Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-17
GR|FF IS HUSTL|NG
/ FOR NEW PLAYERS
Foxy Leader Is Very Discreet
and Keeps Names of Men
{. Under Cover.
TIP ON YOUNG INFIELDER
BY DENMAN THOMPSON,

CLEVELAND. Ohio. May 16.-It is
likely within a few days announce
ment will be made of the acquisition
of at least two players to fortify the
tottering ranks of the Nationals. The
identity of the athletes in question.
what they specialize in or where they
Rail from has not been disclosed. 1t
is questionable in fact, whether any
decision has been reached in regard
to who shall be taken on, but there is
no denying that some new blood is
needed and very little doubt that 1t
will be obtained, and in short order.
1t was thought that when the time
arrived for the teams to cut their ros-
ters to the minimum several service
able players would be made available.
but the action of the majors in in
creasing their player limit to TWEEN
ty-f1ve, as was forecasted exclusively
in these columns last Tuesday, spoiled
this hope.
There was some talk of William H.
Lamar, jr., the distinguished resident
of Rockville. Nd, who made name
for himself with the Baltimore Inter-
nationals, being obtained from the
Yankees, who have a half dozen fly
chasers on their pay roll. but Bill is a
1eft-handed hitter. of which the Ma
tionals have a-plenty, for one thing.
and Clark Griffith denied he ever con-
sidered acquiring him. anyhow. 1t
has been also reported that Pitcher
Jim Ring of the Cincinnati Nationals
might join the Griffs. having been Of
fered on thirty-day trial. Griffith
would jump at the chance to get this
right-handed youngster, who last sea-
son gave promise of developing into
a topnocher, but it is believed that
it was Mike Raglan, and not Ring,
that the Reds were willing to dispose
of. Raglan is a devotee of the spit
ball and has been a good pitcher in
his day, but now is more than thirty
years old, and it is not thought the
Washington management would care
to take on a veteran the National
eague clubs were willing to pass up.
Griffith has received a tip on a
young infielder hailing from the
Cleveland section that he may act on.
The player in question is named Fred
Kirschnick. and is at present per-
forming for an industrial outfit at
Massillon. Ohio. known as the Central
Steel team. Kirschnick was a team
mate Of George Uhle, the sensational
young pitcher of the Indians, who has
pitched for the Tribe thus far this
spring. He played with him on the
Standard Parts nine. a semi-profes-
sional organization in Cleveland. and
Is highly regarded in that city.
Kirschnick is described as being
hitting right-handed batsman, who
plays both at shortstop and second
base.
land yesterday cost both the Ma
tionals and Indians a lot of money.
There was huge crowd at the gates
an hour before game time, despite
the threatening outlook, and with
Johnson 3,oha., ADVERTISED to pitch; in con-
dies day. there undoubtedly would
have been more than 1000 fans at
League Park il the contest had not
been postponed. 1t was not raining at
game time and did not rain until an
hour and half. later. The grounds
were In good shape, too. 1t appeared
the Cleveland management was glad
OF an excuse to sidestep Johnson.
The additional day of rest will
prove beneficial rather than the re-
verse to johnson. however. With five
!uli days to recover from the Cruel
ing twelve-round battle he partici.
pated in at New York last Monday
waiter should be right on edge to
open the four-game series with the
Tigers at Navan Field today.
Considerable comment has been
caused by the fact that Ty Cobb
didn't steal a single base in the first
WE'VE games of the season and to
gate. with sixteen games played, has
but one pilfered hassock to his credit.
IL has given rise to the old cry that
the Georgian, who, in 1915, set the
american League record of swiping
pinety-eight sacks in 156 games, is
slipping. His batting average Of a
measly .311 for the first dozen con-
tests further strengthened the belief
Since then Ty has boosted his stick
ing average to .343, however, and he
advances some logical reasons for his
failure to get of with a flying start
in running the paths. Here is what
he says:
Nothing mysterious about it. 1t
can be handled in two sections, either
I've been on when We were far in
front or far behind, where a steal
Is not the thing. or haven't been on
with an opening to steal
II not that. then I'll tell you some
th1ng-Ty isn't going in for the steal
Ing game much this summer. There's
wear and tear on the ankles in steal
ing. There's a strain on the ankles
M getting the starts. in sliding. The
bsfter fouls frequently when the run
Nor Is stealing and he has to 20
back. I'm saving myself. saving the
ankles"
CoDD denies he has lost HIS speed
He's simply looking ahead. realizing
that healthy total of stolen bases
looks good in the record book. but
Is not the most important thing for
an athlete up around the thirty
three-year mark. There Will be oc-
casions when he will want to stretch
double into a triple or beat out
an fnfield tap. Then he will travel
But swiping hassocks just for the
sport of 1t this year is regarded by
T. Raymond as not calculated to pro-
long his career in the national pas
time.
Yesterdays postponement at Cleve-
land brings the Nationals total
games to be played later on as dou-
ble-headers up to eight, of which six
will be on foreign soil
Base ball lost a unique character in
the death yesterday of Herman Schae-
fer. a good player in his day. Schaefer
IN recent years confined himself TO
coaching and saw service in that ca
pacity with the Detroit Tigers, for
whom he originally played second
base: the Cleveland. Washington and
Ty Cobb Still Carries