Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-15
THREE BEGIN WORK
AT SPA THIS WEEK
Others win Join Squad in
Ozarks-BiIoxi Grind to
Start February rs.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

r. the conolLlOnlnB VI Il'
/ Washington base ball club
for it's campaigning in the
American League this year is tc
begin this week. Although the Ma
tionalS' training base at Biloxi
Miss, will not open officially until
the morning of February 26, with
in a day or two a select group of
players is to begin the grind at
Hot Springs.
sam Rice, veteran outhelder. already
Is at the Arkansas spa and tomorrow
probably will be joined by Fred Mar
berry, big pitcher, and Red Hargrave,
the chunky catcher. This trio is to go
through a two weeks course OF sprouts
in the Ozarks before proceeding to the
Gulf Coast.
Transportation to Hot Springs has
been sent both Marberry and Hargrave
by the Washington club. The pitcher
is supposed to have started for the spa
yesterday, while Hargrave was to leave
his Indiana home early today. With
Sam Rice they will tramp over the hills
about Hot Springs to get the Winter
kinks out of their underpinring and
also indulge in a course of the revtyify-
ing baths for which the Ozark resort
Is so justly famous.
Marberry and Hargrave are not ex-
pected to report at the Biloxi camp
until March 3, week later than the
other batterymen are due to check IN,
but the few days OF actual training Win
the full squad missed should handicap
neither. Hargrave is to take catch
ing glove and a few base balls to the
spa so Marberry will have an oppor-
tlInity to do some light throwing IN
addition to other conditioning work.
Sam Rice, who has been devoting
most of his time since reaching Hot
Springs last week to golf. will not be
left alone when Marberry and Hargrave
head for Biloxi. About next Sunday
three more Nationals are likely to check
in at the place for two weeks Of pre-
liminary toiling. This group win In
clude Buddy Myer, t1fielder, and Heinie
Manush and Harry Rice, outflelders.
All have been ordered to the spa. There
they will remain until March 8 or q,
when they viii get under way toward
Biloxi.
THIS week Mike Martin, now start
ing his twentieth season as trainer
of the Nationals, will proceed to
Biloxi that he may have everything
shipshape at the ball yard for the bat
terymen when they report for initial
practice on February 26.
Unless the Biloxi plant was misused
last Summer Mike probably will have
little to do to bring it around to good
trim once more. The spacious playing
field at the camp was in excellent con-
dition when the Nationals left 1t last
Spring.
However, Mike always discovers some
changes are necessary. He's the kind
that looks for work when there doesn't
seem to be any in sight and when he
tackles q Job he does it thoroughly.
once again Texas win have 1t on
" the other States represented IN
the washington squad. NO less
than FIVE players claim the Lone Star
State as home. The nearest rivals Texas
has for representation on the club are
Illinois and North Carolina. Each has
provided four players.
Veteran Texans with the Nationals
are Marberry, Lloyd Brown and sam
West. Newcomers are Lynn Gr1mth,
pitcher. and John wallace Dashieil' in
Marberry still makes his home at
Corsicana and West continues to reside
Reeville to Corpus Christi since last
season. Lynn, the left-hand hurler
purchased from Joplin, was born In
waco. but row lives in Bryan, Tex.
Dsshiell, brought UP from Chattanooga,
the Wash ngton farm. was born IN
Jewett and now lives in Marshall, Tex.
VTTHEN Joe Engel, lcne scout Of the
w Nationals, last Summer wired his
boss he had bought from the Jop-
lin club Of the Western Association one
Crifith, O pitcher, President Grimtn
did not know what Il was all about.
A little later he managed to learn that
his namesake had the front name OF
LYNN. and that he pitched from the
left side. Not until long after did the
washington chief discover his scout
had picked UP something that might
prove valuable to the Nationals.
This Grifflth-Lynn-is q pretty big
how. towering feet Q inches and
weighing 1856 pounds. He'll not be %
wears old until next August 20, and
though he has had but two years In
professional base ball the southpaw has
done right well.
He signed With Houston Of the Texas
League In 1929 only TO be released to
Palestine Of the Lone Star League.
Palestine blew about three weeks later,
SO AdfC AAtNNAA
"a show his wares that season. Last
year, though, he reported to Dallas OF
the Texas circuit, being persistent
cuss, but again he was released. AS
free agent he picked UP with the Joplin
club and made good from the start.
He took part in 43 games, winning
81 and losing 10. He was the only
Western Association pitcher to win 20
or more games. Whats more he struck
out 245 batters, which got him not
only a Western Association record but
made him the 1880 stYike-out king OF
organized base ball.
Maybs Grifith can hit. He did so,
anyway, In a game against Shawnee
last year. He BANKED that club and
scored the games only run with his
triple and an infleld out But ne lost
a tough one to independence later. He
had It out at / TO 0 until two were
out in the ninth. Then with runner
On first a left-hand hitter CT the indie
rendence club hit Grifith's first offer
d., n1yAs tina eoutaP.f1eid fence for a