Evening star., 1932-02-26
ABOUT FIT TO TOSS
IN BATTING DRILLS
Pitchers Expected to Cut
Loose Monday-Camp Night
Life No Worry.
BY TOM DOERER.

H. Washington base ball clubs
board of strategy today was
that batting practice would be as
permanent on the daily menu as
grapefruit, beginning next Mon
day morning.
Those initiated in the movement
OF tralnlng-camp procedure this
morning suggested that the pitch
erS and catcherS here are so ad-
vanced that the outfit is about
three or four days ahead of itself.
1t was originally planned to have
the pitchers and catcherS sufficiently
looSened up to be able to feed balls over
the plate to the fielders when they
came trekking into camp on March g.
But as it now stands the present squad
will be tossing them over to one an
other on Monday morning
Officially word from the board en-
masse is lacking because this board can
not be got together for an official meet
ing in the evenings, due largely to pino-
chile, bridge and the lurid attractions of
night life, two miles back in town
Night life at the moment consists of
exciting walks up one side of Howard
avenue, the dazzle street, and down the
other, taking in all of the advertising
pictures in the barber shop windows
the movies and window displays in mil
linery and gown shops.
CLARK GRIFFITH, sitting in with a
~ good or bad pinochle hand. is in
different to the Wanderings of his
athletes into town and temptation, be-
cause he knows that temptation here
is so slight that it will have to come
out of dark corner somewhere and
toss the boys for a loss when they are
net looking
There is net even a bottle of soft stuff
or a candy bar around the camp to
make these athletes forget their train
ing. 1t is the most businesSlike, home
like camp since Griffith first demanded
that his players wear collars into the
dining rooms.
But the boys occasionally will snitch
soda water at the drug store in town,
much to the annoyance of Trainer Mike
Martin, who can sense the effect of
chocolate Sody on his charges. Mike
has these youngsters so cautious about
breaking his training rules that they
grab bottle of pop as if they were
afraid that, when they were about to
down it. out would hop Mike, Frankie
Baxter and Griffith.
WITH the veterans at camp it is diff
wv ferent. They know that to deviate
fraction from Mikes advice
means setback in their training, and
they. and not Mike, pay for it.
The reason for my being in the best
OF shape in years" said Marberry, talk
my diet all Winter"
Big Fred drank no milk with his
shrimp and ate no bananas with his
pickles, back there in Texas, and looms
as handful of Government bonds at
the moment. Figuring, of course. that
Government bonds mean money, which
they did when the troupe left Wash
ington
But there is no telling what may have
happened 10 years ago, when the early
band first gathered here-that is, it
feels like 10 years to the boys who are
wondering If they are going to make
the grade, and also to those who are
waiting for the first pay day.
However, in the lobby last night sat
Mr. and Mrs Griffith and party playing
bridge Over in another corner were
Walter johnson, Ed Charity, LLOYD
Brown, Mike Martin, Fred Marberry
and Al Crowder kissing at one another
over spirited game of pinochle. Al
Schacht was handling the radio, the
rocks were promenading the beach
4AOIlC, dllI IlidI ID WIldL YOUR dJIlleISS 90
on an average evening.
GO far as base ball news is concerned,
~ your Aunt Hatties thimble would
hold twice as much. Griffith does
not seem to be permitting anything
to worry him now. That is what is
annoying the press because with moth
ing for the club prexy to snort about
means no words for the telegraph COM
panies.
Following very brisk workout yes
terday in which Johnson and Schacht
batted 'em up for the catchers, the
entire outfit went into a snappy dis
play of how to relax on the lawn of the
hotel and out on the pier adjoining the
very dignified and peaceful hostelry.
THERE is not a sore arm in camp
l. and appetites have reached such
an alarming state that the Hotel
Biloxi chef peeks out of the kitchen
occasionally to see if there is con-
vention in town.
Al Schacht spoke before the Lions
Club at noon. if you must know every
thing. Griffith introduced him and no
body suppressed the garrolous Al.