Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-18
BUSY GRIFF TRAINER SEES
POWER In LEAN SLABMAN
Skilled Conditioner of Athletes at Florida Camp Adj
mires Young Southpaw's Smooth Delivery
and Sees Bright Future for Him.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON,
Sports Editor. The Star.

" AMPA, Fla. February lS.-As
rule there is no one in the
Spring camp of the Nationals.
i always "A Neritable beehive OF
industry. who is kept buster
than Mike Martin, who has held the
important post of trainer ever since
Clark Griffith became identified with
the Washington club in the capacity
of manager back in 1912. And this
year is no exceptions
Martin always comes South a. couple
of weeks ahead of the athletes for the
purpose Of laying the foundations for
the playing field, which has to be
practically rebuilt every Spring. This
requires his attention for many hours
each day--directing the activities of a
squad Of laborers placed at his dis
posal by the municipal authorities, who
control Plant Field, and his efforts on
that score do not cease until the big
leaguers pull mp stakes and start the
hike back northward around the first
of April.
But supervising the construction
and maintenance of the diamond
forms but a small part of his multi
farious duties. for with the arrival of
the first squad of players a one-armed
paperhanger with the hives resembles
a loafer in comparison with the genial
and ruddy-faced Mike.
4 Real Trainer.
He Is a trainer in every sense Of the
term and Is combination of doctor,
masseur, chiropodist and confldante
as well. He prescribes for the play
ers' minor ailments, rubs the kinks
out of their limbs. deftly operates on
hunions and lngrown nails and lends
a. sympathetic ear to their troubles,
real or imagined. and always is ready
TO play the part of the big brother
with wholesome advice and timely
counsel.
For the physical fitness of the per-
formers Martin is solely responsible.
and when it comes to how much or
little exercise a man shall take, his
hours for sleep and what he shall eat
and when, he is the absolute dictator
of the camp. And the rigidity with
which he enforces his edicts has
caused some of the boys to wonder
whether his name shouldn't be spelled
Martinez"
If player is overweight it is upon
Martin tina: deNolves the duty of see
ing that he goes without luncheon each
day and takes an extra lap or two
around the track, swathed in extra
heavy clothes, and If candidate is
underweight, he is excused. with Mar
tins sanction. from performing as
much toll as the others while partak-
ing at his direction of nourishing
dishes designed to put meat ON his
bones.
Experienced i'm Game.
Before becoming identified with the
Nationals as trainer Mike acted in
sir iot off CrIH wit a
New York Highlanders. as the Yam
KEGS were known in those days, and
with the Cincinnati Reds, and prior
to that he was connected with the
boxing game around New York as
trainer and rubber. He is a splendid
judge of physical condition, and in
view Of this experience he has had,
his enthusiasm over, the bunch of
rockies assembled here for Pilot
Bucky Harris may be regarded as
significant.
Mike asserts that the aggregation
in camp now is the finest looking
bunch of young athletes he ever has
had the privilege of bossing. bar
none, and he. has seen quite a few
in his quarter of a century OF business
connection with the national pastime.
Everything considered, this is the
most outstanding bunch of youngsters
I've ever gone South with" is the way
Martin put IL. There isn't a weakling
in the outfit, and some of the boys
could find steady work as piano movers
If they had to give up base ball.
Miguel denied that he meant by
that remark that he considered some
of them better fitted for heaving fur
niture than tossing base balls, for he
is too old in the game to judge a per-
formers qualifications for pitching by
what he shows in preliminary drills
before he has had a chance to dem
onstrate his prowess in actual battle,
but his practiced eye has detect
ed what heterms great possibilities i'm
few of the tyros even at this early
period.
Thinks Well of Burke.
Mike never has made any secret of
the fact that ne expects George Muir
ray and Irving Hadley to give a good
account of themselves, and In that a
lot of the fans back home who have
seen this pair in action will concur.
But he also is encouraged by what
he has seen to date of a few others,
including Horace Lisenbee, the Mem
phis moundsman who has caught
Griff's eye; Lou McEvoy, the Chat
tanooga Behemoth; Ralph Stewart
from Birmingham. and Leo Mangum,
the acquisition from Portland of the
coast league, via the White Sox.
II is Young Bob Burke. drafted
from Little Rock of the Southern
Association. who has intrigued Mike
most, however. 1t will be recalled