The Washington times., 1927-03-01
SEES
PENNANT
AHEAD
BY Louis A. Dougher

BY Louis A. Dougher
TAMPA, Fla. March 1.-With
iris Speaker due here tonight ana
Muddy Ruel. tomorrow, the Criff-
men seem ali set for their training
campaign before entering the 1897
pennant race. Not in years has
the outlook been better.
The Washington club seems 10
have found the pitchers il needs
most and In addition 1t has picked
up a sterling young catcher In
Johnny Berger: q speedy hitting
outfielder in Sam West; good
looking young infielder in Bob
Mccain, and a smuggling pinch hit
ter in Ollie Tucker. No wonder
President Griffith grins like q Che
shire cat as he fans In the lobby
Of the hotel. He sees his third
pennant for Washington, that's
why.
The first days work showed
where they quit last year.
OOUn &AC AM pNAAkAS AGtbAEP
ready for the ben. Outdoor
life. with plenty Of golf, has
kept them trim as race horses
through the winter. Buddy
Myer has put on a bit Of needed
weight and should hit well
above the 800 mark as . re-
suit.
Some 400 fans turned out to wit
ness the first days fancy stuff
and they were well rewarded. In
addition to the athletes, they saw
Billy Sunday, baseball player-evan-
elist, pose for q, dozen pictures with
as many players and heard him an
nounce that he would be the field
umpire in Saturday opening ex-
| hibition game between the Griffs
and the Boston Braves.
They saw Bob Allen. former big
league shortstop and now owner Of
the Little Rock club scouting for
players who may need a little more
experience. They saw Clark Grit
fifth. the Washington nlagnate.
study his new players with shrewd
eyes.
One reason for Griffith's joy was
the remarkable showing made by
Horace Lisenbee against the first
string batsmen. The former Mem.
phis star worked for Is minutes
and showed almost perfect control
OF a fine fast ball. He was going
strong when Trainer Martin pulled
him OFF the rubber. The batsmen
had done little or nothing against
him.
The two sOuthpaWs, Bob
Burke and Garland Braxton,
and Admiral Jones also both
cred the batters considerably.
All three had excellent control
and BraxtOn's screw ball was
most puzzling to the hitterS.
This Is a fine looking gang Of
pitchers we have here" smiled Sam
Rice. after trying In vain to coll
lide with Burke's stuff. tThey
said we needed pitchers. Well,
we've got EN-, judging from what
can see here. And with old
Spoke In center, it's just possible
that We can trim those other
birds. It's certainly not hopeless
by any means"
The first squad taking the field
includes Jones, Crowder. Braxton.
Lisenbee. Mangun. Burke, Murphy.
Hadley, Stewart, johnson, Mar
berry, Thurston and Coveleskie,
pitchers; Judge, Harris, Myer and
Bluege, infielders; Rice, Goslin, Nc.
Nicely and Speaker, outfielders;
Tate and Ruel, catchers.
The second squad, which follows
the first in practice. includes Blair
and McCann, first sackers; Stuffy
Stewart. ellis and Reeves. infield.
ers; Neis, West, Tucker and Cullop.
outfielders; Berger and Shaw.
catchers, and Morrell, Van Alstyne.
LOTUS, McEvoy, Coffman, Ogden
and Thomas, pitchers.
Shaw. the big backstop, IL here
on trial. He was with Pittsburgh
in 1918, jumping to the outlaw
Steel League in 1919. where he
played with Joe Harris club and
hit for 400 or more. Applying for
reinstatement, Judge Lands made
him lay off all last year and now
he is trying to stage comeback.
He is a big fellow. offering a fine
mark for pitcher, and hammers
the ball with considerable vigor.
Washington fans looking at
Sam West, VIII at once be re-
minded of Zeb Milan in the lat
ter's prime. He Is q Southern
batsman, with all OF Milan's
antelope speed, and seems any
thing but Outclassed in his pres
emit company.
Ollie Tucker, having his second
trial with the Washington club, made
a distinct impression by his sturdy
clouting in the first days workout.
With New Orleans. he had been q
Southern Association siugger for
several years and is anxious to hang
on with the Griffs so as to play close
| to his home In Radiant. Va.
Lisenbee has forged TO the front az
| the leading candidate for pitching
honors here. He had perfect con-
troll at all times, is most serious
/ about his work and Is in good ccndi-
/ ton. Lfsenbee's performance against
the first-string hitters in the open
ing days practice is the talk OF the
! camp.
Close behind Lisenbee comes Crow
der, Jones, Burke and Braxton. all
of whom did good work on the hill
against such batsmen as GoSiin,
Myer, Rice and Judge.
Joe Judge awole today with
bowling dogs, the result Of run
| nfn1 around on SpiIxea for the