The Washington times., 1920-03-01

~ From today unttt~the nrst game is
to played with the Indianapolis club
on March II, the Griffmen must har-
den their muscles, strengthen their
legs and arms and. sharpen their bat
ting eyes. II they labor honestly
they should be prepared for the hard
schedule facing them IT rs nara
schedule, too, with all those games
TO be played against the worlds
champion Cincinnati Reds. Natural
rivalry makes major leaSuers battlc
their hardest against each other.
Those exhibitions viii be far from
soft things.
Z Tho poor scribes who left Wash
ington last Friday headed for Tampa
will have the work of their young
lives keeping the fans interested in
tho dull routine stuff OF the next
three weeks. 1t will be much softer
for them, once the Griffmen begin
battling the worlds champions on
March % at Tampa. But till then
oh we'll the daily grind is seldom
worth ten lines in any family news
paper in these days OF news print
shortage.
Fans Would Know This.
Washington fans want to know
one thing that is most important.
They want to know what sort OF an
infeld President Griffith can make
Of his mob OF youngsters he will have
iaboring at Tampa They know
pretty we'll now the ability of the
outfieiders, all OF whom have played
in the league long enough to make
regulations for the book. But the
infelN means the success or failure
OF the Washington ball club for 1910.
A year ago Washington fans listen
-. ,,.,yr -
Ike Davis He was supposed to have
"a great pair of hands" He was sup
posed to be "live. brainy player,
destined to fill George McBride's
shoes from the start" He was sup
posed to ''step into the ball and drive
il on line, just over the heads of
the infielders."
The campaign opened, with Ike
Davis playing shortstop. Bloomer?
You say 1t, we stutter. lie was
terrible bloomer. Ten days sufficed
TOR him. He went to Minneapolis and
Hank shanks to shortstop, with dis
lstrous results.
This year, in addition to shortstop,
the Griffmen need Il second base
man and third -sacker. Hank Shanks
won't do In any infield position, ex-
cept when the ship is going down. The
: ans deserve the truth about it all.
VIII Have Fine Chance.
Every candidate for a regular in
reid berth in Washington this sea-
ION will have an excellent opportu-
irfty Of showing his real ability. For
most of the spring he will be playing
opposite the worlds champions. If
he Cincinnati players were good
enough to win the worlds crown, they
are surely good enough to offer COM
parison to the young men striving
COR Jobs with the Washington club.
On paper, Maurice Shannon looks
ike the best of the new players to
begin work at Tampa. Next TO him
comes Frank Ellerbe. Shannon has
PLAYED with the Athletics and Red
.sox, while Ellerbe finished the 1917
season as a member of the Grinmen'
4 Philadelphia sports writer's think
shannon a bad ball player, tempera-
mental, Eighty, greatly given 10
blowing up in pinches and generally
not worth while. Boston writer's are
tim yelling because Barrow let him
20. You may take your pick. Shan
non may be a bloomer or a star, but
he'll have to show against the
worlds champions. What other folks
4, -hirk will mean nothing to those lads
Cygho sit in the right field pavilion at
Georgia avenue. They'll make their
own conclusions.
EIIerbc Has Promise.
Ellerbe, in his brief trial here.
Promised much. Yet, TO experienced
unlookcrs he seemed to have a sc
rious weakness against low balls.
10 whaled high ones to all corners
of the lot, but Washington fans will
recali how foolish he appeared
gainst Jim Bagby's slow low ones.
In the field, too, Ellerbe seemed
slow on his feet coming in, though