The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-05-14
GR|FF TAKES
LOOK AT CLUB
President Turns Vermonter Over
To Omaha and Provides for
Other Players.
BY LOUIS A. BOUCHER.

Dc 4 Roll, May IT. TcSlueIlt
Clark Griffith Joined his ball club
in Cleveland yesterday, and he will
remain a spectator of their games
until tomorrow night. On Monday he
will be in Chicago, attending a spe-
cial meeting of the American League.
He is expected to join the team again
in st. Louis, but just how long he
will stay remains to be seen. 1t is
thought that he may jump off on a
scouting trip almost any day as he
has tips on a number of players he
wishes to watch in action.
Joe Engel former Washington
pitcher, now a scout for the club, is
covering the Southern section and
may report to President Griffith in
st. Louis. He is understood to have
looked at a number of prospects
within the past two keeks
Before leaving Washington, Presi-
dent Griffith turned over Lorenzo
Wykagyl Kibbee, the Vermont Uni
versity finger to the Omaha Club of
the Western League Kibbee has the
markings of good pitcher, according
to President Griffith. but he needs
more work than he can possibly get
sitting on the Washington bench.
Furthermore, il Is impossible for him
to get that needed work while with
the club and so he has been given an
assignment to Omaha
Kibbee is not in as good condition
this spring as he was in 1920, when
he ranked with the leading college
pitchers in the country. He was with
the Vermont track team all winter
and paid little or no attention to
keeping in form for baseball.
QUIT HIS COLLEGE,
Indeed. he was playing in the out
Neld when he got into his jam at Bur
lington and quit college rather than
attend classes in military instruction
With a years work in Omaha, the
youngster should report in the fall in
shape to show at his best.
Tomorrow all big league clubs
must be cut down to a total of TWEEN
ty-f1ve men under contract, not count
ing the manager. The Washington
Club has just twenty-five athletes on
its rolls, not including Manager Nc
Bride, so the rules will not cause any
summary decapitation.
1t is possible, however, that both
Dick Torres the Cuban catcher, and
Bob LaMotte, the shortstop from
Tampa may be sent back to the
bushes. Walter Hapgood, business
manager for the Rochester Interna-
tonals, was here the other day look
ing for a catcher. While he seemed
to prefer a seasoned backstop to help
out with a lot OF young pitchers he
did not seem adverse to taking Torres
especially after hearing that he could
hit for 800 in the American League
which Torres did last year.
The Tampa club is trying to get
A@sl 80 DNI
IL has a chance to get LaMotte, but
not so much to land Foss. LaMotte
Is getting little or no work with the
Griffs and his future is very much in
doubt. Foss, on the other hand, may
be placed in the lineup almost any dav
Hank Shanks' batting streak SENS to
have come to an end. Unless Hank is
killing the ball, he is not the best third
baseman in the league. He has a
habit Of hitting into double plays
when not slamming the ball safely and
this Is usually costly to the team. For
that reason Foss may find himself in
jected into the regular lineup soon.
unless Hank begins hitting again.
zeb Milan is suffering severe
Charleyhorse. 1t does not bother
him to walk. but IT does interfere
greatly with his running the bases
and chasing fly balls in the garden
A rest would do the veteran team
captain a world of good, but Man
ager Mcbride does not wish to lose
his hitting, which has been very
good this spring. However, Zeb may
be Obliged to rest from sheer in
ability to hold up his end on the
bases and in the field. This will
cut down the defensive strength of
the Griffs not a little, as Milan has
been doing well with the stick lie
was compelled to rest yesterday, be-
ing unable to run at all.