Evening star., 1924-04-11

The Washington team to be pre-
sented tomorrow will differ in only
few respects from that put before
the public at the close of last season.
The most important change will be
a third base, where several Nationals ;
held forth in 1928. The guardian
of the hot corner will be Doc Prothro,
acquired last season from the Mem
phis club of the Southern Association.
Even with Ossie Bluege, former
third SaCker, in good order instead
of hobbltng about on a crippled leg,
it is a safe bet that Prothro, would
get the job, for Manager Harris ap-
pears bent upon making big league
third baseman out of the Memphis
graduate. Prothro has not worked
very impressively during the train
ing season. He has failed to get
down to playing weight and has been
further handicapped by Il foot injury
sustained last year that SO far has
not responded well to treatment
But Harris is satisfied that Prothro
Gan stop drives and get the ball away
Tin time to cut down runners. AS to
hitting, the Doc walloped the ball at
a great rate in Dixie, and the Ma
The should not get his hits in the
big show.
Rest of InfieId Unchanged.
/ The remainder of the infield will
he wholly familiar, but an improve
lment in the work of Joe Judge at
first base may be noted. Judge prob
ably is in much better physical con-
dition now than he has been in sew
eral years past. He gets around the
Initial station more like a ffashy re-
cruit than a veteran who may be ex-
pected TO be somewhat careful of his
nnderpinuing, And Joe has been
banging the ball in a manner that
Indicates he Will be more feared than
ever by the hurlerS of the opposition
during the flag raiser
Managerial duties do not appear to-
have sapped Harris of his playing
Skill He is taking care of second
base in most approved style, and,
with Roger Peckingpaugh, again
working the double play system that
twice has created major league rec
ords. Peck has fully recovered from
the cold that kept him idle on the
northward tour and he probably will
De seen in the game tomorrow.
q These two Yeteans may prove sur
prIsingly strong in handling their war
clubs. as Harris has been exceptionally
difficult to pitch to during the ex-
hlbition games, while Peck in the
FLORIDA engagements batted for a
most respectable average.
The composition of the outfieId to-
morrow depends upon the amount of
toIling Goose Goslin has done since he
was sent home from Savannah. be-
cause Harris did not consider him in
mt condition to play. If the man
aEer is satisfied that the player who
held the left field job last year is
ready for duty, Goose will be in his
accustomed npSition
Otherwise the boss will use either
Carr Smith, the recruit who appeared
In the lineup couple of times toward
the fag end of the 1928 season, or
Memo keibold, war horse employed in
center field most of last year.
Smith, the only right-handed-hi hit
ting outffelder of the Nationals squad,
has done weu in the position in
ht for duty. Leibold, after much
strenuous training, has about reduced
his pudgy self TO playing proportions
and ought to be able to give a good
account of himself in any part of the
pasture.
The main changes in the outer field
will be found in center and right. In
the former territory, Sam Rice will
be in action. Rice at times during
the training period has demonstrated
that he is as capable of patrolling the
broader center field as the right gar
den. He has. though. suffered from
mis- old weakness-that of fielding
ground balls pOorly-but much of this
may have been due to the fearful
fields he has been called upon to
cover. Rice has been somewhat slow
to strike his stride at bat but re-
Gently has been making life miser-
able for the moundsmen.
George Fisher, who was not with
the Nationals long enough East year
to give Washingtonians a fair chance
to discover his worth, is to take care
of right field. Harris at first hesitat-
cd to- consider Fisher as an outfeld
possibility, fearing George had not
overcome the weaknesses that caused
the Nationals to release him to New
Haven during the past campaign, but
recent TRIALS have convinced the man