Evening Star Newspaper, March 9, 1925, Page 18

SPORTS. Harris to Use Mixed Staff in Early Games : Cubs Are Facing Same Old Problems BOTH VETS AND ROOKIES TO PITCH IN EXHIBITIONS Zachary, Marberry and Russell Expected to Divide Box Burden in First Practice Contest With Giants at Palm Beach Tomorrow. Special Dispateh to The Star. T upon h AMPA, Fla, March 9—That Manager Harris is not going to depend rookie pitchers to carry all of the burden in these early exhibition games is indicated by the fact that the list of those to take the four-game trip which starts tonight shows four veterans and four youngsters as the hurlers to be used. It was at first thought that the rookies would have to carry the team along until the regulars got far enough advanced to help out a little, but Tom Zachary have been coming alon: voungsters, Jim McNamara, Harr The others making up_ the Capital City party are: Infielders, Harrish, Peck, Judge, Bluege, MacNally and Shirley; outfielders, Goslin, McNeely, Rice, Lie bold and Carlyle; catchers, Tate and Hargrave oac Altrock and Schacht; Trainer Martin and Presi- dent Griffith. This leaves Ruel, Gregg, Ruether, Coveleskie, Martin, Mo- gridge, Matthews, Adams and Rhine hardt to continue their daily outs here After t take their day the will training under competi- conditions for the balance of the the card being: Tomorrow at Palm Beach; Giants at West Palm Bea day, Reds at Arlando; Friday, Mil- wau at Sanford, and Saturday, B here. It is expected that Zachary, Marberry and Russell will pitch against the Giants in the open- ing game tomorrow, each working for three innin Griff Wins a Debate. By showing up so well at third base for the Nat Yannigans in Saturday’s game against the Cuban all-star: Nemo Leibold, to Prestdent Griffith's mind at least, decided an argument the Nat head has been carrying on with Manager Harris ever since the world series of last Fall. When Peckinpaugh was necessitating the shifting of Bluege to short, and the insertion of either Hack Miller or Tom Taylor at the hot corner, Griff, it seems, urged that the hoy manager take a chance on Lei- bold at third, after Miller had demon- strated in his first game that he was not the man for the job. Harris re- fused, claiming that Harry was a fly catcher, and probably would just Zum up the game” trying to play in inner works, especially with practice Since the training season has got- ten under way here, Leibold has done considerable practice at third with the rookie infield and has shown to such good advantage that he was given the assignment Saturday and resembled the finished product, hand- ling himself in great style. Griffith’s ‘I told you could be heard all over the hotel lobby after the game. Assistant Secretary Billy Smith, who here from West Palm Beach, he went direct from Washing- make arrangements for the there and at Palm Beach Wednesday and tomorrow, respective- Iy, is very enthusiastic over the base ball plant there and cannot under- stand why some major league club has not picked out West Palm Beach as a Spring training camp. “They have a better infield than we have at Washington,” he said, “and a brand-new concrete grandstand and bleachers. The weather is ideal, and for the life of me I cannot under- stand why the place has been over- looked by all of the big league clubs.” Little Wid Matthews has had some odd experiences in his major league career. He was in a reminiscent mood this morning and enumerated a number of them. The two which struck him as the oddest have oc- curred within the last couple of year: “When I was let out by Connie Mack, he said, rand got my job. Mean- while, ame back to Washington, and, in a game in Chicago, I caught the fly which resulted on his last big league trip to the plate. Can you beat that? The other SHAMROCKS LOOKING TO DIAMOND SEASON Manager Childs of the Shamrock senior base ball team has called a meeting of senior and junior players and candidates for tomorrow night at 8 o'clock at 529 Eleventh street southeast Members of the Shamrock Midgets are meeting tonight at 7:30 at the same address. Knickerbocker base ballers will or- ganize tomorrow night at a meeting called for 8 o'clock at 1 Thirty- third street. Prospective members are urged to report. A schedule for the base ball sea- son will be adopted at & meeting of the Government Base Ball League at 8 o'clock tomorrow night at the rec- reation rooms of the Government Printing Office. Teams composing the loop this season are: General Ac- counting Office, Government Printing Office, Patent Office, Interstate and Commissioners. Frank Lyon playing field for and Capt. Tim outfit the team i Lehigh Insxects are challenging teams averaging 12 and. 13 years. Manager Alenstein may be reached at Adams 2986. ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE TO HAVE GOOD NINE Although having no practice field of their own, members of the base ball team at St. John's College are -hop- ing to get outof-doors for the first preliminary sessions of Spring con- ditioning in a day or two. The field at Georgetown University and the Sixteenth street reservolr are considered the two likely diamonds upon whic put in its first licks with the ball and bat. A number of players from the 1924 nine are available and are being de- pended upon to carry the school colors creditably In competition with the high and prep school institutions of the District Yeatman and McAlear are slated for the battery positions, while Mudd, a newcomer, also is ex- pected to assist on the mound. Hielan, Dunn and Sheridan are veteran in- fielders, Capt. John Morris and Wal- ter Morris, the two remaining mem- bers of last year's team, being likely to get berths in the gardens. Manager Fitzgerald has closed con- tracts for eight games, and has prospects of including Devitt Prep as well as return games with Charlotte Hall Academy and Calvert Hall. The scheduie: April 3, Business; 14, Western; 29, Alex- andria High, at Alexandri May 0, Mouat St. Josep 13, Georgetown Preps, COmivert Hall, at Baltimore; Fers. Jun Owarlote Hall Academy, at Char- injured, ton to set of circumstances has donated a the Clarendon Lyons Jordan is expected to at Baltimore; arrett Park; 16, 27, Georgetown work- | no the St. John's squad will | Fred Marberry, at such a fast clip that the Kelley, heart, have been named as the pitching department for | Aller 1 and Joe Martina together with the and Benson Brill- the weck. Clise Dudle CURLY OGDEN SIGNS GRIFFITH’S CONTRACT AMPA, Fla., March 9.