Evening star., 1926-03-19


though licked this afternoon. the Ma
tionals could regain their high plane
by walloping their old enemies, the
Giants, at Sarasota tomorrow.
Generally Tampa fans are rather
ardent supporters of the Nationals in
the Spring training games in Florida.
Clark Griffith has been taking his club
To the west coast town to do its con
ditioninC work 50 many years that
Tampans had come TO regard it as
their special representative in the big
leagues. Now the Tampa crowd is be-
ginning to sour on the Nationals as
result of the repeated trouncings the
'.JohnSonian circuit leaders have ab-
sorbed. In yesterdays engagement
they cheered the Phillies continuously
and upon the slightest provocation
ieered the Harrismen.
Attendance Is Slim.
And the attendance at the game was
nothing to brag about, even in this
State, where a few white stakes and
a realtors gaudy sign make town.
Maybe the bottom is dropping out of
the base ball boom as some people,
among them actually native sons, say
the bottom is dropping out OF the real
estate boom. But that's something for
only Florida to worry about. III it
does not like the way the Nationals
are playing at present, 1t does not
worry Bucky Harris. And he does not
mind saying so.
Let 'em rave" he remarked as
some particularly sloud-mouthed bugs
were giving him the raspberry Tor an
error he had made during the course
of the first tilt with the Phill1es. L
know we arc not playing good game.
But their raving is not going to make
us play any better or any worse. lheE
NAV not come TO see us again, ana
that. of course, will not help the train
ing trip treasury. But we are on a
training trip, not money-maklhS
tour.
@ deal of money to help defraE the
expenses of Spring training. But
am sure the club officials would rather
take the short end of the purse now
instead of having lot or payers
force themselves to the limit at pres
ent. only to become stale ana prove
dismal box office attractions. after the
championship season starts
Harris Proceeding Carefully.
81 don't like to lose any more than
those fellows who are doing the yell
ing like TO lose Nor do the other men
of the club. But l firmly believe In
grooming my pitchers carefully ana
letting the batting take care of itself
NJ the stage of the training season.
] don't think we are going to develop
any losing habit. We haven't been
fast starters for some lme IN tiie
training grind. But we finished IN
the last two regular seasons pretty
well, you must admit.
All of which is true, but the Ma
tfonals have been doing some thlngs
in their training games SO far that
are rather inexcusable. They nave
nlaved fast and loose in both inf1eld
and outfield. Their throwing has
been headles and inaccurate. Ere
quently the 'ball has been heaved
about indiscriminately, after the man.
ner of the cross.Weave passing to
often noted on the sand1otS.
That most of the pitchers are not
uuite ripe for work is nothing to
bother about 1t would be unwise to
have their arms in midSeason form
now. What they need is fine physical
Trim. and they have that. n.
The cunning of their art will not
be pressed into use for a, couple OF
weeks, according to Harris.
victims of Great Fielding.
While statistics make the Nationals
seem puny batters, they probably are
not. The men generally are meeting
the ball with plenty Of force, but they
have not been sending 1t TO unguarded
territory. Several. times tielding al
most uncanny cut down bingleS in
Yesterdays fray The most notable
instance of this kind occurred in the
eighth inning, when Joe Judge rif1ed
a screamer to rjght-center. The slam
appeared good for three bases, if not
a homer, but Leach, Philly right
fielder, dashed far back and across
the garden for Il leaping barehand
catch.
The pitching and batting ought to
develop within a short time, but this
headless play on defense must be cor
rccted at once, Manager Harris has
declared.
Opponents of the Nationals have
batted enough runs around the paths
without having others heaved across
the plate for them, is the way Bucky
regards this free-for-all throwing.
The initial battle with the Phillies
was a nightmare for the Harrismen
Alec Ferguson, who started on the hill
for the Champions, was given such a
slam in the neck in his first inning
that he never fully recovered. and at
the end of the third round he went
out, leaving five runs and eight hits
behind. Jim Lyle, who pitched the
next three innings, might have fared
DctIGr Ildu lie peSt We'll SuppOh eCu'
But his mates checked in with four
misplays and these, mixed with six
Philly hits, netted the enemy five more
markers In the last three sessions
Irving Hadley toiled. He was reached
for four hits, gave two passes and hit
two hatterS. Result, three runs off
the New Englander.
BIanked for Six Rounds.
r.. 1t,o fret S;v ;ppipcS tho phillv
ritching and defense were too rugged
for the Nationals. But three hits were
CLEANED off the opposing hurlers in
that time. all made by Buel<y Harris.
He singled off Jack Knight in the first
frame and again in the third. In the
sixth session he got a double off Roy
Crumpler. Only twice while these
pitchers were working did a National
get as far as second base.
It was somewhat different when
Ray Pierce, q lefthander. toed the
slab. He was nicked for enough bin
giles to raise the Nationals total for
the game to 10. Bucky got his fourth
WALTON of the day off Pierce. Two sin
giles, one very scratchy, a wild heaHe
by Shortstop BuSkey and a couple OF
passes in the seventh netted the Har-
rismen their only cluster of runs.
Muddy Ruel, who has been going
AtOnS IN tfdllltllS SOIiieWHdI SloWiy
broke into the game for the first time.
lie caught during the last six in
ninGs, but never had occasion to use
the throwing arm that was none too
good the latter part of the 1925 cam
paign. Ruel has a bend in his heav-
ing wing that may prove troublesome
later if he does much work now.
There is q possibility: that Roger
p