The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-22
MOUNDSMEN
By LOUIS A. BOUCHER.

G0Oi Will nave TO run preI0CC q
sticking out its foot to trip him Of
Witt hit .314 last season with the
Yankees and played fine ball, espe-
cially on the bases, He lacks a
strong throwing arm, but Goslin
alone of the Griffs can out-throw
him. He would make an ideal lead
off batsman for the Griffmen, and
if he is obtained that's what he will
be, leadoff man in the batting
order and a regular in the garden.
- With Witt in the lineup, the
Griffs would have a. clever, fast.
alert base runner to get on ir
front Of the hard-hitting Rice, Cos
lin, Judge and Ruel. Witt is a
good bunter, beating out many slow
ones during a campaign. Further
more, the little fellow has been
playing centerfield for a couple of
years with the Yankees and might
I'LL the bill at Georgia avenue, thus
permitting Sam Rice to return to
right field where he would prefer
to play.
As soon as the list of waivers
arrived i'm camp, Joe Engel, the
boy scout, went into executive
session with Manager Harris.
Neither would discuss the subject,
but Engel is understood to have
tipped off Harris to a couple Of
young pitchers he saw performing
= last summer while he was touring
z the country. The Washington club
will try to get them from the
YankS.
g: Today. unless it rains or SHOWS,
Walter Johnson is booked to make
= his 1924 bow on the rubber, facing
: the St. Louis Cardinals at Plant
Field. Branch Hickey brought up a
small army of players and declined
s. to name his possible hurlers.
The idea of Rogers Hornsby.
Z champion batsman of the National
. League, trying to hit safely against
; Walter johnson, king of the speed
ball fingers for a decade, has filled
Tampa fans with pep. They have
been talking of nothing else as
soon as they learned that Manager
Harris would start his veteran
pitcher here and not at Sarasota
noisy throng of bugs. ,.,-
physical condition! Not in years
has he looked so good at this time.
He is down to weight. He is strong
as a bull. His. legs are tireless.
following his winters work out in
Nevada. He has never had any
trouble with his arm and the
Cardinals are due for some excite
ment today when they march to
the plate to face his stuff.
- johnson is expected to pitch
: only three, innings, but he will
p be left to decide that for him
: self. If the day happens to be
warm enough and he feels like
going five frames he will do so.
= Trainer Martin has all confidence
I'm the veteran, knowing him to
i be an excellent judge of his own
: condition.
Two more weeks remain before
D.: the Griffmen depart, making the
spring training season of 1924 a
. mere thing Of history. Four games
are booked for next week. Tues
, day will see the Griffs battling
DOME Bush's Indianapolis club at
= Plant City. The next day the New
York Giants play here. Thursday
the Griffs hop down to Bradentown
to face the Cardinals and on Satur-
day entertain the Cincinnati Reds
here.
Only two big league games are to
be played after next week until the
Griffs have started home. The
Brooklyn Dodgers come here on
March 81 and the Griffs go to st.
Petersburg for a contest with the
Braves on Saturday, April 5. the
next day camp will be broken and
the journey to Savannah, Ga, be-
gun.
The Griffmen are sadly in need
: of batting practices: Not since last
: Monday has there been any batting
:. at Plant Field. The diamond has
= been too soft and the outfield has
been covered with a lake in left
land a pond in center with a charm
8 ing brook pursuing its merry way
:, through right field.
. The pitchers have NOT suffered
~ TO any extent. They can get in q
good workout IL permitted to
warm up with a catcher. They
have done this, but the rest of
the squad have ust 1Oafed, going
- through the idle motions Of en-
Gaging in the pepper drill after
warming up their throwing arms.
The most important asset to a
ball club in training is opportunity
20 engage in batting practice. Last
season a lack of sufficient pitching
material was handicap. This year
there are plenty of pitchers here
but the hostile weather and the
absence or daily practice skirm.
ishes have provided much the same
handicap. The Griffmen are behind
la the schedule and have but two
more weeks here in which to catch
up.
It was bitter cold at Palmetto
yesterday but the Griffs and Mil.
waukee brewers staged their sched
Gled game before a small frozen
nr0uvd Tho Critic xx,o,n o a. o