Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-12
SHORT AND CENTER
GOALS Of ROCKIES
Reeves. ellis. West. Camel
and Barnes Will Battle
for Positions.
By JOHN b. KELLER.

At Tampa on March Just two
weeks from next Thursday-flve young
ball players now under contract With
the Nationals are due to start a merry
war among themselves for regular
berths with the 1923 edition of the
Washington American League Club
The detectives will be- the shortStop
and center field jobs With two of the
boys struggling TO land the place in the
inner defensive Gordon and the others
looking for the garden assignment.
Bobby Reeves. who has been with the
club more than a season and half. will
fight il out for the short field with
Grant ellis. who came up TO the Ma
tionals late last year from Birmingham.
whence he was farned after training
with them In Florida The outfield
scrap VII be provided by Sam West
Emile Barnes and Foster Camel, all
Birmingham products. although West
was with the Nationals all last season.
while the others did not come up until
the flag end of the campaign.
This does not mean that occupants
, o! other bertts with the Nationals last
season are sure of their jobs this year
Not BY any means Manager Stanley
Harris has stated most emphatically
that every place is open from the start
. OF the training season to the beginning
O! The 1923 championship campaign and
he still sticks to his story. But with
first base certain to be we'll cared for
whether Joe Judge or George Sisler 10
assigned TO it. there probably will b.
no other struggles for regular jobs
eoualing In intensity and interest the
two mentioned
Four Seem Sure Of Jobs.
II does not seem reasonable to ex-
pect any one to Dust Harris from the
second sack. In addition. to taking
care Of his managerial duties in fine
manner. Harris can give as good an ac-
count of himself around the middle
base as can any other keystone station
guardian in the big show and although
his batting figures may not loom i'm
pressively. he is a timely and danger
Gus hitter as well as a particularly
smart runner
Nor Is any rival for Ossie Bluege.
third basenlan. seen in the squad In
left field. Goose Gosiin appears a fix-
tuTe and Sam Rice who more than
likelv will prove that he has at least
another season Of good base ball left
In him. is slated for only the right field
task II ne comes back Harris has an
nouneec that he has no intention Of
shifting Samyoueil to the middle pas
ture. so the big scraps will be for the
sho-tfield and center. 50
While IL is no secret that both Mana.
ger Harris and President Clark Grif1th
look 70 Reeves 10 show much improve
raent In his shorrfieldina this year and
make the grade as big leageI. II Is
certain hat the former Georgia Tech
star VIII find real rival in ellis. also
an ex-college player About all that
HHAyRG IN
washington fans during his term with
the Nationals is that he POSSESSES a
throwing arm OF great strength. He
can get the ball across the field faster
and harder than any either infieldar in
me American League. There's no doubt
OF that
Lacked Fielding Knack.
But his throwing has been by no
means accurate, nor has he mastered
the knack OF getting the ball away
oe'ay The latter fault handicapped
him considerably last soason IN at
tempting double plays and In this de-
oartmert Of pay he also was faulty In
his base~covering efforts Many intend
ed tve-ply killings initiated BY Harris
wen. swry when Reeves failed 10 get
10 the base properly.
Reeves feided 1923 I'm 90 games at
short last year. ranking third from last
IN the leagues lis. Of players covering
the position. He made IL errors. Marx
Koerig Of the Yankees, with a.. being
the only player TO err more than Bob
But Koenig participated In i22 games.
AZ second baseman, Reeves was
weaker than as shortstop. He fielded
- BIO In l2 games 10 rank last.
At bat. Reeves al TINES gave promise
10 t@A a2fs H M
other times he seemed the easiest
. prop sltion III the world for the OPP
posing E!cher Bob never. however,
appeared wholly at ease at the plate.
He hit for only 255, his 81 safetics
Inducing II doubles S triples and
homer ellis In the 10 games he played
with the Nationals last Pail batted for
only 2z2. bp: with Birmingham in tn"
Southern Association he s0ckeo the bail
for 40 average " $40, As fielder IN
the American League, ellis worked at
y 1000 rate. He handled c'eaniy ~
chances and took part tn double
plays
West Failed al Bat
Of the three young outflfiders. West
vas the only one who failed " SHINE Al
hat last year. Injuries kept him on tie
bench much NJ the season anG ne never
flashed ss4e clubbing proves that ied 70
his purchase from Birmingham our +.
.1a he 1870 campaign. Sammy soekfo
the bail for 2a3 - an hmetbau
lhag44er. while Camel Ia Is games
o. tte6 h37 10 finish ~ the Top oI tfs
circuit and Barnes ciii3Ded for 3c4 IN
the three gaDaes Por Birmingham,
Lanzei pattec $40 asd Barnes .23s'
Gsnzei sisp ou.fseidec West In the
American Leagle. finishing Win pr
tbniaRe 81 9f4 against fsamfBps 1873,
~ times during the Florida training
taat yaay West io'gmec rs real Out
fielding find He showed splendIh
segment 10 thc pasture, threw well ana
ialt strongly. After ne WIS hurt during
U3e championship campaign, H. Was
~ entirely different sDoTy. BsIlD-l
DtefDrnanHE we're quite impressive
aN Pail af6 ~ Nsye tflDhs ~ Eariles,
j3Dt Gsnz9i revealed nothing IKE me
h.Esa isatnes Possesses aid tbis lack
may fi!lder illn seYerejy IN the struggle
! - Tampa
Al If ttlsfs i've youngsters sfs likely
lDpElng yfs4ngstefs. though ~ the bat
Ties fot Ing $40 positions involving them
ought ~ kefp the fans 81 Wei ~
Manager Harris and 1ttsF Washington
clufg officials on s6ge Throughout me
. Florida campaign,
q -