Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01
THREE NEAR FORM
FOR EARLY GAMES
Tauscher, Griffith, Fischer
AdVance-BoIton Is Given
Catching Drill.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON,
Sports Editor, The Star.


men of the Nationals to-
ward conditioning themselves for
the approaching base bal season,
there now seems little question
that q majority will be well pre-
pared to provide batting practice
of the most approved type for the
infielders and outfielders when
the latter finally show up.
So beneficial was the long workout
INDUCED in today, all hands were
notified they would be required to do
no toll on the Sabbath, which will be
given over to golf, sailing, fishing or
motoring, according to the bent of In
dividua1, and they will have six addi-
tional days Of practice behind them
before the dozen and half veterans
and near regulars who specialize at
inner Gordon duty and garden patroling
check In to inaugurate training week
from next Monday.
The date Is March 9 and with the
first Of the Nationals 90 Spring exhi-
bition tits listed with the Baltimore
Orioles here on the following Thursday,
the late arrivals will have only three
days to get the cobwebs of q Winter Of
idleness brushed from their optics
before they are called upon to face the
offering Of alien slabmen for the flrst
time.
Rush Order for Bats.
The close approach of actual diamond
hostilities led to the discovery by some
today that although there are in camp
plenty of gloves, balls, shoes and other
paraphernalia incidental to the game,
there Is decided scarcity Of bats. The
result was wired order to the plant at
Louisville, KY, which turns out most
Of the pill pounding implements used
by the major leaguers, for rush ship
ment Of sticks which it Is hoped viii
be delivered within q week.
Following the steady rain Of yester-
day afternoon and evening, which
turned into downpour along about mid
night 1t might be supposed the players
would have been somewhat Handicapped
In their conditioning activities today by
heavy, damp grounds, but the sandy
soil hereabout drains so rapidly there
were few traces of the wetting the
ground had been subjected to when the
players reached the ball park around
10 O'Clock this morning.
With a bright, warm sun on the
JOB and very little breeze the athletes
went to work with q viii in the fresh,
inyigorating air and within the space
Of two hours had obtained all the exer-
able for the day.
Tauscher TO Get Work.
Prom the way the pitchers are
shaping up It seems likely that much
mound work in the early part of the
exhibition schedule win be shouldered
by Walter Tauscher, the sizeable right
handler drafted from Dallas Of the
Texas League, and southpawS Lynn
Grinith and Carl Fischer, the former
q cash acquisition from Joplin of the
Western Association, where he special
lied In victimizing batsnen via the
strikeout route, and the latter pur-
chased from the Newark Internationals
last Summer.
These three, along with Bump Had
ley and Lloyd Brown, now have had a
full week Of limbering up and natu-
rally are farther advanced than Al
Crowder, AID Biska, Sam Jones, Bob
Burke, Art Ffdler, Joe Smith, Ray Nc
Mahon and George Grayson, who be-
gan operations only last Thursday.
Fischer. the personal pick Of Presi-
dent Grifhth, who arranged for his
purchase from the Newark Bears last
July after seeing him in action in an
International League game, constitutes
something Of O puzzle to the clubs
board Of strategy N that he seemed
to completely lose the one thing that
so impressed the clubs chieftain when
he secuted him. This was his speed.
In his first game IN a Washington
uniform-it was at Cleveland during
the clubs second trip West-Fischer
fully lived up TO his reputation as q
fire-ball finger, tanning something Ike
six Indians in the first four innings,
hit ie fae hall eaarnfyaOIy aaaEad he
thereafter, and he never again gener-
ated any real zip on his offerings for
some unaccountable reason.
Fischer Picks Up Weight.
High hopes are held out for him this
year, however. For one thing, he has
put on some added weight on his gem
erous frame, being IL pounds heavier
than when he first joined the club, and
II he again flashes the swift that
first attracted Griff's attention he VIII
have merely to acquire good control to
become a really formidable finger.
Tauscher and Griflth, although they
use different hippers for hurting, re-
semble each other to the extent that
both are Of the raw-boned, loose
Jointed type. The southpaw, who Is
only 20 years old, probably boasts more
sheer stun than his mate, but
i
had considerably more experience, q
fact which Is evident in the way he
handles himself in the hunt-fielding
sessions.
Then the fact that he made a credit
able showing with the Dallas club last
season is a recommendation In itself
for the Texas League is regarded
among the base ball wise to be fully
as fast an organization as the South
ern Association.
Much Of Manager Johnsons personal
attention today was devoted to Cliff Boil
ton, the Tarheel youth with heavy-f1t-
ting propenSities. who is listed as q
catcher only for the reason that all ball
players are supposed to be able to do
something else besides bit. The fact that
Bolton got so little work to do with
Chattanooga last season was due solely
to his deficiencies in defensive way
both as an outhelder and as maskman,
in both Of which capacities he was
tried.
Bolton Gets Drilling.
It is because he looked a little less
terrible back of the bat than in the
garden that he is sporting receivers
mitt here, but 1t is apparent he will
need plenty Of lessons in the intricacies
of catching before his fielding ability
approaches his prowess as a slugger.
Especially in catching foul flies Is he
weak. and so today he was given drill
so long that he was well tuckered
out at the finish.
For more than an hour johnson, who
Is adept at lofting fungoes. fouled balls
high, wide and handsome for Bolton
and Ed Kepna, his team mate ct Chat
/. tanooga, who did most OF the catching
5cr the Lookouts last season. Kenna