Evening star., 1922-03-04

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the Washington club. Although ,
wing lameness couple of days ba
the lot now, and when Manager Mi
Mike Martin will bequeath him b,
III condition as could be expected.
None of the yearlings will have a
chance to demonstrate Just what he
possesses in the way of deceivers
until Tuesday or Wednesday Of next
week, when the ban on using curves
will be lifted. By week from today
pretty accurate line will be OBJ
tatoable on the natural prowess of
eli candidates. but this will not suffice
As guide for pruning, as the ele-
1nentS OF control. ability to hold run
ners to their bases and action under
fire are equally important. These
factors will not be determinable until
they have actually worked in games
where there is something at stake.
and it is doubtful If even practice
contests will be staged before the
middle of the month
Display Their Gameness.
Although it is far too early to
hazard guess as to who will be
of the chaff, 1t already Is apparent
that one athlete cannot make the
grade and there are sound reasons
for the belief that q couple Of others
of pitching big league base ball.
Ed Digges has SO many rough edges
that there is not telling how long
1t will take to smooth them off, and
he is not in the first blush of youth.
Brillheart, although he has fine
pitching form and appears to be a
ball player of more than ordinary
ability. is SO young that it is un-
reasonable to expect him to COM
pete successfully in a game where
1t is hard to picture a mere lad of
seventeen or eighteen holding his
own in competition with athletes
having the wisdom that comes only
with long service. His stamina is
subject to question.
With Slim McGrew. it is case of
greenness. The tall Texan is richly
endowed with native ability; of that
there can be little doubt He already
has demonstrated speed aplenty and
has been using a faulty motion and
gives other evidence of rawness that
VIII take year or two OF steady
work under competent coaching to
iron out.
Courtney In Good Trim.
Courtney. rather naturally, looms
as the best prospect in camp az this
writing. Having been with the Ma
tionals since the fall of 1919, he knows
more of major league ways than any
cant thing about him is that he ap-
pears for the first time to be in really
first-class shape. 1t already is an es-
tablished fact that when IN condi-
tion the left-hander has enough stuff
TO win ball games in the big show,
and the prospects are now that he
will be primed to deliver the best that
10 in him when the bell rings
OF the remaining quintet Ralph Mil
Ter impresses one most favorably.
days late in reporting. he is as far
advanced as any of the squad. ex-
Guiding Courtney. who has been exer-
cising his wing, indoors and out. for
method of throwing does nor seem
to handicap him in the least and he
appears to have more finish than the
majority. Good control is one CT this
left-hander's chief assets. and unless a
lot of competent critics are wrong, he
will remain on the pay roll of c. Grif-
fifth & Co.
Phillips and Woodward are about on
cerned. but the New Orleans gradu-
ate must be regarded as the better
prospect, as there is much room for
dorbt whether Woodward can be in
duced to take the proper care Of him
self. Phillips has good head, knows
how to pitch and Is dependable sort,
but a performer of his years cannot
be expected to improve much. The
New Havenite is canny enough, but
there is no assurance he can be relied
on to make use of his knowledge. No
amount of ability will suffice unless
condition and inclination are COM
bined with it
Francis Has His Faults.
The only advantage Francis has
over this pair Is youth. He Is fast
and intelligent, but has some bad
pitching habits to overcome. He has
an arm that is as strong as steel. but
. depends upon it to do all the work,
and considerable drilling will be nee
essary for him to acquire the knack
of getting weight of body into his
delivery.
Gleason is vastly improved pitch
er over what he was when Griff
brought him to Washington with Gus
Bonoin the fall of 1920. He has filled
175 pounds and has nice action, using
n free and easy side-arm motion
similar to that for which Walter
Johnson is noted Gleason's control,
however, is problematical.
Goslin is willing to affirm that it
was none too good yesterday, for
Goose today is nursing a painful
bruise on his right elbow. where he
was winged in batting practice. On
facing Gleason for the first time Cos
lin jokingly remarked, pitch and
duck" Joe pitched and Goose ducked.
but not in time to avoid a wallop on
his throwing arm that sent him to
the clubhouse for first aid treatment.
Goslin provided the first casualty of
the training trip and Torres the Sec
ond, the Cuban being wounded on
the left arm. when he stopped FOUL
ball with it while hack of the plate
in batting practice. The injury is not
q bad one.
Yesterday proved a day of mishaps,
for in addition to the athletes wound
ed President Griffith, Thilman Hen
drick and Stanley Harris figured in an
auto accident that might have proved
serious, while travelling at smart
pace to the golf course a rear wheel
fell off and their machine skidded
for nearly fifty feet at a rakisn angle
before 1t was stopped close to an en-
bankment along the road. None of
the party was injured nor shaken up
enough to prevent foursone in
which Grif and Harris were paired
against Hendrick and Courtney. The
match was halved.
Mike Martin found time enough in
between attending to his multiTarlous
duties to indulge in a little golf
himself yesterday, and with cne OF
the newspaper men he played couple
of other scribes. Mikes team won.
but all participants were pledged to
secrecy regarding scores.
Al schacht, Nick Altr0ck'S partner
in clowning last season, has decided
to quit base ball He was turned
over to New Orleans with Deeby Foss
and Molly Craft in the deal for Phil