Evening star., 1925-02-17


York Giants, whom they defeated il
The Washington managers us
of strain when quizzed about the
press by self-appointed critics wh'
transforming trip scheduled for the
holders.
He took particular umbrage at
the Associated Press last Friday ii
ming to play the season backward.
In 1t the fear was expressed that
dollars at the gate in March might
mean the wrecking of champion
ship club before midseason: that IL
they really fight the Giants, Harris
crew vii emerge from the practice
games too tired and bedragEled a
bunch to successfully contend with
their opponents in the championship
games, and that If they loaf against
the McGrawmen and merely seek con-
dition Harris may have to rebuild
the morale of his club and explain to
the lovers of the game how he hap
pened to win world championship"
VIII DO Level Best.
It's all lot of twaddle." said Har-
ris with some show of heat. You
can bet that so far as my gang Is
concerned we are going to do our
level best to beat the Giants this
Spring. just as we did last Fall. There
isn't loafer in our bunch and If that
fact Is not already established 1t soon
will be. We welcome the opportunity
of hooking UP with the Giants and
am convinced that these games Will
afford us the best means to face the
barrier in shape to do ourselves JUS
tice.
Merely going through the motions
of playing In games which don't mean
anything is poor way to get a
high spirited squad Ike ours ready
for the opening of the season. This
was conclusively demonstrated in the
last two years, when we hooked up
during the Spring with the Boston
Braves. These games left us without
the zest for battle needed for a team
to jump into the fray and hit on all
cylinders right from the beginning.
Likes Real Competition.
IT would much prefer being stacked
up against opposition as good, or
even better than we are. When you
knock off a team under these condi-
tions you feel you have accomplished
something worth while; 1t gives you
confidence, and If you happen to get
licked you know the trick was turned
by a club that is capable of beating
the best, and there is incentive for
trying all the harder to reverse the
verdict on the next occasion.
Il have no fault to find with the
new rule which will prevent pre-
season clashes between the pennant-
winning teams after this Year. 1t
probably is a wise precaution to take.
But attempting to call off our coming
games with the Giants, which might
involve costly damage suits for
breach of contract in various cities
where we are scheduled to appear.
and at a date too late for any other
satisfactory training arrangements to
be made, is downright silly.
I'VE are going through with our
series with the Giants. We are going
to beat 'em again, too, If we can.
but regardless of the -and-lost
figures, these games should put us
right on edge for the real business
in prospect, which starts at the
Yankee Stadium on April IA
Await Walter Johnson.
Fans Of Washington and other
cities who have the opportunity of
championship games are not the only
ones eagerly awaiting his hoped for
decision to return to the Nationals
this year. Followers of base ball in
this town of tubs are all het up over
the expected arrival of the veteran
mound star.
An erroneous report that Johnson
would get here Sunday caused a
hasty assembling of the big wigs of
the municipality to extend an official
welcome to Johnson and his team
mates. The ceremonies planned by
the delegation of leading citizens.
headed by Mayor Harry A. Jones.
have been deferred until, and If,
Walter arrives.
Minus Johnson the squad. consist
ing of Goslin. Judge, Ruether, Mar
berry, Coveleski and McNally, which
Harris piloted on its initial jaunt
over the hills hereabout, caused nary
ripple of excitement. They were
unaccompanied, save by a lone cam
era man, when they set off on the
nrst of their daily morning hikes
bundled In sweaters and carrying
paraphernalia for some casual tossing
en- route by way of limbering up their
arms.
More than one member Of the squad
Will be just as well satisfied IL John
son does all his training this year
at Tampa, in view of developments
during the preliminary work here
last Spring. Then Johnson Invariably
set such stiff pace in tramping over
the hills that he had them completely
tuckered before the route was half
CoNereu. JonnSOn actually trotted
over hills that some of his mates
were able to conquer only by slow
and laborious walking
Different This Year.
Johnson's remarkable stamina last
Spring undoubtedly was attributable
to an off season spent almost entirely
out of doors. But this Winter, with
train trips to and from his Nevada
home and the coast in connection with
his unsuccessful efforts to buy a
minor league franchise, he has had
far less opportunity for hunting, and
probably is in much more need of the
conditioning treatment available here
II his contract negotiations with
clark GrlHith are SO protracted that
he has to forego sojourn at Hot
Springs his attainment of proper
physical condition may be seriously
interfered with. Lacking any official
word from Griff or Johnson himself,
Harris Is bit skeptical about the
story published yesterday that John
son had accepted terms and would re-
port here in a few days. Practically
the same news" was sent out from
Reno last week.
All told. there are enough big
league ball players here now to form
q couple of first-class clubs, Everett
Scott, Wallie Schang, Steve O'Neill
and Sam Jones of the Yankees being
on the scene, In addition to Babe
Ruth, who right now can easily cover
twice as much ground as any out
fielder in the game-sitting down
while the Cleveland Indians are rep
resented by George Uhle, Glenn Myatt
Bennie karr, Jim Edwards Sherry