The Washington herald., 1920-04-01
Rain interiors
With E Exhibition
. Game at tColumbia
BY GEORGE T. MoRELAND.

I Columbia. s. c., Marchc 3I.-ihe
Nationals and Cincinnati Reds wore
welcomed here this noon by threat
ening weather. The clouds cut loose
at 2 p. m. with plenty of rain. and
the exhibition game was called off.
However. the heavy downpour did
not prevent Capt. Mcbride from
sending several OF the National hurl-
ers through a stiff workout. Dur
ing these one-night stands many
OF the pitchers who are not slated
to work grow stale. When rain
postpones a game. no time is bet
ter for the limbering-up exercises,
so the lads who have had a snap
of 1t were put to work today.
Johnson. Shaw, Erickson and
| Schacht, with Picinich, have had
an overdose of battery drills and
for that reason this quintet is slat-
ed for Washington tomorrow morn
ing, with instructions to journey to
the Florida Avenue Park on Fri
day morning for a light workout
President Griffith has selected
Shaw and Schacht for the mound
duties on Saturday, when the Ma
tionals meet Cincinnati for the first
of a two-game exhibition series at
the Washington Ball Park. On Sun
day Johnson and Erickson will
divide the pitching honors. This
game will be the first of three
games in which mighty Walter will
work before the opening game of
the American League season, at
Boston on April IA. He is booked
to perform in a game between
Washington and Cincinnati in the
latter. while on Sunday, one week
before the grand opening. he will
put forth his offerings in Cincinnati
again.
Frank Ellerbe, who has been a
native of this city for a number of
years, was scheduled to work in the
short field to show his many friends
what he was capable of doing. but
as the show is called off big dis
appointment was handed the ad-
mirers of the utility man.
Harry Courtney will work the
mound for the Griffmen tomorrow.
After the game Griff has promised
the portsider a sixty-two-hour leave
to visit his mother, who is sick. He
will join the club at Richmond on
Monday.
Both clubs. Nationals and Cincfn-
natl, will get under way for Green
willie tomorrow morning, arriving at
that place about noon, but they will
be minus Scout Joe Engle.
There must be something brewing,
as Joe has been ordered TO visit a
college town in this State some
forty miles away to set look at
some youpgster who, IL is claimed.
has long been overlooked. No name
could be secured as to who was who.
but it is said he is worth the once
over.
When the train carrying the play
ers en- route to this city stopped
at Sumter the Griffmen could not
learn how long the train would lay
over: nevertheless several players
headed for for a lunch room to grab
a bit.
In the midst Of the meal someone
announced that the train would
leave in two minutes. There was a
stampede to get aboard, some get
ting the train on the move. When
the excitement had died away. the
roll was called. and the best of the
Nationals staff was reported alb
sent without leave. Johnson, Shaw,
Mcbride. Ellerbe. Picinich, Milan,
C'Neill and Judge made up the
party. They had gone to another
restaurant and consequently knew
nothing of the trains departure.
When they discovered their
plight, they at once wired Griff,
but a station master came to the
rescue and sent them on their
Quincy on the following train.