Evening star., 1924-05-18

Marines. Now President 0rithth II:
hitting-clouting with slender bat
who swing their war clubs from TT
right-handed hitters; that i'll such
to be outdistanced. Grifiith's conten
hit of 4lo feet Il inch made III Chi
handler, Ed Walsh, old White Sox
more than anxious to prove Griffith
To back his argument Griffith will
send Walter Johnson, Joe Martina
and Slim McGrew, all noted fungo-
hitters. who slam from the right side.
into the contest 1t is expected that
the Browns contingent, though will
include a pair Of left-handed wallop-
ers capable of giving any orthodox
batter good battle.
Ken Williams, home-run slugger,
and Dave Danforth may endeavor to
bear the shield of the southpaw swat
ting tribe. leaving to Bill Jacobson
the task of upholding the honor of
the right handed hitting section Of
the Browns.
Portsiders Are Nettled.
Just who the Marines will nominate
for the contest will not be known
until tomorrow. but they have in their
diamond squad a couple of left-hand-
ed hitterS who can drive pitched
balls out of the lot and are reputed
to be very handy at fungo hitting.
Then some of Griffith's own southpaw
sluggers, nettled by their chiefs eX-
pressed opinion of their inability to
outdo the right-handers in such a
competition, may thrust themselves
into the argument just to prove that
their efforts are not so weak.
This fungo-hitting argument, as
we'll as race around the bases
against time, in which Loren Murch-
ison. national sprint champion, is ex-
pected to compete with Maurice Arch
the world record for the path sprint
ing stunt, and the fastest available
runners OF the Nationals, Browns and
Marines, will precede the main event
of the program, the base ball battle
between the Nationals and the Ma
rineS.
Those who help tho joint commit
tee of American Olympic officials and
business men of this city to raise
Washington's $4,000 quota of the
of the United States athletes compet-
ing in the international games in
France in the summer by purchas-
ing a ticket for tomoTow's affair
certainly ought to be royalty enter
tanned.
The fungo- hitting contest will be
worth while. even though no record
may be broken. because it will reveal
how right or wrong Prexy Griffith
is in his argument; the base ball
game ought to be far better than
the average contest between big
league and service teams, for the
Marines have a formidable nine
while the base-running competition
should be corker
Great Sprinters to Compete.
With only Murchison or Archdeacon
running against the best talent the
Nationals, Browns and Marines can
provide. tho race around the paths
would prove unusually attractive. but
with both OF these speed demons in
the going one could not ask a finer
field.
The presence of Murchison prac-
lcally Is assured. Frederick Ruben,
secretary of the Amateur Athletic
Union, has informed the Committee
that the great sprinter is expected
TO be at hand, while Lou Barbour.
travelling secretary of the White Sox,
IN response to request for Arch
oeacon cs Sn1, attendance. yesterday sent
the Following message:
The Chicago Club always Is ready
20 help any worthy cause. so Mana.
ger Evers will have Archdeacon in
washington Monday for the Olympic
fund benefit"
Murchison, who holds the national
100 and 200 yard championships NAV
md II difficult to outrun Archdeacon
IN this base-circling contest. Arch
deacon, rated as the fastest man in
oase ball. established a world record
or l3 2-5 seconds for the feat three
years ago. That practically means
he was travelling at rate of 100
yards in 1o.7 seconds on a circular
track, remarkably high speed. Base
to base the distance. is 100 yards,
out running out at turns approxi-
mately lengthens the course five
yards.
BALL Player Has Advantage.
Then there is the ball players ia
mfiiarity with such course that
may make the race much easier for
Archdeacon than Murchison. Ac-
e9rding to stoney McLinn. PhiladeI-
great deal. Commenting upon a re-
cent base-circling contest in which
babe Ruth defeated Ted Meredith.
former middle distance champion,
McLinn declares there was nothing
surprising, in the victory of the
athlete who still is formidable
runner.
He comedies that Meredith could
outfoot Ruth over a 12o-yard
straightaway, but doubts that any of
the great cinder path artists can get
around the paths in better time than
the best of the runners in the ma
tional game. McLinn AYERS il is all
II matter of training. He goes on to
state:
The man who put all his energy
into the distance between the base s
would be cinch TO beat Circling
the bases is not a question of sus-
tanned energy-speed alone. The trick
about base running is the turn at
each bag. The ball player must lean
inside-or toward the left-alI the
while.
Constant running of bases has a
tendency to shorten the stride of the
left leg. One would need to be a
scientist or physiologist to give all
the why's and the wherefores. Never
theiess, at the turns, anyhow, the base
runner reaches far out with his right
leg, while he shortens the stride and,
in a manner of phrasing 1t, puts on
the brakes with his left leg. Once
a ball player masters the art of
circling the bases, he does it as
easily as you glide your motor car
through traffic"
Cobb Would Take Chance.
Ty Cobb. pilot of the Tigers. in
speaking of Ruth's win after some
one had expressed the opinion that
Meredith could not have extended
himself said:
"Ret all you like and I'll under
write your wager that Ruth beat
Meredith on the 1evel-around the
bases Running 100 yards straight
away and doing that distance around
the diamond are quite different en-
deavors Old as l am, ] would will
ingly race Meredith, Paddock or any
other track athlete you select and
beat him from plate to plate"
It does seem that Loren Murchisor
in such a race would be in for a real