Evening star., 1922-02-27

and near Nationals was sent thro,
calculated to fit them for the more
the veterans arrive later on.
Fortified with a couple of real meals
and a nights sleep sans blankets. the
athletes showed no traces of fatigue
from their day and a half of railroad-
ing and jumped into their tasks with
will. but any tendency to overdo
was firmly squelched. Mike Martin
saw to that. The club trainer has
been placed in complete charge OF the
gang by President Griffith and will be
held accountable for their condition
when Manager Milan arrives to as
sumo the reins a week from today
Martin welcomes His Task.
Martin welcomed the assignment
and cheerfully assumed the RESPONSE
bility. He knows his job and. takes
1t seriously. Having acted in SINH
lar capacity with Griff for upward or
a score of years in Cincinnati. New
York and Washington, MigueIs first
official act was to hang out the slow
and easy" sign and he then proceeded
TO hop about the field like hen
mothering a flock of ducklings seeing
that ii was obeyed.
Ralph Miller. the southpaw obtained
from Bloomington of the Three Eye
League, was the only absentee. This
constitutes something of record,
for as rule the first day finds sew
eral athletes missing from one cause
or another Miller probably will ar
rive some time during the day and
, be on the job tomorrow. He is COM
ing from his home at Vinton, Iowa.
Not more than an hour was devoted
to the initial workout. At IL O'Clock
this morning the boys emerged from
their dressing room and by noon
Martin had shooed all of them to the
showers, with nothing to do till to-
morrow. when similar program will
obtain. The work itself consisted
simply of fielding bunts in which all
hands participated, good for improv-
ing the wind and loosening muscles.
but hard on stiff backs; some easy
lobbing and a jog or two around the
half-mile track of the fair grounds.
which embraces the diamond OF the
Florida State League team. which the
Nationals use.
Batting practice today was confined
to one athlete-Leon Goslin-and was
furnished by Harry Courtney Ihe
lank left-hander worked indoors for
month in the Y gym at home ana
for the past couple of weeks has
been coaching the high school team
at Clearwater. near here. and showed
the beneficial effects of his early
start. He informed Grit on his are
rival last evening that he could throw
a ball through the eye OF a needle
and, had developed a lot of smoke.
Griff was skeptical and offered 10
wager he could catch him bare
handed. but after Courtney had un-
limhered today the boss. who was not
among those present, was ADVISED ps
interested observers not to press the
bet.
McGrew In No Midget.
After assigning the boys to quar-
ters in pairs as is customary-Ait-
rock and oWodward. Brillheart ana
-Noone, Harris and Courtney, Goslin
and Phillips. Gleason and Digges anu
Torres and Miller. the af1able custo. So
dian of the hotel register took one
glance at McGrew and gave him
room to himself. with a special bed
The young Texan admits to "a niue
over" six feet five inches in neignt.
Martin was considerably worried as
for him until his made-to-order logs
arrive. but finally solved the prop
lem by giving him one of Courtney s
shirts and a pair Of Johnson's pants;
with some seams let out here anu
there.
Griff has adopted a strictly hands
ofrspolicy in regard to the early
training Of his youngsters. and asserts
he does not even want to see them
in action for week, but he has some
ideas that will be put into eneet aa'ef ef
on If they meet with the approvaf OF
Manager Milan. One is a plan TO
develop Goslin into a sort of Babe
Ruth the second and the other is a
scheme designed to avoid the attacks
of charleyhorse thn veterans are
subject to in the spring.
II is Griff's firm belIeI that II Cos,
lin can be taught to hit to right field
instead of to left he will give the
Bambino something of hattle Ior
home run honors- 1t is proposed 10
accomplish this by having Goslin
-; cYa at
youngster now places his right foot
close to the platter with his left foot
: a. Considerable distance from II.
which results in most OF ms drlVes
being SLICED" With his HIS rec. ha wi11 an
meet the ball earlier and, utilizing
the full power of his swing, hook"
1t to right field. where the barricades,
not only in Washington, but more
especially in New York, Philadelphia
and St Louis, will be an inviting tar-
get for him.
VIII Fight CharleyhOrse.
The annoying handicap of charley
horse is to- be fought by means Of
calisthenics. Griff contends that set
ting-up exercises similar to those re-
ouired in the Army will reduce to a
minimum the chances for strained
muscles and pulled tendons que to
sudden and violent demands made on
limbs fabby from months of mac
tiyity. It is his plan to have the
athletes lined up in squad formation
and go through spreading, bending
and dipping exercises at commands
from Milan or Martin as drill mas
ters each day before taking the field.
with just few simple movements
the first few days and gradually
lengthening the drill to ten minutes
or SO.
Mike Martin has acquired beauti-
full live-broiled lobster complexion
from his toll in putting Plant Field
in shape for the athletes, and Fred
Harveycutter, who "superintendef'
the Job, is darker in hue than most
of the natives.
Stanley Harris has been badly bit
ten by the golf bug and has become
quite proficient for novice with
only a few weeks experience. Mar
tin is framing a surprise party Tor
Altrock by inveigling Nick into
.match with Bucky.
Harris will be free to pursue the
elusive pill in traps and over
bunkers for a week or so yet. He Is
in splendid physical condition and II
he joins the squad at Plant Field be-
fore the regulars arrive March 13 his
work will be confined largely to bat
ting practice.