Evening star., 1919-03-24
NATIONALS BEGIN
REAL WORKOUTS
More Than Twenty on Field,
Shaw and Janvrin Being
Only Absentees.
AYERS IN FINE FETTLE
DY DENMAN THOMPSON.


tion Warren field this morning was
a busy place. The players manager
Griffith brought with him, toSether
with those who came on alone. prousht
the squad up to nearly maximum pro-
portions, the only absentees now De-
inx Jim Shaw, whose acceptance OF
terms was forecast when the steel
,eapue blew up. and Hal Janvrin, who
is expected to come on in about a
week or as soon as II is safe 1or HIN
to undertake the trip
Yancey Wyatt Ayers arrived yeSter-
day morning from his home at Hills
VILE, Va. in better shape, physlcaily'
than he ever has been on reporting
in the spring. The doctor last season
beam at the 100 mark. When granted
permission to report week later
than the other pitchers, owing to III
ness in his family. he promised 70 90
some road work on his farm ana IN
fulfillment of the pledge ne iost hnuch
surplus flesh and greatly improved MS
wind.
Frank Rogers Ellerbee, the native
South Carolinian, until recently an en-
sign in the Navy. was another sunday
arrival. Ellerbee is a graduate OF
Wofford College at Spartanourg, tan
sity nine He lives at Bennettsville,
near Columbus. and is clean-cut,
intelligent looking fellow OF twenty
three years. He is one of the six can.
didates Griffith has for the job OF
shortstop.
In addition to the veterans, john
son, Judge, Foster, Shanks and Nc
Bride, Gfiff's party included Joe
Brown. another infield aspirant. and
"Reds" Shannon. the outfelder pur-
chased from Baltimore. Both Brown
and Shannon are strapping Dig lei
lows, particularly the latter
The fact that Bert Shotton had been
disposed of to the st. Louis Nationals
was not known to the party in camp
here until Manager Griffith gave out
the information, nor was the fact
that Mike Menoskyi had cabled. from
France that he was on his way nome.
The pilot also announced that. Zlm-
norman, the Baltimore sandlotter,
was not to be given try-out, ana
that Billy Murray, who came south
with the Nationals in 1917. had de-
cided to remain in the automobile
business in Boston, unless Griffith
succeeds in placing him with some
International League club.
Manager Griffith said he had no
further Information in regard to the
NEGOTIATIONS for Dave Robertson.
Four National League clubs still re-
fuse to waive on him, although it is
likely the Cubs may give way this
week in the event they come to-
terms with one of their players who
remains unsigned.
Barney Dreyfus has shown no signs
of relenting in his attitude. and thus
far the Boston Braves and Phillies
10 ha
1t is assumed that the injury received
in Cuba by Lavan. who is reported to
have fractured his leg. will tend fur
ther to gum the proposed trade. as
he might not be able, even though
willing, to play for the St Louis Ma
tional League club, for which he ten
tatively was booked.
The st. Louis American League club
also threatens to spoil whate"er
chance there was of concentrating
the swap which. in addition to send
son to Washington. would give the
Giants title. to Catcher Gonzales.
President Phil Ball of the Browns
never has forgiven Lavan for the
slander suit he filed with Pratt
against him, and the st. Louis mag
nate has announced he will refuse to
permit Johnny to get out of the
American League and land with the
rival Mound City outfit, the Car
dinals.
Clyde Milan and Joe Leonard came
to town last evening in time for
supper. Like johnson and Mcbride,
Zeb always is in good physical trim,
but he appears to be in even better
condition than usual this spring, due
to much time spent in the open with
his bird dogs. Milan clerked in
bank all winter, but found plenty of
time for hunting.
Leonard expected for a time to be
tardy in reporting. owing to the fact
that his order for transportation went
astray, but Grin Strengthened things
out by wire in time for the former
formed for the Nationals at both the
hot corner and the initial sack in
such a creditable manner in 1917, to
start his training with the other reg
ulars today. Leonard was but re-
Gently discharged from the Navy and
was for more than year in service
at the Great Lakes naval training
station, near Chicago, where he
played ball with the championship
outfit which represented that organi-
zation. Leonard is in fine health and
this year will be. tried out at both
short and second base, as Eddie F+os-
ter has a strangle hold on the third
basing job.
Manager Grifiith intends to divide
his players into two squads to fa-
cilitate their training. He reached
this decision this morning after look
ing over his large array of players
With all hands working at the same
time it is difficult for them to obtain
the proper batting practice, so he in
tends to designate divisions, in order
=, Ii
ing at any one time will not be un-
wieldy.
How long it will be before Menoskv
rejoins the club is conjectural. If he
actually got started toward the II s
A. last week and makes good connec-
tions 1t is not unreasonable to expect
him to be on hand by the time the
season opens, even allowing for a full
week he will have to spend in a de-
mobilization camp on this side of the
water. Mike probably will require some
training to get in shape for diamond
work, but If all goes well should be
able to get in the lineup within a
couple of weeks after the campaign
actually gets under way In the mean
time Shanks, Shannon, Horace Milan
or Harry Thompson may be placed in
his job in left field.
Accompanying the Washington party
yesterday was Cy Macdonald, the
former Georgetown star, who repre-
sents a Washington sporting goods
house and is here to measure the ath-
letes for their new uniforms. Con-
signments of stockings from Philadel-
phia, caps from Brooklyn and bats
from Washington and Louisville thus
far have failed to arrive and the prac-
tice sessions may be somewhat inter-
fered with as a rea.ilt. The shortage
Of caps, especially Is acute.
Manager Griffith yesterday received
a telegram that his sister, Mrs. John
DUNCAN, who lives at Tuolumne, Cal,