Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24
MUST POUND TURF
IN GRIND At TAMPA
Johnson Outlines Training
Plans Before Leaving
for Florida Camp.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

arm alone Tor while.
~ This will be general order
No. issued by Walter
Johnson to the band of young men as
piring 70 berths as pitchers when the
first squad of Nationals takes the field
at Tampa. Fla, tomorrow to begin
training for the 1929 base ball CAM
paign.
The new Washington pilot unbur-
dened himself of some ideas relative to
training at Union Station yesterday just
before boarding the special car now
bearing club officials and few players
to the Florida conditioning base, and he
particularly emphasized the necessity OF,
pitchers first strengthening their un-
derpinning and increasing their stamina
before bothering about the hooks and
fast ones that later they hope to show
on major league diamonds.
General order No. will be announce
ed to nine pitchers and trio Of CATCH
ers as well at Tampa tomorrow morning
If plans for the start of the Nationals
training camp do not miscarry. They
miscaIried to a slight extent yester-
day when Paul Mccullough, hurler,
bought last Fall from Minneapolis.
failed to get here from his home at New
Castle, Pa, to join the southbound party
PLANTATION of the failure received from
him.
Hadley, Hopkins Look Wen.
McCullough's absence reduced to two
the number Of players with the party
leaving here. The players are pitchers
both, Irving Hadley, looking in fins
fettle after much time spent in gym
nasiums while Wintering at Lynn,
Mass, and Paul Hopkins. somewhat
thinner than he was last year, but still
quite husky as result of much out
door exercise around his Chester, Conn,
home In the off-season.
Leaving with johnson we're his two
trusty lieutenants. Nick Altrock and AL
Schacht. who will see that the players
follow the managers orders cor else"
And TO look after the lot Of them, Billy
Smith, assistant club secretary, and
Frank Baxter, top sergeant Of the club
house, went along.
Besides Hadley. Hopkins and McCuI-
lough, other pitchers due to report at
Plant Field, In Tampa, tomorrow are
the ieft-handers Bob Burke and LLOYD
Brown and the big right-hander. Jim
weaver, all with the club last season:
archie Campbell. drafted from ST. Paul;
Guy Cantrell. bought from Baltimore,
ana Adoiph LiSka, purchase from the
Minneapolis outfit. Brown has been at
Tampa some while. The others were
ordered to proceed directly from their
homes to the training base.
To handle these pitchers three catch.
ers will be on the job First and fore
most among them is Herold RueI. vet
eran Of the Nationals staff, and one Of
the old-timers Of the league, even
though not ancient in years BY any
means. Muddy is reporting with the
early squad for the first time since he
came to the Nationals from the Red
Sox after the season Of 1922. Other
catchers at hand will be rangy Al Bool
of Lincoln. Nebr., who has been around
the pro game for some years. and Cliff
ford Bolton. 22-year-old, bought from
High Point of the Piedmont League last
Fail.
All at Hand by March IL.
This squad will be sent through gem
eral conditioning exercises for a time
and next week will get down to soHnes
what heavier work. A week from to-
morrow three veteran pitchers, 10 in
felders and outfielders and two more
catchers are to be added to the lot in
training, and by March IL all Of the 81
players in reserve to the Washington
club are due to be at work preparing
themselves for the 1929 American League
championship campaign. From then on
the PLAYERS time will be taken up mainly
by exhibition contests, which are ex-
pected to put the club. in excellent trim
for the seasons start here April Is.
Johnson. the greatest pitcher that
ever stepped on hill in the American
League. and one of the greatest ever to
grace the national paStime. will person.
ally conduct the training of his mound
aSpirants. This does not mean that
the new Washington pilot will have
nothing to do with the infield and OUT
field. squads Of his club. or will over
lookvtha development of his catching
staff. hut Johnson announced yester.
day that he probably would exercise
only general supervision over these de-
partments of play, leaving the details
to his coaches.
The pitchers. though. will come In for
close observation by him. He feels that
he has only about four at hand who
may be accounted dependable major
league performers, and that he must
ees from the crop of recruits two or
three pitchers able to take regular turns
on the hill. And that's big order for
INV one in bare ball. but Walter ought
to know how TO handle it after a serv-
ice OF Fl seasons on big league slab.
wsck of Leg Work"
From what johnson said yesterday
about the training plans for his pitchs
erS. l. is gathered that this will be q
week OF leg work" for the hurlers al
hand. No one knows better than John.
son how necessary 1t is for pitcher to
have strong legs. So the members OF
the first squad may expect to do deal
of travelling on the track encircling the
Tampa PLAYING field the next few days
And there1l be pepper" drills. too, "a
improve tbs wind This bending the
boys get in fielding hunts always L
helpful. A half-hour of this exercise
daily increases stamina wonderfully.
While the youngsters are going
through their daily stunts this week
they viii be watched carefully. Toe
often pitcher Is eager to test his arm
before 1t has been -loosened suficiently
for any strenuous trial. And sore SOUP
erS follow. The overambitious pitcher
can get himself into deal of trouble
by throwing too soon. 1t will be the
duty Of Coaches Altroek and Schachi
to curb these impetuous fellows.
johnson took no iron hand" South
He isn't a rigid disciplinarian in so fal
as the players actions on the field ara
concerned. But he win expect ever
one TO keep his mind on his work and
VIII not hesitate to bear down on any
player who fails to concentrate. BASE
bill Is big business. johnson holds, and
he VIII insist that those connected With