Evening star., 1926-04-01

'
1t is the same this year. The Ma
tionals had been kicked about by
every team down South. including the
minor league clubs, UP to last Satur.
day. saw that cdme hay played
with the Giants and won. : to 4. II
struck me that Harris had lust in
structed his men To hitch M then
trousers tightou their belts and set
down to business. AnvWa". they
flashed that same smart. Keen. win
ming brand OF ban they have had on
display for the past two summers.
Walter Johnson NCrk that day
should gladden. the hearts of Wash
inston fans The Giants opened on
the old Master for TWO line crives
and a sun. But. unperturhed and Sc
rene he went right on and uGhlened
no and held them scoreless the rest
of the five innings ne was on the
hill His pitchin,; motion is the same.
lie appeared To be in his last year
form Not a day older. nor a Speck
different ImperliCuS - time, pitch
ing strain and the grind OF - sum
mer campaigns.
Bluege Appears Improved.
Harris declares that CoVelt sllie is
as good as ever What more could
a Washington tan ask than to have
these two veterans in Sh2pe for an
other pennant drive! Gosiin still was
in batting slump, but Joe liarrlS
took up his hitting where he left on
last FAN. Sam Rice is a good as
ever. Rluese seemed 10 he better.
4rhnSe folks who pick the Nationals
Eor worse than one-two in the coming
race will be all wet next Fall John
NCGraw told me he considered Hdr-
ris' team as good as over.
Ana do not overlook the Giants
This wear. McGraw win hiring one uf
his greatest teams lorth April 10
He will give the pirates thrilling
battle. wonderful as that tea m Is on
paper and on the riaving 1eld. Nc.
Graw has added strength to his out
field in the person of young Tyson.
the Louisville slugCer. This boy has
been sensation. He can field and
he can hit He has h" spirit and the
GOODNESS to he n star. Jackson
, mended knee also is another factor
in the Giant strength this season.
: The Young shortstop is playing better
than ever on leg that seems sound
and strong.
Giants Strong in Pitching.
McGraw has wealth II great
pitching material. Jimmy Ring. OBJ
tained from Philadelphia. CiNes him
a veteran who is in The best form of
his life this Spring. McItulll2n Il
doing a come back. Nehf, the match
less lefthander. is back in form "ftef
a bad year. Add IL these pitching
wonders Greedtield and tItzslmmons
and Virgil Barnes. An now may b'
classed as a veteran. and you nave
mighty strong tan
Kelly and Frisch will play their
regular positions this year, and this
should help. Groh's bad knee also
seems TO be strong again. The Ma
tional- Giant Spring series ought TO be
a hummer all the way through.
They say that the Pirates have
Grand Young player in Waner, the
Frisco outtielder now fighting Barn
hart for a place as regular on the
team.
From san Antonio comes word that
the St. Louis Cards will flash pen
nant contender next Summer.
Hnrnsbv is showing much the same
Keen and successful qualities of dead
ership that Harris startled the base
ball world with two years ago.
Strongest Bunch in Majors.
Hornshv probably has the hardest
hitting team in the ma jors and he IS
developing Rhem and Rhinehart into
winning pitchers. He also has Vic
Keen and Huntsinger for added pitch
ing strength. where his team was so
weak last year. TheVenow. his kid
ShortstOp, is going grandly in the eN-
hihitiun games. and Douthitt, young
uUltielder. is a sensation.
The Cincinnati Reds have added
Wally Pipp to their defense strength
and also will benefit hN the return
to form Of Carl Mays These factors,
added tu their strong pitching stan
make the Reds team tu he con
~ldered 1t is only III batting that
the Reds are weak.
Another National team thai VIII
bear watching This wear Is he Eo.ton
Braves. Bancroft has one II In, most
remarkable pitchnE %tau> ia tht
game. Consider ia, outfit ~! ,uult"
mpH-C C0oneN. G"reN.ch g." &c. II.
Beuton. Kantp ~. '.Nl az.
effective hrSt-string mounds ""n. A''d
then add MoGridge
who has pitched !" .n"o'"e- innings
in games. this Sprinl @nd shows hi
best form. Also Res, l>yan. who Is
doing a comeback hn1 l"st. hut not
lea st. Wertz. an Eastern League re
cruit who has been the seneation Of
the Braves camp in the long list Of
to have everything. He will be a
regular, according to Banny.
This staff, with the added punch
of Eddie Brown and the natural
Improvement of Gautreau and Burrus,
last year rockies, are what the Braves
gamble on in their first division fight,
Robins Powerful i'm Box.
Your Uncle Robbie of the Robins
has one of his great pitching staffs
once again. but his intield is causing
him much worry. Butler the st. Pau
boy. for whom he gave a bail team.
has stomach trouble and has been in
Johns Hopkins Hospital for treat
mcut. But Robbie has five tine pitch
er~ in Vance Grimes back in his 1924
fulrnl. Petty. Jesse BARNES and
Douglas New eeny, the latter Pacific
Coast recruit whom Robbie declares
l. the best young pitcher he has
seen in many years. II Butler, a fine
Young player, regainS his health. that
pitching staff and Robbie's leadership
may carry the Robins back TO the
front.
The Phillies have added strength in
Bentley at first and Friberg at second.
two weak spots last year. Fletcher
has five promising young pitchers in
Willoughby. Pierce. I-lrch. Maun and
Dean. lie has fine young outfielder
in Leach. lie also has the punch on
his team. His weakness is at short
where he WAS unable to find better
fielder than Heine Sand.
do not know about the Chica so
Cubs, who trained at Catalina Island.
b but I hear that Mccarthy, their new