The Washington times., 1926-04-05

IlEk llIG A1fus lIkuU HCAt
will not suffer any setback.
Trainer Mike Martin. whose hua.
ness Is the proper caring of the
athletes at all times. has been toll
ing ~ hours daily. doing his BEST
10 keep some Of the veterans from
falling apart Wretched infields.
sunnnocky outfields and truly ter
rible clubhouses make work fop the
trainer.
IL Is vitality necessary that Judge,
peckinpaugh. Rluege and Joe Har-
f.is he In condition to open the sea.
son in their regular positions.
Judge and Bluege have, patented
collapsibIe knees. Peck has an
ankle. q knee and q back liable to
crack at any moment, spiiling him
al over the field.
Joe Harris is afraid Of pulling
M with cl1aFIoyhOrse. To send
auch PLAYERS into games upon
such playing fields as the. Griffs
have experienced since leaving
Florida Is risking whatever
chances the team may have Of
winning third consecutive PEN
nant.
Furthermore. the quality of OPP
position il not of the best. Even
n Florida the Griffs seldom took
SERIOUSLY any exhibition against a
minor league club. The defeat by
Buffalo, for instance did not get
q rise out OF the big leaguers. To
them that would be just college
yraeh,nrfon fms have wondered
af the more or less slipshod play
ing OF the champions when 0ppOs-
ing any club bat the Giants. When
clashiug with McGraw's team there
n q noticeable quickening OF action
and a great increase In seriousness
among the Griffmen. Therefore,
unless those last four days have
not been too evil, the team should
End Itself between now and the
opening OF the season next week.
On the other hand, If rain &C
companies the touring Griffs home
ward cancelling game after game,
Il Is fair to assume that the team
win not be at top form when the
bell rings. It viii then be COM
PEELED to play itself into shape.
Beginning here Manager Harris
plans using his regular pitchers
against the Giants. sending two at
time into the fray. Curley
ogden and Dutch Ruether are ex-
pected to be called upon today,
with stan Coveleslie and Joe Bush
twirling tomorrow at Augusta, Ga.
Ogden is in fine condition and
might easily go the distance, X
Bucky Harris needed him to DO
that.
Ruether, too, looks ready for
a fast getaway, though he has
not pitched more than three
frames at any time yet. He VIII
gradually lengthen his toll In
order 20 take his turn against
the Macxmen next week.
at really don't expect we viii
have any setback" said Manager
Harris today. 1T can't last long,
anyway, with the Giants going
after us every day. We win just
have to fight back, you know, ana
that's where we will play our
selves into shape on the way
home"
Tex Jeanes met the Griffs on their
arrival here today. He has been
here for several days having his
left knee baked. He reported that
the injured joint was much I'M
proved and he hoped to be back In
uniform this afternoon. No risks
win be taken with him, though
and he is not likely to DO more
than go to bat in a pinch now and
then untilSthe season opens.
The touring big leaguers hop out
Of here shortly after today's game
and are due in Augusta tomorrow
morning. Two days win be passed in
the former training camp OF the
Washington club before retracing
their steps and going TO Atlanta for
one game on Thursday. Friday they
play at Norfolk, arriving shortly
before noon, leaving that night by
boat for the Capital.
That game with Hank GOwdy's
Columbus Senators Of the An1eri-
can Association was another defeat
for the touring Griffs. The score
was 8 20 5. It showed the cham
pions playing stuggishly, rs though
careless of the results.
Neither Morreli nor Thomas, young
sters who have recently been max
ing good showings. had anything
to write home about. They werC
bounced upon at just the wrong
moment. Against bush leaguers
this spring the Griffs have lost three
out OF five played. Making matters
slightly worse, there is small indig.
nation being shown. AS many de.
feats by the Giants would have
brought near riots each evening.
Things should improve greatly now
that the series with the Giants Is
resumed.
Col Waite c. Johnson, well known
In Washington, now in command al
FoIt Benning, was principal host to
both baseball clubs and he made good
with a vengeance. And # was toe
bad the Griffmen could not have
responded with a rousing win
Maybe that's coming today and he
may have q chance TO read about it
Al Foreman Returns