Evening star., 1926-02-15

Manager Harris arrived yesterday
morning on scheduled time from
Miami, where he has spent the past
few days strengthening up his affairs,
and in the evening the delegation
from Washington checked in. This
squad. for which Frankie Baxter, boss
of the Georgia avenue clubhouse.
acted as secretary, included Willard
Morrell, Ray Joyce, Art Humphreys,
Warren Ogden, Clarence Thomas,
Larry Schacht and Benny Tate.
Pitcher Hal Smith arrived late last
night.
Others Due Today.
The others due are Fred Marberry,
Harry Kelley and jim Lyle. although
there is some doubt as to whether the
last-named will be permitted to re-
port, IN view of the fact that he
failed TO accept terms within the
set time limit.
It was expected that Trainer Mar
tin would have this squad of hope
fuls out on the field by noon for
whatever exercise is possible under
the conditions existing and that
regular training program will not be
adopted until bathing facilities are
made available, probably within
couple of days.
An unlooked-for addition to the
person of Cecil Spence, a youngstef
OF some twenty Summers, who halls
from the thriving municipality of
Paragold, Ark. This lad. who is but
a midget in size, was recommended
to Grif by W. A. Branch. the su
perintendent Of schools for that sec
tion of Arkansas. who assured the
club president that Spence was will
ing to pay his own expenses at the
training camp in the event that he
failed to impress Manager Harris.
Spence asserts that short-stopping
is his favorite diversion. although
modestly admitting that he can play
any position on the team except that
OF catcher"
HoIdouts Real Worry.
Unless all signs are misleading,
~ Clark Griffith is going to have a
tougher task getting the full quota
of his Nationals in line for service
this season than any year since he
assumed the reinS at Washington
back in 1912.
OF the "a actives on the roster only
a handful now remain outside the
fold, but they include performers
whose services are indispensable to
the artistic success of the club, and
from the firm attitude they have as
sumed in discussing terms it has be-
COlne INCREASINGLY apparent lQdl lne
chIefta1n of the champions will have
his wei! known eloquence and powers
Of persuasion tested to the limit in
order to have his machine fully
manned and properly geared for a
flying start in the quest of a third
straight American League pennant.
Those still outside the fold include
Pitchers Dutch Ruether, Fred Mar
berry, Jim Lyle and Larry Schacht,
fnGn G1ll
Goose Goslin and Joe Harris. Schacht
may be eliminated from consideration,
as the strapping big brother of Com
edian Al is just out of school and
could not reasonably be expected to
prove Of much help to the title-hold-
ing aggregation in his first year up.
And he is practically certain to adorn
a contract the minute it is placed be-
fore him on his arrival here tomorrow.
1t may be said that Lyle does not
figure very prominently, either. This
right handler received an inspection
last Spring after enjoying a big season
with the Okmulgee club of the West
ern Association in 1924, when he won
% and lost 13, but with Augusta of
the South Atlantic League, a notch
higher in the scale with a class B rat
ing, Lyle failed to shine so brightly
last season. He may find himself
ticketed for Birmingham or New
Orleans.
Ruether and j. Harris BaIk.
Ruether and Joe Harris are the
most outspoken of the quartet of real
" important players yet to be cor
raled. They received their contracts
III the original mailing some two
months ago, promptly expressed deep
dissatisfaction with the figures con-
tanned therein and since have given
absolutely no signs of yielding. In
fact, it was only yesterday that Griff
worthless vowing that they would
spend the Summer in intensive idle
ness rather than accept terms which
they consider compensatory made
Quate.
Joe Harris was to have been num-
bered with the Hot Springs delegation
that includes Judge, Peck, Goslin,
Rice, Bush, Tobin and Coveleskie, but
in his most recent misSive he allowed
as how that face lifting operation he
recently submitted to was about all
he could stand in the way of treat
ment for this year, and, as the soJourr
at the Spa was made optional with
him, he will not have to sign until
February 2s( as that is his reporting
date here.
Not so much time remains for
but select, list, embracing Walter
johnson. Alex Ferguson and Buddy
nlyer, which is scheduled to check in
at the training camp on February Il.
Thus Dutch has full week in which
to wheedle himself into large stipend
or go through with his dire threat to
continue his official connection with
the sales force of the Florida subdi-
vision that Jawn Joseph McGraw Is
marketing.
Ruel Hard-BoiIed.
Nothing much is known OF the
status of Ruel, beyond the fact that
he thus far has shown decided
disinclinaiton to Chamber aboard the
band wagon. Whether the margin
between what he has been offered and
what he wants is small or large has
not been intimated. Muddy always
has had a well defined and far from
modest idea of his worth as a receiver,
however, and can be expected to go
the limit in seeing that it is met.
Being one of the very classiest
mittmen in the game today and gen.
orally credited with being the brainiest
of the catching department of the
Champions defense it is likely Herold
will gain his point, if his demands are
at all within reason. He also is due
to report with the last squad.
Goslin's case Is a bit different, In
that he already has started training
for the coming campaign. although
far from an agreement on the salary
question. He was toId> he could &C
to Hot Springs and take the pre-
iiminary course Of sprouts with all ex
penses paid provided he signed UP
but was warned that otherwise he
must bear the bills himself. The fact