Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-04-08
WHAT A DIFFERENCE
WAR MAKES; GR|FFS
CRY FOR HARD WORK
Washington Slaves Regard
Training This Year as Vaca-
tion After Toiling for Mars
Team Looks Fairly Good.
By ROBERT w. MAXWELL
DOWNRIGHT, 1919,


Augusta, Ga, April There is no |
rest for the many veterans now work. |
ing out with the Washington baseball
club. Twice u day-morning and az !
ternoon-the athletes not only go
through the preliminary stunts which |
are popular in all spring training |
camps, but also play couple of ball
games. A seven inning fracas is stag
ed every morning and a complete, reg
ulation nine inning battle is the matt
nee attraction.
Clark Griffith is not a hard task
master. but is forced to get his men III
first-class condition for the opening
of the season. He is confronted with
very tough schedule, for, after play
ing a few games at home, his club goes
on the road during the entire month of
May and will meet with some stiff
opposition Therefore, for sef-de-
tense purposes only, he is cracking the
whip and playing Simon Legree.
TIMES HAVE CHANGED
But the players are not registering
any objections or threatening to go on
strike or anything like that. Those
birds who have been beating the whiS
tie at a. m. in munitions factories
or toiling for their Uncle Sam from
reveille to taps for the modest stipend
of $50 per month, imagine they are on
a vacation and are acting as such.
There is a wonderful spirit in the
Washington camp down here and that
spirit should be considered when fig
uring the chances of the club in the
pennant race. There are no slackers
end the boys already play as if they
meant business. Every practice game
III 4 l,
has the unusual opportunity to get
line on his men.
Griff has a pretty fair ball club this
year, but is likely to get off to Il bad
start His team will develop slowly
and is not expected to reach its top
form until the end of May. That's
how it looks now, three weeks before
the opening engagement. The inficld
will be weak until Janvrln is in the
lineup and Davis, the kid shortstop,
wins his spurs.
JANVRIN MoPES AROUND
The failure of Janvrn to join the
club for spring training was quite a
blow to Griff's plans. The former Red
Sox was i'll with influenza and pneu-
monia at his home in Boston and now
is too weak to do anything but loaf
In the sunshine and regain his
strength. He probably will not do any
practicing until the middle of next
month. In the meantime, Harold
Shanks has been moved to second and
Davis is playing short.
Had JanVrin been on the job Shanlls
could have been used at shortstop until
Davis gained more experience or what
ever he needs. That would give Wash
ington a strong infield, with Judge on
first and Foster on third. But that is
the only worry Griff mas. The rest OF
the team stacks up well
GLAD RICE Is BACK.
Everybody is happy over the return
of Sam Rice. the smuggling outrielder
Last year Rice went into the army
and Griff almost jumped off the dock
sam was missed and his manager be-
lieves the club would have finished
higher in 1918 had he played all sea-
son. Rice is a 300 hitter and a very
good outfielder. Clyde Milan is still
on the job, which means centerfield
will be ably attended to.
Sam Agnew has strengthened the
catching corps and Griff is highly
pleased with the trade which took him
from the Red SoX. Val Picinich, who
caught for Connie Mack in 1916 and
was SOld TO Atlanta III 1917, Will be
Sans assistant, while Gearity is chief
substitute.
The pitchers are working hard and
the big four" meaning johnson, Shaw,
Harper and Ayres, will be ready for
business on April 49, There are sew
eral others seeking steady jobs-Hov-
Xix, Thompson, Matterson Craft and
Lynch being the most prominent. Mat
torson is a kid about 81 years old, who
once performed for the Phllies. He
has staged real comeback and Griff
says he will make good.
WALTER TOLLS HARD.
The daddy of them all, however, Is
Walter johnson. This high priced ath=
lete is laboring with the rest of the
hurlers, asks no favors and a stran-
ger would imagine he was trying for
the team for the first time. 1t is a
pleasure to watch him work. There is
nothing temperamental about HMM
stead, it is the reverse. He pitches
to the batters, hits to the outfield and
makes himself generally useful.
-4<S