Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-09


parative individual value fairly &C
curate rating of them may be made.
Today marks the end of fortnight
of training for the younger pitchers and
the rounding out of just week for in
fielders and outflelderS. This, of course
is far too Sholt time for any one 10
formulate sound judgment anent their
capabilities, especially in view of the
fact that all still are working under
wraps. For that matter the squad has
not vet been assembled in its entirety,
what with one catcher missing and an
other disabled, two pitchers delayed in
reporting, one because Of illness and the
other through Discrimination and a
couple of regulars not due to check in
until tomorrow.
Estimating the relative worth Of the
candidates for the various positions,
therefore, would be hazardous under
taking at such an early date If the
squad were a large one and their play
ing proves had to be determined solely
on what they showed in the training
camp practices or Spring exhibition
contests.
It so happens, however, that as there
were but 80 men on the roster at the
outset, with the necessity of looping off
only 7 to attain the legal limit of
%, which goes into effect June IS and
that good line on the proves of each
athlete was had before Tampa ever
was invaded some justification exists for
venturing an approximation of the COM
plexion Of the team after the necessary
pruning has been attended to.
SimOns Apt to Stick.
Assuming in advance that the club,
as finally settled upon, will consist of
five outfielders, seven infielders, three
catchers and 10 pitchers, 1t is possible
to draw some conclusions that should
prove not far wide of the mark. with
due allowance being made, of course,
for injuries and other contingencies
impossible to anticipate.
That the f1y-chasing brigade will con-
sist of Goslin, West, Rice and Barnes
has been known by everybody all along,
and that the fifth man will be Mel
burn Simons, the youngster purchased
from Birmingham for $4,000, seems
likely in view of the fact that he COM
pares very favorably in ability with
Spencer Harris, the only other garden
er on the roster. and who. if not re-
turned to Minneapolis, would involve
an outlay just double that figure.
With the regular infield already ten
tatively determined upon as consisting
of Judge at first, Hayes at second, Myer
on third and Bluege at short and with
the necessity of having substitutes
available, it may be ventured that Stew
art will be kept for emergency duty at
the keystone and Cronin as Ossies un-
derstudy at short.
In view of the poor health of Harley
Boss, and doubt as to when the youth
full first sacker will be fit for service,
- a.. h. fh0f
Gooch will get the call over Voter as
the seventh man. The latter is 81 years
old, unlikely for that reason to improve,
ana can play, only at third base, in adj
dition to involving the payment to
Minneapolis of $4,000 if kept. Gooch,
on the other hand, not only is flve
years Voters junior and nominally
a third basemaf1, but while on the
coast before signing with Little ROCK,
covered the initial station and in his
drills here has indicated he will make
an acceptable substitute for Judge: AS
a clincher, Gooch cost only the draft
price Of $4,000.
Charity Seen i'm Line.
As regards the batterymen. the situ-
alton is complicated by some IFS that
cannot be side-stepped. Cliff Bottoms
prospects have been darkened by his
missing of two weeks of practice que
to illness, he wired here yesterday, ano
AL Bool started under the handicap OF
competing against receivers ALREADY
possessed of big league experience.
The obvious thing regarding tne
backstopping brigade would pc 70 hoias
inate the holdovers, Ruel, Tate ana
Kenna. and let it go at that, but the
ample figure of Ed Charity throws
shadow of doubt over that procedure.
Brought back after an absence OF I'VE
seasons ostensibly as coach, Gnarrlty
ia training faithfully with the object OF
earning a berth as an active player ana
despite the fact that he has passed tne
35-vear mark. will Just about 90 tnat
thing provided his confidence IN the
reiuyenation of his throwing arm Is
not misplaced, for he is a nara anu
dangerous hitter.
THE question of pitching naturally Is
more involved than any other. put 70
start with one is safe in assuming tnaI
Braxton. Hadley, Jones and Maroerry
ore fixtllres and there is little question
that AID Liska tops all the lesser lights:
rThere is half the staff and with PAU
Hopkins obviously in need OF botn ex-
perience and stuff there remain out
half a dozen fingers from which 10 ma
the five needed to round out the stan
paul Mccullough, whom illness has
prevented reporting, is rated as prom
isinu prospect on his showing with
Minneapolis. which values him at S20,-
600. and Guy Cantrell the Iron Man"
from Baltimore, will have to display
lot of ability to justify the price tag Oh
$4,000 which accompanied him.
Campbell Well Liked.
Newt To Iiska. the highest regarded
of the new fingers in camp is Arcnle
Campbell. drafted from st. Paul for
SIS 600. Lloyd Brown, at this writing,
must be rated a step in advance OF MS
fellow southpaw, Bob Burke, ana due
to their greater seasoning botn nave
something of an edge on Jim weaver
although none of the boxmen possesses
greater latent possibilities than the zoV-
pound giant. .,,
More light on the entire subject will
be shed by what develops IN the ex-
hibit;on contests now at hand. For
the opener against the Tampa team Of
the Southeastern League here ton1or-
row Weaver, Cantrell and Hopkins are
expected to divide the pitching. with
Bool behind the bat, Gooch, Hayes,
Bluege and Voter comprising the IN
field and Simons, Rice and Barnes IN
the garden.
Starting with next Tuesdays game
against the Boston Braves, at st.
Petersburg, the other pitchers will be
assigned to three-inning shifts. Tate
will do part Of the backstopping and
Myer viii take his place in the infield.
Harris also will get chance to cavort
in the garden if his tonsls have SUI
ficiently subsidized by that time. but
West is likely to be kept out of action
for a week or two yet as a precautlon
against injuring the leg which ooth-
cred him last Spring.
For a time consideration was given
to sending Ed Kenna to Washington
to have the healing of his dislocated
thumb supervised by the club ply
stefan as a precaution against perma-
nent stiffening of the joint. but 1t now
has been decided the catcher viii re.
l. al, LII, q fnc and do rna6