The Washington times., 1938-03-02
GRIFFMEN STAGE FIRST BATTING Drill
Wesley FerreI|
Would Regain
Lost Power
BY FRANK BUCK" ONEML


ORLANDO, Fla, March 2.-Did
you ever see a master of his trade
who was impressive just doing
nothing?
Well, then step up and meet
Wesley Cheek" Ferrell, who
signed his contract at 9:45 o'clock
yesterday morning, hoped into
his working clothes and showed
the rockies the way a veteran ap.
proaches the proposition Of con.
ditioning himself for season.
Ferrell stepped out Of the club
house door and faced a battery
of cameras, and then proceeded
to jog around the outfield behind
the padded poles installed to illum.
mate the field for night baseball
in the Florida State League. He
made half a dozen laps of the
field, and then, calling for new
ball, warmed up with Brother
Rick. 1t was just an old-fashioned
game Of catch, very much after
the way dad tossed the ball to lit
tie Snooks on Sunday morning.
IN CONDITION
There was more running around
the field, and later, when Al SIM
mons inveigled one of the CLUB
house boys to pitch a few to him,
Ferrell went out and shagged the
ball.
The untutored rockies cherished
the belief that pitchers must
pitch. And, Speakin' in general,
they're just as right as rain, but
Ferrel has learned in his dozen
years Of baseball that a pitcher is
no better than his legs. If his legs
are in condition, his arm usually
will be all right.
Ferrell last year set two records,
one of which he is entirely willing
to forget. He worked in 281 in
nings, which was tops for the
American League. He allowed 325
hits, also tops for the league. Fer
rell is not especially proud of the
latter performance. He allowed
490 earned runs per nine-inning
game, and you needn't bring up
that point for discussion.
MUCH OPTIMISM
For three consecutive years now,
F'errell has allowed more hits per
nine-inning game than any other
pitcher in the American League,
but, with that optimism that ever
marks the major league player. he
thinks that this year he will be
more effective. If he can regain
his form of 1885 and 1886, when
he won Is and 20 games, respec-
lively, he will be thoroughly sat
iSfied. And so will Washington
fandom.
AL Simmons was responsible to
breaking one early season rule Of
Bucky Harris. 1t was decided be-
fore the squad arrived here that
there would be no batting prac-
tice. But Simm onS inve1gled
kelly" the clubhouse boy to throw
few, and started rifling the ball
to remote points in the field.
Naturally, the others wanted to
take crack at the ball, and soon
the firing became general. Bucky
Harris relieved the perspiring
Kelley, and pitched for half an
hour.
BLUEGE IN CAMP
Mickey Livingston, the young
catcher fought his way to tho
plate and got in few good shots.
So did Joe Kuhel.
Ossie Bluege, the old master Of
the infield arrived in camp late
yesterday and was out for practice
today. II,
The practice today, as yester.
day, consisted of routine work,
with no one allowed to throw the
ball with anything approaching
speed.
Joe Haynes, the young right
handed pitcher. may undergo an
operation on his left arm within
the next few weeks. His arm was
x-rayed by DR.. Frank Gray yester-
day, and showed some infected
bone above the elbow.