Evening star., 1924-01-13

a hunch that few extended debates
No off-season would be complete
without some parleying betw cen the
oosS and the boSSed concerning pay
rates, put the outlook is for d mini
mum of financial chatter Clark
GrlH1th makes 1T rule never to pub
llcly discuss wage agreements but
none OF his 1923 array did ANYTHING
70 warrant big boosts, and the per
Iormances of the great majority were
SO uiilrnpressive that they proba
VIII be satisfied to escape a cut. On
The face of returns from last season
this spring.
Both of the youngsters already in
lhe told are being counted on to
materially aid the Nationals man
ager. whoever he MAY be. in attain
ing a. respectable position in the
coming flag chase. Hargraye, with
whose capabilities local fans already
are wen acquainted, will shoulder
last year, now that Pat Charity has
Jumped off the reservation by cast
ing his lot with an independent club
IN ms native state. Wisconsin, Red
tnereby automatically is advanced to
the position of undsrstudy in hack
stopping to the competent MrJddv
Ruel. the job of third string catcher
gong to Bennett Tate, the Memphis
product.
WingfieId Good Prospect.
Wingield is righthander also
from the Southern Association which
IS contributing most of the recruits
Tor the Nationals. He was obtained
oy purchase from the Chattanoora
club where he won about half Of his
games last season. The dope on
lngheld indicates re is a versatile
player as he was used in the infieId
and outfielder as well as the box with
the Lookouts. He is Of ayeraEa
height, weight about 100 pounds and
- regarded as being very promis-
ing prospect.
A total of eighteen exhibition
games appear on the completed
schedule of the Nationals. announced
yesterday, embracing the period of a
month from the middle of March un-
III the championship season gets
under way Boston, Brook lyn New
ork. Cincinnati and ST Louis of the
National League, Milwaukee of the
american Association and Rochester
OF the international League are to be
encountered. but exactly half of this
number will find President Christy
Mathewson's Braves. led by Dave
Bancroft. who is taking his initial
nins at the managerial game. oppos-
single engagement at Tampa. two
tussles are slated for St Petersburg.
where the Braves will train, and half
dozen will be played on a joint
our northward, including pair in
this city, when capital fans will get
their first peek at the 1924 edition
of the Nationals just prior to the
opening of the championship cam
paign.
Griffs Open Season At Home.
Incidentally it is assured that the
Griffmen this year will be at home
ing journeyed to Philadelphia to help
/ the Athletics III that function last
spring. Either the refurbished
Mackmen or the world champion
Yankees will be their opponents in
the curtain raiser on Tuesday. April
Is. and the following Saturday
whichever outfit is desi1 mated to start
the pennant scramble in Boston will
inaugurate a series here, so local
patrons are certain Of interesting
base ball in the very first week of
the race.
To have everything in readiness for
the arrival at Tampa. five weeks
hence, of the first squad of Nationals.
composed exclusively Of young bat
terry candidates. Trainer Mike Martin
probably will hike southwark the lat
ter part of this week or the first of
next. Plant Field, where the Griffs
go through their conditioning stunts,
annually is the 1scene of the south
It
weeks Of hard work to get the dia-
mond into usable shape for the ball
tossers. He probably will he accom-
panied. as last year, by Stanley Har-
ond-sacker of the Nationals. but un-
der different circumstances, and
thereby hangs tale.
BucI<y Harris Quits Golf.
Last winter when Martin headed
for Tampa he had Harris. with
shiny, new assortment of golfing
paraphernalia, as travelling COM
panion. Bucky was just taking UP
golf then. and he went into the game
Just as he does everything else, with
his whole heart and soul. As re-
suit of many weeks of intensive golf
ing. both morning and afte
| thirty-six holes a day-Harris stead
lily became more proficient at the
royal and ancient game as his clubs
became duller in appearance, and
when the time arrived for golf to
give way to base ball he had become
a better than average player, with
cards consistently in the sos. EIXer-
| else In the balmy Florida weather
| made him nut brown and splendidiy
| conditioned for his diamond endeav4
| ors but in the season that followed
Harris fell far short of the batting
| mark he aspired to and that set him
| to thinking.
study of the subject convinced him
that playing golt adversely aHeCteo
| his hitting, and so he has decided to
| hereafter swing bat to the total ex
clusion of drivers, midirons and
mashies. Harris believes the muscles
developed by welding brassies and
niblicks and the difference in the
stroke employed in golf are harrnfp
| to hitting efficiency in base ball He
plans again to so south early and get
in good shape by doing plenty of out
| door work, but none of it will be on
! the links. Bucky admits that golfinG
| does not seem to have proved, detri-
| mental to the punching prowess OF
| such luminaries as Iris Speaker and
| Babe Ruth, but vows that far as
| he is concerned there will be no more
| golf for him, In season or out, until