Evening star., 1927-02-27
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.
Sports Editor of The Star.
AAfp E-la EohruaTy


" AMPA, Fla. February 26.-
Goslin, Rice, Bluege, Judge
Myer ct al, are due for q
i strenuous initiation into the
ancient and essential business
Of batting practice for the 1927 Amer
lean League campaign.
When the athletes, regulars all, to
gether with a squad of lesser lights
Including Grant Gillis, Emmett Nc
Henry Cullop, Earl McNeely, Bernie
Neis, Ollie Tucker and Sam West un
burden their war clubs for the first
time Monday. they are going to face
a. barrage of targets as difficult tc
locate as an odd penny in a bank
balance.
AS a. result of two solid weeks OF
work the large squad of candidates
for box berths with the Washington
ball club have attained a stage OF
perfection in the fundamentals OF
pitching prowess which is calculated
TO cause no end of trouble for the
base guardians and fly chasers who
will launch on their period of prep
ping, handicapped by cobwebs in the
eyes and rusty joints, following sew
eral months of idleness.
This is as 1t should be, for there
Is no single department of play more
important than swatting the old pill
The more formidable the brand OF
flinging offered for the stick wielders
the quicker may they be expected Ia
get their sights adjusted and their
muscles attuned for the purpose oi
effectively laying hickory against
horsehide. With the first of a long
string of exhibition games booked fol
q week from today when the Boston
Braves are to be entertained here
precious little time will be available
for oiling up the Griffmen's offensive
and the splendid condition of the
ftnging phalanx is therefore a source
of great satisfaction to the camp com
u1anders.
Pitchers In Fine Fettle.
With the activities of the rockies
carefully supervised in all of the dozen
daily drills which were rounded out to-
day, Trainer Mike Martin was able to
announce with pardonabie pride that
there wasn't single case of sore arm,
In the camp, and that. despite the fact
that the boys have been driven at an
increasingly fast pace in the last few
DAYS.
During the first week the recruits
were limited to elemental tossing with
the usual course of auxiliary Gales
themes such as bunt fielding. volley
bail and hiking on the side, designed
to improve their general physical con.
s1itjon. but with the start of the second
lap the lid was tilted a bit To a GER
tain extent the ban was taken off both
speed and curves and the amount per.
nitted increased daily until this after
noon hard balls and hooks were
being mixed with slow f1oaters by ali
the mound candidates
This second six-day period of toll
produced little change in the align
rnent of the hurlers that existed after
the initial week of work. Hollis
Thurston, who was several days late
arriving, has continued to display en-.
couraging form, while Horace Lisen.
bee. Sfniler Murray, Gen. Crowder.
Garland Braxton and Admiral Jones
still are rated among the first flight
OF fingers seeking steady jobs.
Bump Hadley, originally rated high
among the contenders, is more than
holding his own and there is no appar.
ei1t reason for revising the optimistic
estimates of Lefty Burke and Ralph
Stewart. All of this trio have demon.
strated they are entitled to serious