Evening star., 1924-03-17

Russell apparently is ready to give
a good account of himself. He has
toiled faithfully and certainly Is fit
physically, and his arm that came in
for SO much use last year when Ma
tional hurlers generally were about
AS steady as leaves in a gale seems to
be in shape for more punishment. In
fact Russell last Saturday was given
a dose of the medicine he had diShed
to him often in 1929. Although not
adorning the slab. he pitched practi-
cally wo-thirds of game. Winfield
was so Wobbly at the start that Har-
ris ordered Allen to the pen and
there the veteran relif hurler work
ed through three full innings, heaT-
ing while the Nationals were batting
as we'll as during the Braves turns.
1t must have seemed like old times to
Russell.
For Zachary. the test may mean
much. The red-thatched Southpaw
has got to fight for his job with the
do much better than he did in 1928
to bag the place. The young left
handlers in camp are capable of Civ
ing the veteran all the competition
he is looking for. if not more. For
Speece the work. will be the first
since this expensive bit of mound ma
ierial, purchased from Omaha. got a
kink in his heaving wing The sore
ness kept Byron from using his sub
marine service for few days. but
Trainer Martin declares that now the
pitcher Is readytto go.
These games with the Braves ought
TO helm the Nationals much. for Man
ager Dave Bancroft is getting toSeth-
er a good looking ball club. The
Boston infieid. with McIRnis at first.
Tierney at second, Bancroft at short
and kelleher at third is 4 smooth
working machine. kelleher seems a
real find for the third base position.
filed last year by Norman Boeckel,
recently killed in an automobile acri-
dent. With the Cubs in 1923 kelleher
fielded well and hit for .306 in sixty
six games. The Braves have outfield-
ers plenty, but may lose Felix for a
time. This veteran may have to I'M
dergo an operation for appendicitis.
The interleague contests also ought
TO help Manager Harris solve his in
field problem. OF course. Joe Judge,
Roger Peckinpaugh and the manager
himself may be regarded as fixtures
in the Nationals inner defense, but
Doc Prothro's place at third is not so
secure. Right now the dentist-ball
player is far from being in the pink
of condition and perhaps cannot prop
erly demonstrate his real ability, but
even at his best Prothro likely would
not excel Ossie Bluege, who did most
of the work around the hot corner for
the Griffs last year.
lnlS IrlpIeSSeS InOSS AT tnc
helm of the Nationals more favorably
this year than ever before. He is a
master fielder and apparently is due
for improvement in batting. Ossie in
practice is taking a better cut at the
ball than he did in the past CAM
paiSn and one thing absolutely GER
tain about the young infielder is that
he can throw. No one else in the
camp can match Bluege's arm, nor
is there any more accurate thrower.
Keeping this young fellow on reserve
instead of regular duty this year is
going To be difficult.
Railroads in Florida are not going
To corral much of the Nationals
treasury this spring. Instead Of
taking trains for the towns where
exhibition games are to be played. as
was done last year. automobiles will
be employed for the transportation
to Bradentown, Palmetto and Sara
sofa. The aforementioned town, the
seat of the Giants camp, is about
sixty miles from Tampa, but the mo-
tor trip over good road can be
made in better time and more COM
fortably than the trip by rail.
Most of the towns the Nationals
are to visit in Florida are on-train-a-
day burgs and the trains break no
records. Last season one of the big
league clubs in training in this state
had to journey 10 miles to play a
game The players entered the sleep
er at their camp at IL pm. and
reached their destination the next
afternoon at 1 O'Clock, ready, as one
said, Ito sink their teeth into the
They had been fourteen hours with
nut fnnd