The Washington herald., 1919-04-08
FOXY GRIFFITH
MAKING SHIFTS
What In6eld Combination
To Start Season with
Puzzles Manager.

| NoftH auSo .. u, hpTil L.
Just what combination will start
the season as the infield for the Ma
| tionals is becoming more of a puz-
zle each day, as the Foxy Pilot is
trying different players at the key
stone stack, only to fall back on Ike
/ Davis as short, and Hank Shanks at
second, when the Regulars pitch in
| to battle the Yanns
This appears to be the likely COM
/. bination which will open the season.
as the Old Fox admits that so far
| they look the best but with jan
vrin not yet started, the puzzle
deepens. Both Leonard and Frank
Ellerbe are being worked at the
| second cushion in each of the prac-
tice drills. while Captain George
, Mcbride is coming in for quite a
little of the grind at the short field.
Mac. like the prince of good fSllows
which he is known, to all hfS ac-
quaintances in the league, works
daily instructing the little Pacific
4 Coast COB in the finer points of the
game and should Davey fall down it
! Will be no fault of the veteran
champion.
Joe Leonard is. the player who is
now coming to the front with a bid
for regular infield berth. as the
Chicago youngster is going at a great
| stride and is making the Foxy Lead
er's problem more puzzling every day.
Frank Ellerbe. who is due for a Bing-
hamton International League berth,
providing the Old Fox sees fit to cut
| him loose. has SUDDENLY come forth
with promise of grabbing of a slice
| OF that infield pie. Ellerbe, who has
style like that of Frank Bakers" ;"
has proven that he can sure bust that
old pill, and as Griff Just won't let
| hitters pass beyond his Foxy eyes,
1t would not be surprising IL Frank
is carried along for some time, pro-
viding, of course, that he keeps going
at his resent speed.
Big Ed Flaherty is another one of
the candidates who is coming in for
some consideration after having been
booked for a trip back to the minors.
Flaherty's work of late has greatly
| impressed the Nationals leader and
| the District may yet see native
son" doing the heaying honors for
the club
| Binghamton club. is seeking outfield-
ers and should GriT cut any of his
gardeners loose, Frank will no doubt
get the cream of this talent. Horace
Milan has shown enough to warrant
thorough tryout. as "Hoss" is weak
on curve-ball pitching. and as Grin
does not believe that two brothers
| can star on the same major league
club. it appears that ''Hoss'' will
be the first to come in for the minor
league raiCoading.
Joe Shannon has not set the league
on fire, but his consistent form marks
him both a dangerous swatter and
heady player. With Menoskey re-
turning at almost any hour and hopes
still running high OF obtaining the
services of Davey Robertson, some
of the present array of outfield tall
ent must go, as Grif would still
have Shanks and Thompson to fall
! back on when pinched for outfielders.
The problem OF this infield and out
field combination deepens more and
more at each of the practice grinds,
but 1t is safe to say that the opening
lineup will not be changed much
from the present batting order of
the regulars.
The exhibition game scheduled for
tomorrow at Greenwood. S. c.. with
the Erskine College Club was called
off by the latter today when 1t was
found that it would be impossible to
/ obtain a suitable playing ground in
the little "carpet-bag" hamlet.
Manager Griffith came close to los
ing one of his famous characters yes
terday when an army automobile
from Camp Hancock turned a tum-
bleslute with Uncle Nick Altrock as
one of its passengers. Uncle Nick
was the guest of the Motor Trans
portation Corps at dinner at Camp
Hancock yesterday and while en-
route to grab off the army chow and
entertain the boys with his comedy.
the steering gear of the car in which
they were riding locked. throwing the
entire party into ditch. Outside of
being shaken up little no one was
injured, but Uncle Nick lost some of
his pep and ginger and of course
Nick's end of the entertainment did
not equal his ability and as the big
fellow puts il, he's off all gasoline
wagons from this time on