Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10

Nj club as soon as the men begin
4 working together and / look
for them to begin that on
April T. at the latest is the way
Manager Bucky Harris figured his
Nationals Just before they came here
for their two-day stand against the
Giants at the Polo Grounds.
While this business Of losing so
many Of the Spring exhibitions has
not been pleasing, l am not one whit
discouraged. nor do l think any of the
other men of the club are discouraged.
It's good to get the habit of winning,
if you can, i'm these exhibitions, but
since / have been with the Nationals
they never have been so very keen
about training games. Once the sea-
son was under way, though 1t always
was another story. So l think we'll
show a hustling ball club in Clark
Griffith Stadium next Tuesday"
Players Dislike Training.
There is a deal to what Manager
Harris said in so far as past seasons
are concerned. For some time the Ma
tionals have not looked upon training
games with any great favor, rather,
they have been considered necessary
evils: games that had to be played,
even though the players did not be-
lieve they meant anything.
There was nothing strange about
this attitude of the men toward the
exhibitions. For some time most of the
Nationals attending training camps
have been veterans verbally assured
of their Jobs, whether they starred
during the conditioning season or
played indifferently, and in this re-
spect the Nationals have been no
different from any other clubs nlieo
with players Of long experience
The average veteran does not re-
quire much time to ready himself Tor
the championship condition. WITH
few exceptions, the veterans are wise
In their business, and so conduct
themselves during the off season that
after two or three weeks of training
they are in fine fettle for the big task
of the year. To them, training is
something that must be done, but
done quickly 1t holds no interest for
them, certainly, and that Is how most
of the Nationals did their training IN
Florida last month.
Veterans All Appear Fit.
The old-timers did just what they
thought they needed to bring them
around for the campaign that will
open Tuesday, nothing more. They
did not exert themselves particularly
In many of the exhibition engage
ments. Yet right now the veterans tc
a man appear to be fully fit.
Conditions among the younger
group of the club are different Witt
few exception, the youngsters trained
arduously, but seemingly they trained
backward About the middle OF last
month, practically all of them were
at the peak OF condition. They were
as fine looking lot physically as any
manager would care to have around
then suddenly the youngsters began
losing that fine edge to which they
had been sharpened They were prone
to injury and digestive disorders, and
soon the Nationals had a most alarm
ing casual list
1t was seen at once that the young
er element had become stale" had
arrived at the stage where continued
strenuous training meant a tapering
off in conditions. So a halt had to be
called on the activities of many Of the
recruit class, but too late to permit
them to recover fully from their
slump In form before the opening of
the title campaign in the American
League.
Morale Destroyers Hinted.
The club has suffered other than
physically, too, during the training
season. Conditions not calculated to
help the morale Of the organization
have at times prevailed. Some have
limited that favors extended others
have been denied them, a number of
players feel that a select few have
held themselves aloof, thus ending the
cooperative spirit that was such a
marked characteristic of the Nationals
of penant-winning days, and still
others intimate there has been a lack
of social amenity.
Doubtless, such conditions have ex-
listed during the past six or seven
weeks, but they will have to be for
gotten if the Nationals are to give
their best brand of base bail to the
fans of Washington. There is noth-
ing new in these plants. Clubs other
than the Nationals have been so af-
fscted during training seasons. The
fayoring of certain players, the aloof-
ness of responsible individuals. the
Tightening of social lines are common
charges among the clubs in both big
leagues at such times.
Winning Games Big Goal.
And many a club has gone right to
the barrier apparently shot to pieces
because of Information strife growing
out of such complaints. Once the bat
tie is on, though, such clubs usually
forget these troubles, players put aside
personal differences and all step out
to do just one thing-win ball games.
For after all, the main objective Of
the individual ball player, once the
flag race is under way. is perfection
in his position. The nearer he APP
breaches it, the more assured he is of
a better livelihood. And the BAH
player usually is shrewd business
man in his profession. With all
hands striving for such a goal, there
usually is quickly developed team
that will take lot of beating.
Neither President Clark Griffith nor
Manager Stanley Harris have admit.
ted that any of these conditions tend
ing to lower the clubs morale existed
during the training season. Never