The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-04-18
GR|FFS EXPECT
To ANNEX
OPENER
Nick AItrock Spots a Load OF
Hay and Real Optimism
Prevails.
fContinued from First Page.l

1 lngLOn manager anu we CAAno ~
Chicago. Now, I'll admit, that's a
tough town to see q load o. hay,
but, believe 1t or not, we saw a
load every morning we were there.
Did we win? O. course we won.
We broke that losing streak then
and there, won all four games and
were off on long winning streak.
That's what load o. hay will do,
boys. It's the greatest thing in the
world for ball club. We ought
to start right in now on the AS
and clean them up and"
Jennings must have hired that
load Of hay to drive past the De-
troit teams hotel" interjected a
| cynical war correspondent.
Hired it nothing" snapped back
the Griff's manager. "It just-but
even If he did, it worked all right for
we stepped right out and smashed
that long losing streak. And, boys,
| it's victories that count, believe me. I"
At that; there's a good chance
for the Griffs to break into the
campaign with a victory today at
Shibe Park. Walter Johnson, for
years a commanding figure on the
diamond, will do the pitching, and
he will have a surprising thing to
him in support, a hitting ball club.
How do you feel?" we asked the
veteran.
"All right" he drawled. my
arm hasn't been so strong in years.
You know ! spent most Of the win
ter outdoors, hunting and walking
and fooling around. When / went
to Tampa. 1 really was in good
shape. All needed was to
strengthen my legs and back.
''TI1at was why 1 went right to
| Washington from Jacksonville. I
felt that ! could get in more real
hard work i'm Washington than
| travelling with the team. On the
| road, you know, you get only
half an hours batting practice be.
fore the game. l. didn't need
that. l needed a lot of walking
and running. So went to Wash
ingtOn and got it. feel ready
| right now"
It's a fact that johnson has not
looked so well in years as he does
now. He is lighter than he has
been in three seasons at this time
and is hard as nails. He believes
| he will be effective in the box from
the beginning OF the season.
| Why does Manager Bush prefer
to open the season with johnson?
That's simple. The AS, composed
mostly of right-hand hitters, are
more inclined to hit southpaws, even
good ones like George Mogridge or
lJezebel Tecumseh Zachary, than
they are to solve the shoots Of
lright-handers. Therefore, johnson
| is chosen ahead Of Jack Holdings
worth because of his greater ex.
lperience. The Minneapolis pinwheel
will get his chance before this series
ends, unless rain calls off a game
or two. Then he'll have to wait
till he faces the1New York Yankees
next week.
The Griffs came over from Wash
Iington last night and by IL o'clock
most of them were in the hay.
Only old dodgers like Bush, Peck,
We're in the Aldine lobby tanning
with the war correspondents for an
Iother hour.
Philadelphians, for the first time
since Connie Mack led champion
ship outfit, are inclined to expect
something good of the AS. OBJ
tanning Sammy Hale to play third
base and Walter Kinney to do the
southpaw singing is said to have
worked wonders with the Mack
men.
AS soon as we landed at the
AIdine we looked up our old
friend, the night Waterman. We
always call him Pa, so his name
may be Mike, but you get what
we mean. ''What kind Of a team
is Washington going to lick to-
morrow" we asked. In the old
days we used to ask II the place
was still open.
"'Goin' ter lick, is ut?' he shot
back. LET me tell yer, young man,
this year. Yes1l be lucky ter win
game off'n thin lads out at
Shibe Park"
Then he rambled on, with descrip-
lions of Sammy Hale's wonderful
batting, Jimmy Dykes beautiful
fielding at second base and Wild
Mathews remarkable speed in the
outfield.
"But what good will HaIe's hitting
be when Johnson and Mogridge and
Zachary are in the box?" we asked.
Huh" he snorted. eye niver
see this Hale, did yez?"
Eyes. with Detroit" was our quick
response.
"Well,-even II We did," he STAN
mered. Hes changed lad these
days. He'll hit home runs offn
livery pitcher yez got in your team,
me lad, an mark me for sayin' it,"
80, there you are, according to
Pat, on Mike, the Griffs haven't q
chance gainst the MacI1s merely
because they have, Sammy Hale
| getting ready to hit home runs.
| This matter of home runs isn't
quite as important at Shibe Park
now as 1t was year ago. They've
ripped off some of the front seats in
| that left field bleacher and have put
up a screen in front of those hun
cry fans who used to welcome the
drives of lilly Walker and Bing Mil
| Ter last season.
| There is plenty of interest here
in today's opening game. ten be
chilly out there on Lehigh avenue,
| but the reserved seat tickets were
| SH0nnA0 nm long ago and the