Evening star., 1926-03-14

ttil lCQSI app II ~ NH'H my GIN -
griffith Stadium in Washington,
Monday afternoon the team OF
rockies will tackle the Cub9ns II
tuother tilt here. Tuesday will be
merely q drill day but Wednesday,
he Buffalo club of the international
Lea que which was trimmed SO de
cisive,y at Palmetto last Thursday
will visit Tampa a homes nd home
tories with the PhillieS Will follow
Tho National Leaguers coming here
Thursday and the Harrlsmen going to
Eradenton Friday.
Next Saturday afternoon the 10
game series with the Giants will be
started. with the Nationals facing
John McGraw'S team at Sarasota. II
IS in these games with the Giants,
more than any other, that Manager
Harris hopes to key his club to the
highest pitch for the beginning of
The American League flag race.
Series Last Year Helped
Last Spring these scraps with the
Giants did much TO put the Nationals
IN fine fettle for the more serious
business Of battling for their second
successive pennant and Boss Bucky
grimes his club will derive consider
able benefit from them again. 1T
would occasion no surprise should the
Nationals start as slowly against the
New Workers as they did last year.
Then they lost five of the first six
Games, but rallied TO get an even
break in the dozen contests.
Harris stated today that he does not
intend to rush his athletes during the
more than four weeks remaining be
fore the opening of the American
League campaign. The veteran pitch
ers will be brought around to form
gradually, and none of the other play
nrs will be trained so finely that ne
" i'll be in danger OF going stale be
fore April IS.
While the Nationals are well ad-
,anced in their training, they have
been hanlpered in their work to some
cytent bv the unusually cool weather
i the past week. or the past slN
working days not one has been warm
enough to enable the athletes 10 get
a really thorough workout, and With
tho high winds added to the cooiileSS
of the air there has been the rlsk ot
colds that do more than anything else
to retard the proper conditioning OF
the men.
Florida Weather Disappoints.
Florida folk, of course, insist that
there has been no Winter like the pres
ont one here for more than ~ years
and that good, warm days arc apr 70
he had now at almost any time. bul
nc Nationals have been listening 10
such chatter so long this training sea
oou that they take 1t with a gram ot
salt. Unless the cold spell soon breaks
tEo veterans of the squad, who need
,.onsidersblv more heat than the
Youngsters to loosen Ninterti frightened
muscles, will have 70 depend upon the
exhibition games of the homeWard trip
20 get them into good playing shape.
although there has been no an
no,sncene1t from club headquarters,
i, is apparent that Manager Harris
has about decided upon the personnel
IF his pitching staff for the impeno-
ing campaign. OF course. there Is no
question as to the retention Of seven
Of the hurlers. That Walter John-
son, Joe Bush, Stan CoveleSkle, Dutcn
Ruether, Alec Ferguson, Curly Ogden
and Fred Marberry will be among
those present at the beginning of the
flag fight goes without saving, but
there has been some question as TO
which rockies will be retained to COM
rlete the staff of 10 moundstnen.
Most Promising of Rockies.
It now seems that the youngsters
10 be retained arc Harry Kelley and
Tim LyIe, right-lla nders, and Clarence
Thomas, southpaw. Harris, of course,
knows Of Ikelley's capa bility, and has
rot troubled to use him in the exhi-
lyition tits so far. While Harry has
developed little speed as yet, he pos
.esses a knuckle ball that is battling
aud appears TO have added to his
repertoire a good curve. Boss Bucky
also is of the opinion that Kelley is
a much smarter pitcher than when
tho younSster first came TO the Ma
tionals, and that he cannot afford to
let him get away without u thorough
lrial.
Lyle who was purchased from
Augusta OF the sally League last
wear, is looking better each day in
the drills. He has Somo smoke. II
nIzZling curve and . delivery that
should help him considerably in tast
company While Harris has not said
80 directly. it. is apparent he consld-,
err Lyle the most likely man of the
recruit hurting squad
Thomas promises TO be a corklng
GOOD portsider. lie has q fast ball
that hops past batterS i'll splendid
rtyle, also a curve that he has not
been called upon to use much in
-ames. Above all, Thomas control
has improved to a. great extent. lie
i1c-Y Is able to get the ball across.
even when he presses in his pitching.
That was something he was unable TO
do not SO long ago and something he
needed to assure his retention In the
big show.
Six Others Ma. Bt Farmed,
The six ether youngsters probably
are slated for Southern Association or
Western League berth> Ray joyce
has bit moro speed and flasher
curve than formerly, but has not re-
Nca1ed enough TO warrant a major cir
cult position. Willard Morrell al.
though his flinging wing has been re-
1ieved OF soreness, seemingly Is not
tho pitcher he promised 10 he when
nc overcamG the National second.
stringers III Hartford last Fall
Irving. Hadley, Boston twilight
ieaguer and mound star of the fresh
man nine at Brown University. prob
ably will be q worthwhile hurler with
more seasoning. He will have TO get
that seasoning outside of tho Amer
icau League, though. Arthur Hum
phreys, drawn from the University of
Maryland Larry Schacht. AIS brother
who did college pitching i'll New York,
and Hal Smith. former iowa state
sol, l-rtt Nv l,,t t,lA