Evening star., 1924-09-13

II is the trainer who must have TIL,
the trainers service, many manag
ously by the failure Of some players
an intensive campaign.
Bucky Harris has supplied the
has raised the Nationals to the top c
considerable credit for properly pre-
plov in the struggle.
And that has been no easy task for
Martin this year. y lack of reserve
material has made it absolutely nee
essay that none of the regulars be
permitted to remain out of action any
great length of time. and throughout
the season no first String player has
been idle long. even though injuries
o. severe nature have been sus-
tanned
No less than a dozen players. all
important CogS in the National ma
chine. have had to be carefully treat
ed by Martin this season and all have
been rounded into good playing form
by the adminiStra tionS of the veteran
trainer. Walter Johnson, George Mo-
eridge. JeZ Zachary. Warren ogden
and Joe Martina of the mound corps;
Muddy Ruel of the catching staff: the
entire regular intield and Memo Lei
bold and Earl McNeely of the outfield
have been relieved of PHYSICAL disa-
hilities by Martins careful treat
mentS.
Mikes Most Notable Work.
Probably Martins most notable
achievements of the year have been
the correction of Ossie BlUege's weak
knee joint. the relief of Bucky Har-
ris foot ailment and the improve
ment of Ogden's pitching arm. His
work with Bluege has been quite
valuable to the club. Twice before
~ hi led hy-. l.. sx,f,, tl,.,t
ed in giving way under slight extra
strain. Bluege injured the knee
third time during Spring training at
Tampa, and many feared the young
infielder was through so far aA base
ball was concerned.
But Martin went right to work on
the knee and within three weeks had
paale in form for regular service at
the hot corner. In restoring this
young infielder to duty. Martin per-
hapS saved the club third Sacker
generally considered among the best
flelders in the American League.
His achievement with Harris was
very worth while to the club. when
Bucky was threatened with a fallen
arch after an injury sustained in
Boston late in May. it was hrst
thought he might be relegated to
the Sidelines for weeks. But Martin.
by strenuous treatment had the man
agor back in harness within week
Continued treatments fully repaired
the damage to the foot and tor more
than month Harris has been able
to take the field whtoat having his
pedal extremity swathed in tape.
Thawed Out Ogden's Arm.
Ogden came to the Nationals by
the waiver route from the MackS.
who had given him up as pitching
possibility. Warrens arm was out
of kilter and he had lost three games
started for Comics team. The
usually willy Philadelphia leader tig-
ured the hurler done with base ball
altogether, but Martin worked upon
him carefully and soon had him
taking his turn on the hill. Ogdens
record since testifies to the sp endld
efforts of the trainer.
How many trainers would have
had Zachary toiling on the slab with
in few days after he had sustained
Il broken thumb? Not many, perhaps
none. Yet Martin conceived form
of splint that would permit the south
paw finger to use his injured right
hand for fielding without endanger-
ing the knitting bone.
Mike has toiled faithfully to bring
others icto form. He has had to con-
tend w:th Mogridge's lame elbow
joint, Pecks strained lumbar muscles.
Judges wobbly underpinning, Lei
bolds repeated charleyhorses, Shir-
ley's infected leg and McNeely's
weakened throwing arm. Yet all
have been improved and all of these
men are fully fit for work.
Martin. too, had much to do with
the conditioning of Walter Johnson
this season, and probably is prac-
tically as much responsible for that
hnrlprS Walter
himself. Johnson follows faithfully
Martins conditioning advice and, in
addition. is carefully treated several
times week by the trainer.
Mike Is Dean of Trainers.
Martin has seen more service il
his profession than any other trainer
In organized base ball. He was the
first professional trainer to enter the
major leagues and had much expert
ence at colleges before taking up his
work with the diamond athletes.
Mike learned the rudiments of his
profession under Mike Murphy, dean
of athletic trainers, who died practi-
cally in harness at the University of
Pennsylvania some years ago. He
was a trainer at Princeton and Co
lumbia and came into base ball in
1904, when Clark Griffith, now presi-
dent of the Nationals, was manager
of the New York Highlanders. as the
American League team in Gotham
then was styled.
Mike has been with Griffith's clubs
ever since He went from New YORK
to the Cincinnati National League
outfit in 1909 and transferred with
Griffith to Washington in 1872. and
he has been doing wonders for the
Nationals since.
The Bucks were well entertained IN
Pittston, the home of their manager,
Bucky Harris. yesterday. Leaving the
train at Wilkes Barre, they were
greeted by a committee OF Plttston
citizens and motored through the pic
turesque Wyoming Valley to their
pilots bustling little community. Ine
players participated in a brilliant
Defense day parade and were honor
guests at a luncheon given by the
Rotarians. Following the game with
the nine of the Craftsmen's Cluo,
Masonic organization, captai2ed by
Merle Harris, Buckys brother, tney
we're guesst of the several clubs IN
FIt'ston'
Easily Defeat PfttstOn Team.
The Nationals easily disposed Of the
Pittston team, Is to 6. Joe Martina
and Byron Specie did the hurting for
the Bucks, while AL Schacht pitched
part of the game for the home crowd
Nick Altrocks toed the slab for both
teams. The regular Buck team was
In action at the commencement OF
hostilities, but second-string men soon
were put into the engagement.
Prior to the game Bucky Harris
was presented with handsome dia-
piff nf