROM AUGUSTA TONIGHT
First Stop Will Be at Atlanta to
Reach Washington One Week From
Next Saturday.

experience enough to be elassed as
real, sure-enough windpaddist.
June Cass is another class Ia man,
and this fact alone will prevent him
from sticking in the majors on his
first trial Facing the possibility that
Rice will not return. the team is badly
III need Of not one, but two outfielders,
and the little blond has shown enough
promise in the practice here to war
rant his retention, even though GrlH
were well supplied with fychaser ma
of fly ball, has good whip and
meets the ball well at bat although
being a poke hitter. But for the pur-
chase price of $4,000 on his head Grif
surely would hang onto this young
ster Under the circumstances. how
ever, with Rice absent the outfeld will
be made up of Shanks Milan and Shot
ton. with Hank playing in left field,
when that garden happens to be sun
territory, and Shotton holding forth in
right. Shifting Shotton over from left,
, where he always has played, is tribute
to Shanks' prowess as gardener.
The other three Army prospects are
pitchers and all are in class l. Du Mont
and Craft being in division A and Iing-
fling in division D. Du Mont is expected
to find himself this year and is being
counted upon for service in finishing
games if he does not win berth as a
regular. Griff is hopeful that Craft Will
develop enough speed to warrant re-
tention in this, his third year of trial
with the Nationals, while Yingling has
a wise head and is not yet old in years.
although Il veteran in the game. Grin
is looking to him to materially aid
Harry Harper in furnishing portside
slants against teams well supplied with
left-handed batters and also for pinch
hitting duty. Earl Is a dangerous stick
smith.
If by any twist of fate Griff should
this year lose all seven of these men
Rice, Lavan, Charity, Cass, Du Mont.
Yingling and Craft--a very probable
thing, however, all his chances for
first division berth would go glimmer-
ing, if. indeed, they would not fade TO
the point of extinction with the loss of
Rice alone. If these seven were called,
however, 1t would make total OF
fourteen players the Nationals had
given up to Uncle Sam, half OF these
number of players who were on the
Washington reserve list being already
in the service, namely. Infielder Joe
Leonard and Outfielders Horace Milan
and Harry Ellis, Navy, and Pitchers
Thompson and Gibson, Infielder Murray
and Outfielder Menosky, Army.
There will be only twenty-one players
in the squad which leaves tonight for
Atlanta, as Shortstop John Rupley Will
not be among those present Ine
youngster is too green to be farmed
out He leaves here today for his home
at Harrisburg: Pa His training ex-
penses here were paid by his father.
Manager Griffith yesterday received
word from Baldomero Acosta that he
| would leave Cuba that day for the
States. provided he could obtain his
passports in time. He is expected to
Join the Griffmen in Atlanta and con-
test with Howard shanks for the out
| field berth left open by the departure
| of sam Rice. Unless the Cuban can
show much better form this year than
on any of his previous trials with the
Nationals Shanks will not have to
worry about the likelihood OF warming
| the bench.
Joe Engel will be signed to a Wash
| ington contract within a week, Man
ager Griffith having been notified by
| the national commission that Engel and
| all other International League players
not disposed of before the circuit gave
up the ghost have been declared free
agents.