The Washington times., 1936-03-06
GriHASks
Hills Aid
As Coach
By FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL

BY FRANK "BUCk" ONEILL
ORLANDO, Fla, March 6
Clark Griffith and Bucky Harris
stood observing the hired hands
whirl through a morning drill
Across the terrain in deep left
a player raced after a hard hit
liner. Getting in front of the
ball, he turned and made an easy
catch.
II have an idea," said Crit.
fifth.
81 have one tOO," said Harris.
"These condolences should
be recorded" piped your very
irreverent reporter. "Will you
now expOund your ideas, one
at a time"
"HilI made that CATCH" said
Griffith. Last year that ball
would have gone through to
the fence for a three-bagger."
That's not an idea: that's a
statement of fact" we inter.
rupted.
COACH, MAYBE
''NOw Pm thinking that maybe
Hill can be used for something
more than an Outfielder," con.
tinued Griff. "He has had a lot
of training in track at Univer.
Sity of Southern California. He
coaches in the off season, and
we might have him coach on
some of our players.
"That is an idea," agreed Har.
riS who is quick to seize upon
any worthwhile suggestion. "Sup-
pose we set him working on
some of the fellows who might
be able to use a little inStruc-
tiOn.
I'll tell him." said Griffith.
I'll have him coach some of the
boys who are slow away from
the plate to be exact.
ut won't help some of the
boys very much. Some of them
just won't learn how to sprint.
But some Of them, already fast,
will be helped.
GAMES LOST BY A FOOT
Suppose that Hill were able
to add one quarter of a step
going down to first base to
five men on the team. Sup
pose he could help Travis,
Myer, KuheI and Powell and
one other fellow. The average
ball player has a five-foot
stride, give and take a little.
Well, if Hill could get them
down to first just 18 inches
faster; one quarter of a step,
think of what it would mean
in getting men on bases.
I'm the course of a year the
average ball club has $50 men
thrown out by a foot" said
Griffith. Maybe Hills coach.
ing might enable 125 of our
players to reach first base
safely. Maybe IS of these
would score. This is all theory,
but it's a sound theory. At
least, think enough of it to
give Hill a chance to impart
his knowledge of track work
to those men who want to
gain just a little better run.
ming form and more and more
speed to get on bases more
often.
Il wish we had gotten one
half the number of men on
bases last year who were thrown
out by two feet" said Harris.
We hight have done a lot bet
ter for ourselves in the pennant
race. This coaching idea offers
something to Hill and to the
team"
HILL ACCEPTS ASSIGNMENT
The idea seemed so thoroughly
sound that your agent sat through
breakfast this morning with Hill
and discussed the matter with
him. He was in favor of it all
right, but naturally, didn't want
to. press himself forward.
"ToO few players in the ma ajor
league have had advantages Of
training in track, and it is
really too bad" Hill said "there
are number of things neglected
in major league baseball, and
specialized coaching of this sort
is among the things neglected.
I'll be glad to cooperate to the
fullest"
It may happen now that Hill
will improve the speed of tho
Washington club so that the boys
will beat out a lot of those nip
and-tuck races with the ball, and
it may happen hat IS additional
runs will be scored. This mum
ber will be sufficient to win many
a close game. In fact, IS runs
might mean the difference be
tween low ranking and high rank
ing. 1t is entirely worth trying
Here's Flying Trio
Hill held his first practice with
the Griffs yesterday before the
rain drove the boys back to the
bridge table. He showed them
so much speed that veteran OBJ
servers of the Washington ball
club vowed that Jess was using
Jake Powell went into center
field for a workout and after Hill
observed Jake perform for a few
minutes he said:
eff any fly balls drop be-
tween us, we ought to be
ashamed Of ourselves"
Iohnnv St0na was in right