Evening star., 1921-02-10

Where the king Of pitchers will be
striving to regain the form that
caused his name to be writ large IN
the annals of the sport, the problem
confronting Lewis will be that OF car
rying on-his case and that OF Clyde
Milan heing analogous. In great
measure the success of the Nationals
this year may he said to rest on the
accomplishments of this trio OF vet
Grams.
Play Alongside Youngsters.
In nearly every other position Man
ager George Mcbride swill have per-
formers of comparatively tender years
most of them we'll seasoned. but un-
der the thlrty-year mark. and with
many fewer seasons of actual toll on
the field behind them than the sixteen
Milan has seen, Johnson's fifteen and
Lewis thirteen. including their terms
of apprenticeship in the minors In
some instances those of Harris. Court
ney and Zachary. to mention "A few'
mere youths are expected to fill reEu-
lars positions alongside players who
more than decade ago had firmly es-
tablished their regulations as per-
formers of big league caliber and who
thus far have been able to hold their
own, despite the handicap of advanc-
ing years and the competition of more
active and keenly ambitious young
Sters.
AS far as Johnson is concerned. he
and President Griffith both are san
guine the trouble he experienced last
year with that wonderful right arm
the first in all his career-haS been
alleviated. The first few weeks of the
season will disclose whether their
confidence is well founded.
In regard to Milan the fans have
little apprehension. When Zeb was
stricken in Chicago in midseason in
1919 and compelled to lay off for
weeks at a time it was feared his ca
reer had been brought to a close, but
when he bobbed up last season with
the splendid sticking average of .322
over a stretch of 126 games it became
ough that followers of base ball here
abouts expect to see Zeb patrolling
the outer stretches at the Georgia
avenue plant for several seasons yet.
Conjecture ax to Lewis.
There is more room for conjecture
anent Lewis. In New York, where
Lewis has toiled for the past two
Navy. following eight successive
campaigns with Boston, Duffy is re-
garded as having slipped to great
extent from the form he displayed
when he. with Harry Hooper and
iris Speaker, formed one of the
greatest outfield trios of all time.
Never a fast man. Lewis naturally
has slowed up on his eet with the
has slowed up on his feet with the
Nationals will lose in the way OF
den for Roth they will more than
make up in other respects.
Duffys batting average practically
is on a par with that of Roth, who
consistently biffed around the .2S5
mark, regardless of where he hap
respect Lewis is far tine superior of
Roth and in one regard has few
equals-that of playing the sun field.
Despite his heavyfootedness on the
base paths, Duffy can snare fly balls
with the best of them, having How
ard Shanks' knack of starting quickly
and being a sure catch. His throwing
arm. which compared favorably with
those of Speaker and Hooper. two OF
the swiftest and most accurate peg
gers the game ever produced. seems
to have lost none of its strength or
cunning. and. withal, he is of the type
that makes for the vital essential of
team play. being tractable as we'll as
Intelligent
Failed to Jibe With Hueginx.
Those in close touch with conditions
prevailing in the camp of the Yam
KEGS last season assert that the de-
cision to part with Lewis was dictated
not by his loss of ability as a player.
but because he and Miller Higgins
failed to get along amicably. Lewis
name often was mentioned IN the last
two years as a probable successor to
Higgins on the numerous occasions
when 1t seemed the manager might be
deposed. 1t even being said that the sub
ject was broached to Duffy by one of
the Yankee owners.
Whether this had anything to do
with the alleged strained relations
between the two is problematical, but
whatever made il possible for Clark
Griffith to obtain Lewis and Mogridge
IN exchange for Roth is regarded as
fortunate circumstance for Washing
ton fans. They are looking for Lewis
to experience the beneficial effects
usually following change of seen.
cry. and believe IL Johnson and
Milan also can weather another Cruel
ing campaign that the team George
Mcbride Is TO boss will prove a big