Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-28
WEATHER, GROUND
FINE FOR TRAINING
No Ailments Hit Players as
They Did When Club
Worked at Tampa.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON,

scribe this town of 10000 inhabit-
ants which is strung out for near
ly five miles along the northern
most coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Coming from the big boss of the
Washington ball club, who in his
more than so years of diamond
activity as player, manager and
executive has utilized condition
ing bases in Virginia, Georgia,
Florida and across the southern
tier of States all the way to the
Pacific Coast, this is fulSome
praise indeed.
Judged by the results attained on the
first visit here of the Nationals last
year and the progress being made under
the direction of Manager Walter john
son this Spring it seems fully justified,
howeve[
CHARTERED in q modern hotel right on
the water front with a wide eXpanse of
the greensst lawn imaginable studded
with palm trees and panSy beds sloplng
down to the sea wall with golf, tennis
and fishing facilities nearby. three
squares day and beds equipped with
those nav tangled inner spring mat
tresses which make sleeping a real
pleasure. the athletes are leading the
life of Riley despite the fact that for
almost two hours each day they are
required to work. provided playing
catch, fielding hunts, volley ball game
and bit of track work topped off with
q brisk shower can be termed such.
Ball Park Ideal.
About a mile and a half inland, where
their precious arms are protected from
any chilly breeze that may blow in
across the water, is located the ball
park. to which the players are con-
Veyed each morning about 10 o'clock,
and returning around noon, by motor
bus.
Here, surrounded by fence so dis
tant it never has been reached with a
batted ball, is a field the like of which
no one connected with the Griffmen
ever has seen at training camp other
than Biloxi Smooth, level springy turf,
with nary hole, a tin can nor broken
bottle comprises the outer stretches.
while the diamond itself would do credit
to any major league park.
A grass affair with the skinned pOr-
ton composed originally of the yellow
Ish clay peculiar to this section, it has
been partially rebuilt under the direc-
ton of Trainer Mike Martin with a top
dressing of black loam which serves the
double purpose of eliminating glare in
the eyes of the players from the Gus
tomary bright skies and improving
drainage.
Although this part of the country
usually is quite free from an excess of
moisture at this time of year. the clay
base holds water so tenaciously, pro-
teCtive strips have been purchased
from Howard Ehmke, the big canvas
and tarpaulin man Of base ball, as
precautionary measure to prevent inter-
ference by the elements with the daily
practice and the half dozen or so ex-
hibitions the Nationals have listed here
starting on March IL.
Martin and Baxter Houses.
Thanking the small wooden grand
stand" in the rear of the home plate
are pair of club houses, one used by
the home players and the other by the
visiting teams during the regular sea
son of the little. Gulf Coast League, Of
which Biloxi is a member. At present
one of these Is designated for the regu-
lars of the Nationals, and houses the
rubbing table where Trainer Martin
looks after the muscles and tendons of
the high-priced talent who require lini
vi AudocuSlAiSs anu bAAC ObAACAs ANA
the rockies, is presided over in similar
capacity by his assistant, Frankie
Baxter.
Both are fully equipped with lockers,
showers and other facilities, including
coke fuel boilers. which provide an
adequate supply of hot water for the
ell-essential baths.
But it is to the invigorating quality
OF the salt air and the absence of eX-
cessive heat that Grif attributes most
of the credit for the great results at
tainable here in prepping ball players.
Citing the fine state of physical fit
ness the Nationals achieved when he
FIRST took the reins Of management
back in 1912 and trained his men among
the snow-covered hills at Charlottesville
as proof that hot weather Is not es-
sential for ball players to condition
themselves after a Winter of idleness,
Grif points out that during the So
1ourn of more than a month here last
Spring not single athlete contracted
an ailment Of any kind, whereas during
the 10 consecutive seasons spent prior
thereto in the comparatively hot Florida
weather at Tampa, the boys constantly
were troubled with physical Ills of some
sort, with colds heading the list.
Some Damp Weather.
Had there been a game scheduled
here today the water-tight infield cover
would have proved its usefulness, for
It drizzled steadily all yesterday after
noon and throughout last night. 1t
started after the training session yes
terday was finished, however. and was
such a gentle precipitation that it did
not prevent practically all the squad
from Manager Johnson who shot "a,
to Al Schacht, who took exactly 1872
strokes, cavorting on the Municipal
Golf Course just in back of the 12-acre
grove of magnolia and oak trees, in
which the club hostelry is situated Nor
was 1t expected TO interfere with base
ball activities today, although the sky
this morning still was gray and threat
ening.
II developed that Ad Liska, the
youthful submarine finger, whose CAPT.
tulation yesterday evening in the con-
tract debate with President Griffith
leaves Fred Marberry and Jack Hayes
the only unsigned men on the roster,
merely wished 10 assure himself Of
some extra Jack in the event he has
big year" Needless to say, the
preXy was only too glad TO accommo-
date him with the insertion Of clauses
which will compensate him proportion
ately TO the extent that he improves
on his record of last season when he
accounted for nine victories on the
slab as against seven reverses.
According to Grif, he would be only
too glad 10 guarantee bonuses To all
his fingers on a graduated basis from
is victories on up, TO no limit.