The Washington herald., 1922-02-27
FOURTEEN PLAYERS
ALL SET TO>START
SPRING TRAINING
Old Fox Limits Program
To One Practice a Day
For First Week.
By RAY HELGESEN.

rockies. will begin tomorrow the
serious business Of spring training
here on Plant Field. Pres. Clark
c. Griffith and his party Of
seven rockies, accompanied by
three newspaper men, arrived at 5
o'clock this afternoon and are now
comfortably quartered in the Tampa
Bay Hotel
In addition to Pitchers BriIheart.
Gleason, Phillips. Woodward, Dig
ges. Catcher Nooner and Out
fielder Goose" Goslin, Harry Court
ney. Bucky Harris. Dick Torres,
Ray Francis, Pitcher Miller. Bings
brother. and Pitcher Slim Danger
Gus Dan" McGrew are scheduled 40
get their opening workout tomor-
row morning. The fourteenth MEM
Der of the squad who will don q
uniform Is none other than Mich
olas Altrock, well known in WASH
ington bowling circles.
Harris Sports Goat of Tan.
Courtney and Bucky Harris have
been here for almost six weeks.
Harris Is already as brown as a
nut. He has spent most of his
spare time. and il has all been
spare. In golfing. Before he came
here. he says he thought he knew
something about the old Scottish
game. Now, after having played
numerous rounds with the club
professional he's convinced 1t would
be q good thing to forget what
he knew, or thought he knew. ana
start all over again.
Courtney has been here almost as
long as Harris. The ports.der. how
ever. has been paying more atten-
ton to serious training under the
watchful eyes of Mique Martin and
less to his golf game than has the
youthful keystoner.
Dick Torres, Grin's Cuban
catcher. and Ray Francis a young
pitcher who comes here highly
recommended. dropped in this af-
ternoon. Torres came direct from
his home in Havana: Francis came
from California by easy stages
visiting friends on the trip across
the country.
Francis is a tall. rangy young
fellow who looks like he can stand
a lot of hard work. He Is about
six feet one and weighs around
$50 now. He says he intends to
get down to ia as he thinks he
does his best work at that weight.
Pitcher Miller is scheduled to
arrive here before midnight from
his winter home in Iowa.
Torres Is Confident.
The bulk of the early work be-
hind the bat will fall on Torres
shoulders. Grifr has definitely de-
cided to take a look at Eddie
Nooner. the Washington youngster,
in both the infield and the outfield
as well as behind the mask.
Torres. however, says that work
does not bother him and that be-
fore the team goes North Manager
Milan VIM consider him the second
string catcher instead OF Val Pr
Cinich. Picinich has not yet
signed. according to Griff- Neither
Picinich nor Griff appears to be
weakening. It's a matter of prin-
ciple. you know. Val, however,
will be at Plant Field when it's
time for him to report il one Is
to believe the optimistic Mister
Griffith.
Pitcher Slim McGrew checked in
at the office just in time to get into
the dining room before the doors
were closed Slim Is so tall that
even the head waiter loosened up
long enough to grin.
McGrew will ever be known by any
front name except slim" whether
he serves in the big or little
leagues. Just before leaving WASH
ington a long slim letter came to
President Griffith's office on Geor-
gfa avenue. 1t was postmarked
Texas and contained McGrew's
signed contract The tall boy had
signed the paper Slim" MeGrew,
absolutely ignoring the fact that
he was baptised. II baptised he
was, Walter. Slim" in fact,
doesn't care for Walter as a
handle.
One workout a Day.
Only one workout a day will be
held until the arrival OF Manager
Milan on March 8. Until that time
the youngsters will report at Plant
Field at 10 o'clock. This means
that they will be through work
whenever Martin. Nick and Griffith
think they have had enough work.
The first few days, however. the
hours of toll will probably be be-
tween 10 and 1900.
After Manager Milan gets here
there will be two workouts daily
for the youngsters and for most OF
the veterans Some of the older
players, of course, will use their
own judgment. But for the rockies
the real work of the trip will begin
the day after Milan checks in.
Plant Field. which is one Of the
best diamonds in the South when
in shape. was in terrible condition
when Mique Martin, president of the
Eminent Manufacturers Union, ar
rived here. according to Mique's
sworn statement However, Martin
managed to get the Quarter Million
Club behind him and. with the aid
of numerous 'colored assistants, he
says he has made IL come as close
to resembling a big league diamond
as it ever will. In any event, Mar
tin has the infield in fairly good
shape and there is no longer any
danger of any in1elder getting hurt
taking ground balls.
wear Last Years Suits.
o. The rockies will use the Ma
tionals' last years suits while here.
Martin has plenty of them for most
Of the kids, but has been worrying
considerably over where 10 get uni
forms to fit McGrew and Digges, the
Washington youngster.
There isn't a suit in the bunch
that will come near fitting either
OF them. Griff. after some thought,
suggested that Mike take two of
Johnson's old monkey suits and
splice them together for McGrew.
Martin vetoed this suggestion ana
Ii is probable that these two boys
Will cavort IN new uniforms while
the others will be forced to don
old ones.
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