Evening star., 1925-03-10

Am l supposed to be trying to get
in shape for the coming American
League season, or what?" he is said
TO have asked the boss. You know
that I'm not ready to do any pitching
and that I'll come along faster If
allowed to stay here and get my regu-
lar workouts and l think you ought
to let me stay" And so Walter stay
ed.
That neither he nor Muddy Ruel
came with the invaders is quite dis
appointing to fans shere, many of
whom bought tickets to this after
moons game in the hope of seeing the
famous RueI-Johnson battery in ac-
tion, if. only in warm up befores the
hostilities started.
Real Fans See the Point.
To the merely curious. the Mats
reason for not bringing the veterans
along did not seem to take" at all,
but the real fans saw the point and
gave Manager Harris credit for not
possibly sacrificing his teams chances
in the regular season by working his
stars before they were ready in these
exhibition contests.
With the signing of Curly Ogden
yesterday. all now are in the fold
except Al Schacht and he doesn't count.
The comedian, it seems, euchered
President Griffith out of $500 last
year, which amount he borrowed
from the club to purchase his release
from New Haven. Immediately after
the hnal game of the world series,
when Griff was so elated that he could
say yes" to anything, AL took ad-
vantage of his temporary weakness
and got left off on paying this sum.
This year the contract offered
Schacht, while carrying a salary boost
with 1T, was just exactly $500 less than
the comedian expected and he has been
arguing over the question for weeks. 1t
looks very much as though Griff has
'outsmarted" Al, after all
According TO Muddy Ruel, who is in
charge of the squad left at Tampa,
when the tourists get back there this
weeE end he will have every one of
them ready to go the whole route, If
necessary. Herold is all puffed up over
having somebody to boss and promises
10 show so mcuh in a managerial way
that the clubs seeking new pilots will
be falling over themselves in their mad
scramble to get him.
While President Griffith cannot be
gotten to admit that possibly he has
made mistake in booking so many ex-
hibition games for the world champions,
and Manager Harris naturally will make
no comment on the action of the club
president, among the players the senti-
ment is that more days should have
peen left for regular practice sessions.
Few Open Dates Are Left.
In the remaining 35 days between
now and the opening of the regular
season 2S games have been booked,
additional battles having been ested
since the Mats arrived here for March
19 and 26, with Indianapolis at Plant
City and Buffalo at Tampa repec-
lively. This leaves but seven open
dates, on only fNr of which will the
team be able IT, take workouts, as
two fall on Sundays when the team
is at Tampa, and no sessions are held, |
whileEnother comes while the team
is tri kling from Fort BeAning, Ga,
to New Orleans, Still anovher comes
between the end of the exhibition set
and the opening of the regular sea-
son, and it is hardly likely that any
work aside from mere limbering up
will be done on this day, as the team
will be in New York, ending there
with the Giants on April II, and open
ing the Ban Johnson race with the
Yankees on the 14th.
OF course, things may turn out all
right and Griffith may have the laugh
on every one, but, then again, the
lengthy and probably well-paying
pres season series may show him to
be penny wise and pound foolish"
Time alone will tell.
The Nationals remain over here a
day for another contest with the
Giants at West Palm Beach tomor-