Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-18
TALK IS OF LINKS,
/. NOT OF OWN GAME
Scottish Pastime Will Be
Banned When Mats Start
Flag Campaign.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON,
Sports Editor, The Star.

Whether golf helps or
~ binders a ball player long
has been a moot question
and probably will continue to be.
There are those who Stoutly con-
tend that the swing used with the
various sticks on the links is so
fundamentally different from that
employed with a bat at the plate
that it makes fer bad habits, such
as the overdevelopment of muscles
not needed by a diamond devotee,
whereas champions of the Scottish
pastime stress the benefits to be
derived from the hours spent in
the sunshine and the leg-strength-
ening exercise involved in tramp
ing around a course.
Walter Johonson is numbered among
the latter. He plays golf himself and
encourages his men to do likewise on
days when there is no ball game sched-
uled or when it won't interfere with
practice at the park, and spoofs at the
so-called deleterious effect on the eye
of whacking a small, stationary pellet
rs against walloping tast-moving
target.
AS a result majority Of the Crit
fithian regulars, including Sam Rice,
the club champion, and probably as
good golfer as the league boasts, can
be found whenever the opportunity Is
afforded digging in sand traps and
climbing bunkers in quest of pars and
brides, but more frequently register
ing buzzardS. And there is little QueS-
ton the walking and ozone 1nhaling
involved in the process Is better Tor
them than lolling around in easy chairs
or cooped up inactive in motor car.
DUT the extent to which indulgence
ID in the royal and ancient game
serves to get their minds OF base
ball is something else again. So abb
sorbed does a golf addict usually be-
come he seldom talks of anything ex-
cept driving, approaching and putting
and in consequence he devotes little
thought to the thing that should be
uppermost in his mind-base ball.
An insight into how it works out
was furnished in the lobby of the
Nationals hostelry at Biloxi following
the evening meal yesterday when an
animated conversation occupied
large group of players. The new ball
was the subject. Not the one with
the heavier stitching which has sup
planted that with countersunk seams,
but the larger and lighter gutta percha
sphere decreed au fat by the y. S. O.
A. this year.
One veteran regular listened for
time to the chat which was studded
with such expressions as shorter on the
tee" fades in a wind" and puts
better" and then disgustedly arose with
the announcement he was going to
hunt up some one to talk base ball to.
nLAYuNG golf in itself probably is
I good for a ball tosser, the harmful
part being the manner in which it
completely abSorbs those who fall under
its spell. With an aggregation such as
the Nationals, rIlnner-up for the Amer
acan League title last season and con-
ceded to have an excellent chance TO
cop this year. one would suppose they
would be talking, sleeping and eating
base ball, considering the financial re-
turns as well as glory accruing to PEN
nant winners. but it's golf that the
minds Of most of them are centered
on now.
OF course, it will be different once
the championship campaign gets under
way. for then all golf will be taboo
until next Fall, but it does seem the
main business at Misunderstanding for
base ball-coUld be better accomplished
II there we're no such attractive a side
issue such as the welding Of brassies
and niblics to divert their attention.
THIS was one day of the Spring con-
i ditioning sojourn that golf was in the
background. however, as all Of the
Grifls, with the exception Of a few
veteran pitchers and green rockies who
took their customary exercise at Biloxi
Stadium, this morning boarded buses
for the half-hour run over here, where
the Baltimore Orioles were to be en-
countered this afternoon in the third
OF the series between the two clubs.
Lynn Griffith. Walter Tauscher and
Carl Fischer, the trio of youngsters who
opposed the Birds in the initial en-
counter which resulted in a 7-to-6 vic
tory for Baltimore due to costly errors
by Dave Harris and Harry Rice, were
slated to split up the hurting again. with
both regulars and subs once more see
ing service in the field.
Russell Reed, the 18-year-old protege
of Ed Charity from Shawano, Wis,
failed to make much Of an impression
in his initial workout with the Nation
ais. So pea-green Is the lad he didn't
even know how to climb into his uni
form. Just out of high school, he nat
urally was nervous, appearing on a field
with big leaguers for the first time and
probably will show TO better advantage
when he becomes more accustomed to
his SURROUNDINGS