Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-10
PILOT SEES GR|FFS
TITLE C0NTENDERS
Believes His Club Strong
Enough to Make Roadway
if HurlerS Deliver.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.


johnson thinks he will have a
good team in the American
L League flag hunt this year. This
was the gist of his reply today
TO a question concerning the outlook
for the Washington club with which
he will make his initial venture as a
major manager.
Being a disciple of temperance in
all things Barney's answer was typical
Of him. but he voiced it in tone OF
conviction and proceeded with an es-
innate of the talent President Griffith
assembled for him, which indicated he
had given a lot of thought to its in
dividual and collective caliber
Its too early, of course, to say any,
thing definitely about the showing of
the new men, Barney asserted, but
from what have been told about them
and from what know of the players
who were with the club before I left
it I believe we will have a contender.
Il don't expect to learn much about
what the players can do from the game
against the Tampa club here tomorrow,
as 1t will serve merely as a preliminary
warming up. but when we swing into
the exhibitions with the National
League clubs later on in the week and
the boys have had chance to get into
their stride some points that now are
questionable with me will be cleared
up in short order"
johnson Talks at Length.
The query put to johnson was What
DO you think Of your gang?" Just that.
nothing more, and the foregoing con-
stituted the preface for by far the long
est continuous flow of conversation this
reporter ever has known him to make
over the period of more than a decade
OF ACQUAINTANCE. Usually anything but
Ioquaclous, Walter settled right into a
discussion of his ball club that lasted
Tor upward of an hour He made some
reference to every athlete on the roster.
didn't have to be prompted once and
Wnen ne had finished he had covered
the ne!d so thoroughly no questions re-
manned to be put.
l want to say now" johnson re-
Sumed, that from what Hayes and
Biuege have shown me already I am
sure they viii fill the bill IN the center
OF tne Inneid. don't think any ex-
perlmentmg will be necessary there,
and with Cronin and Stewart on hand
we should be well fortified for substi-
tuteS for short and second. 1 haven't
determined in advance on letting GO
OF anybody, but you know there isn't
any chance of Voter beating out Myer
for the third base position, and Judge.
OF course, has the job at first sew
ed up.
II had figured on keeping young
Boss around and if his health was
good he might have gotten consider
able work to do, but in view of the
fact there is no telling how long it
will take him to get into shape I am
going to let Gooch understudy for joe
He is making pretty good showing
at first in the practice drills and ought
to be able to make the grade. They
say he is quite capable at third and
something OF a hitter, and being only
a youngster, ought to develop.
Thinks Outfield Strong.
'"They tell me Goslin's arm is as
good now as it ever was, and if that's
true don't see where any of em will
have anything on us for all-around
effectiveness in the outf1eld, with West,
Rice and Barnes to choose from for
the center and right field berths to
team up with Goose in left we will
have fast and hard-hitting combi-
nation, regardless of whether Simons
or Harris is retained for protection
purposes.
so far as the catching is concerned,
II Ruel continues to progress at the
rate he has started he will be ready
when the season opens and If MOTH
ing happens to him that department
will be well taken care of. AS far as
that goes, Tate is good catcher, too.
I don't know much about Kenna, as
he joined the team after I left, but
I'll have a look at him when his
thumb gets well, and if Boo1 and Boil
ton can bat anything like the clip
they did in the minors, theyswon't be
overlooked either
"Gharrity's status has not been fix
ed. Frankly, l am not counting on
him as a player. His arm had gone
back on him when he left the club
and it isn't often a fellow his age
comes back But if he can throw he's
bound to get some work to DO because
he always has been hard hitter, and
no club can have too many of them.
las for the pitching, you never can
tell about that, but we should be well
fixed if couple of the youngsters come
through. Jones is a clean-living fellow
who takes care of himself, and should
be every bit as good this year as he was
last. Braxton ought to be even bet
ter He's young yet and hasn't reached
his peak. The same Is true OF Mar
berry AS a matter of fact, Fred is
about due to have a really great year,
and if this proves to be the case and
Hadley delivers the way he should, we
will have as capable a quartet for a
nucleus as any team in the league.
Sees Big Year for Hadley.
ct won't be surprised if Hadley proves
one of the sensations of the season. He
might have done it last year If 1t
hadn't been Tor that combination OF
appendicitis and ringworms.
Just who will help them out is
question now, but this kid Liska GER
tainly looks the part of coming star
and any one who could win 20 and lose
but A with Minneapolis must have
something. They have pretty good hit.
ters in the association I've hearo
some encouraging things about McCul-
Tough. and Campbell must have posi-
biities to have stuck around with the
Yankees as long as he did.
Hopkins didn't prove very successful
with Montreal last season, but he is
ycungster who may find himself at any
time. Cantrell also was in the Inter
national League last year and, at Ieas'
in the amount of work he can do, Is 9
remarkable performer. he Is STURDY
chap with a rubber arm and a last bal
that entities him to lot of respect
lie might be a good man to have aroune
in an emergency to buzz that hard one
past the batters as Narberry USED u
when he did nothing but relief work.
Weaver has the size and stuff te
make a great pitcher if he can Learn
to use it properly. If he can be taught
TO get his weight behind his pitches anc
to field his position, he will trouble
lot of batsmmen. Brown already knows
a lot about pitching and takes care Of
his job well on defense A little i'm
provement over what he already has
shown and he not only will have 8
Job, but will be starting games. Burke
can't be counted out, either He's just
a boy yet, and If he gets the added
power that should go with few more