Evening star., 1928-12-23

about an unduly prolonged train
ing season coming from the Ma
tionals next year. Instead, old
timers and younger players, too
who annually have kicked against
lengthy conditioning campaigns. ought
to be quite pleased by the arrangements
made for the training of the 1929 edi-
tion of the Washington Base Ball Club,
None of the squad will be asked to
undergo more than seven weeks OF
training and the real veterans OF the
lot will go through aNgrind of five weeks
only.
On Sunday, February "a, group of
young pitchers and three catchers are
to report to Manager Walter Johnson
and Coaches Clyde Milan and Pat
Charity at Tampa, the following Sum
dRy-March 3-the veteran pitchers
and two more Catchers will crash the
camp and on March 10 the remainder
Of the club. old-timers add. will check
in at the Florida training base.
The last group reporting will have
five weeks in which to round into good
playing form before the American
League opens its championship CAM
pRign on April l6.
Shortening of the training season was
decided upon by President Clark Griffith
Nnd Manager johnson after they had
carefully considered the plan proposed
by the latter. The pilot convinced the
president that the advantages Of pro-
longed season were far overbalanced
by the disadvantages so the Nationals
are to have their shortest training grind
@ years.
Young Hurlers Start Early.
In the squad due to report on Feb
rHary "a and go to Plant Field the
following day for the initial workout
Of the year are: Lloyd Brown, Bob
Burke and Jim Weaver, pitchers with
the club during the past season; Paul
Hopkins. hurler, recalled from the
Montreal club; Adolph Liska and Paul
Mccullough, slabmen, bought from
Minneapolis; Guy Cantrell, boxman,
purchased from Baltimore, and Archie
Campbell, moundSman, drafted from the
st. Paul club.
With these eight pitchers will be
Clifford Bolton, the 21-year-old catcher
bought from High Point; AL Bool, big
receiver who joined the Nationals late
in the past season. and the veteran
Muddy Ruel. For Ruel 1t will be the
first time to report with the starting
squad of the training season. Hereto
fore the little catcher always. has ar
rived at Tampa with the last lot OF
Nationals getting into line, but last
Spring Ruel was so long rounding into
good playing trim that Manager john
son decided to have him attend the full
course at camp this time. =.
The squad due to report March VIII
be really the main squad, for 1t Will
include is players. -Four OF them wlll
be pitchers expected to shoulder the
main mound burden for the Nationals
next year. The veteran Slabmen assigned
to this squad are Garland Braxton,
leader of the league hurlers in the past
season: irving Hadley, Sam Jones and
Fred Marberry. With these pitchers will
be Benny Tate and Ed Kenna, remaind-
er of the clubs receiving stan. With
this lot at hand, the entire battery force
of the Washington club will be at Plant
Field on March 4.
Second Squad Capable Lot.
"A host of youngsters, several of them
generally accounted regulars, will be
with the March squad. Harley Boss.
first sacker; Jack Hayes, second base
man: Joe Cronin. ShortStop, and sam
west. leader of the outfielders in the
league, and Red Barnes, a capable
gardener, all with the Nationals last
year, are to report then. So are Pete
Voter, third baseman, and Spencer
Harris, outfielder, bought from Mime
apolis; Jimmy Partridge, second base
man, procured from Atlanta; Charley
Gooch, third baseman, drafted from
Little Rock, and Mel Simons, outfielder,
purchased from Birmingham, and who
had a trial at the Nationals camp last
year.
Last, but not least. of the Washington
roster to take up the conditioning GRIND
will be Ossie Bluege, third sacker, to
be converted into a shortf1elder; Joe
Judge for years first baSeman with the
club; Sam Rice and Goose GoSlin, vet
eran outhelders; Stuffy Stewart, bought
for the second time from Birmingham,
and Buddy Myer, third baSeman, again
to wear a washington uniform as the
result of a deal that sent five players
from the National fold to the Red Sox
Manager johnson is preparing a
training program that will call upon al
PLAYERS for much work before the Amer
lean League season opens. With the as
sistance of Trainer Mike Martin, the
pilot expects to have all his young
pitchers ready fo- use when the TAMPA
team of the Southeastern League is en-
countered in the first exhibition game
of the year on Sunday, March 10. This
game will call into action virtually all
of the younger element of the club.
Test Tor youngsters.
The veterans, due to report this same
day, may not get into action until the
following Sunday, when the Braves will
be the Nationals guests at Tampa
Should the start of the old-timerS be
DELAYED, 1t would mean that the young
xters will have to be sent against Ma
.tional League clubs in four games dur
ing the first week of the exhibition game
season. The Braves are to be encoun.
tered in st. Petersburg on March IL
the Cardinals will be played at Avor
Park on March IA and Is and tbs
Braves are to be met again in Tampa
on March Is.
However. Manager Johnson believe:
he can put strong lineup of youns
nlayers on the field for these games
He banks upon his five catcherS anC
eight of his pitchers being in trim fol
pIay. He could make an infleld from
Boss, Hayes, Cronin and Gooch or Vote
and put in the outfleld sturdy tri:
drawn from the lot, including Barnes
West, Harris and Simons.
Some of the veterans may take ;
course at Hot Springs before reporting
at Tampa President Griffith especial
ly wants Judge, Rice and GoSlin to ge
some early training at the spa and ais
would like Bluege and Ruel to spent
two weeks there before getting down Il
the grueling grind at training camp
Whether these men will get the prel1m
mary workout at Hot Springs, though
will not be decided until next month.