—Presi- dent Clark Grifith rounded up Curly Ogden this morning right after breakfast and took him to hix room for a half-hour confer- ence. At itx conclusion the Old ¥Fox announced that he had had little trouble coaxing the young shick of Swarthmore to afix his name on the dotted line of a Washington contract for 192 which give the Spark Plug consider- ble amusement are that on both h st and last trips to the plate in the American League he got hits off Walter Johnson and Urban Faber, ively. the signing last night and Curl, ing every member squad, as now of Vean Gregg v Ogden this morn- of the Nationals® constituted, is under | contract for 1925, 'THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, MARCH 9,. 1925, . HE’S LIKELY TO STICK AS SPARK PLUG FOR HARRIS’ MACHINE THIS TIME Matthews has been displaying his characteristic ginger in the dally drills at Tamps, and it is better than an even-money bet that he will be kept with the Nationals thix season, even if used merely ax a pep-injector. Photo by Carl Thoner. NEHF IS SLATED TO HURL OPENER AGAINST GRIFFS N the Frank Walker, Mickey Devine, among the recrui the Giants. have been scheduled for this month. At Clearwater the Dodgers are ready for the St. Louis Browns Wednesday. Manager Robinson expects to use Eddie Brown in right fleld and Big Dick Cox in center, with Capt. Zack Wheat in left. Cox is the sensation of the Brooklyn camp. having brought an advanced education in hitting and fielding from Portland of the Pacific Coast League The Yankees will play the Braves Thursday, with either Jess Barnes or Rube Marquard opposing them. Sisler Likes His Pitching. ST. LOUIS, March 9.—After a week's review, Manager George Sislen says he feels certain the St. Louis Browns will get better pitching, both start- ing and relief, in 1925 than they got in 1924, when a little tighter twirling might have kept the club in the race Lo the close of the season. Lacking the Sisler stamp of official approval, reports from the Brownie camp at Tarpon Springs, Fla. indi- cate the following hurlers will be on the staff this Summer: Bush. Vangilder, Wingard. Davis, Blaeholder, Gaston, Giard, Falk and one from the ranks of the recruits. Dave Danforth also is a strong pos- sibility if he signs a contract. Moundsmen hold the training limelight among the Cardinals at Stockton, Calif., Manager Branch Rickey having experienced some difficulty in finding a hurler who could place the ball near the plate In exhibition games Saturday and Sunday. on All Indians in Hand. CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 9.—With the arrival yesterday at Lakeland. Fla. from Tot Springs, Ark. of Pitchers Uhle and Edwards and Riggs Stephenson, utility infelder, of the Cleveland American League base ball team, the entire roster of that club is now in Lakeland to finish Spring training. Uhle, Edwards and Stephenson report themselves free of injuries that kept them out of the game a large part of last year and express confidence that they will be able to appear regularly in the coming schedule of games. Macks Borrow Ruth. PHILADELPHIA, March 9.—Re- ports today from the base ball train- ing camps of the Philadelphla Na- tionals and Americans in Florida in- dicated that both squads are in for a strenuous week. Manager Fletcher of the Phillies is working hard to get his men in condition for the exhibitior games with the . Athletics at Fort Myers Thursday and Friday. With two workouts a. day Fletcher hopes the team will be in fine shape for its American League opponents. Babe Ruth, Sultan of Swat. will be in the Athletics’ outfield against the Phillies Friday. Ruth has been bor- rowed by Manager Mack from the camp of the New York Yankees at St. Potersburg for the day, and reserva- tions have been made for the game by fans for miles around. Two Tygers Missing. DETROIT, March 9.—After a com- plete rest yesterday, the Detroit American League team opened its second week of training at the Au- gusta, Ga., camp today. Earl White Hill, pitcher, who is reported en route to the camp. and Heinie Manush, outfielder, who is the only Tyger holdout, are the only two members of the squad that have not reported. Pirates are Battling. PITTSBURGH, March 9.—Manager McKechnie's Pirates staged their first regular outdoor base ball embroglio of the 1925 season at their training ocamp at Paso Robles, Calif., yesterday. The regulars crossed bats with the second string team. According to battle reports reaching here, the rookies got en even break, the score being 8-8. The game was a slugfest throughout, with both teams walloping the opposing pitch- ers aplenty. Emil Yde and Babe Adams divided mound duty for the recruits ‘and Freeley and Lorbeer did the twirling the veterans. “Ple” Traynor was tfle hitting premier, annexing one homer and a three-base hit. Landis at Chisox Camp. CHICAGO, March 9.—One of the snappiest workouts of the season was on the White Sox program today at Shreveport, La., with Base Ball Com- missioner K. M. Landis as a spectator. Recent arrivals are Ted Lyons, EW YORK, March 9.—Little Artie Nehf looks like the choice of the New York Giants to pitch in the first clash with Washington in pring world series,” on Tuesday at Palm Beach. Kent Greenfield and Joe Lance are s selected to make the first road tour of the year with There are eight more training days, as 15 exhibition contests Brooklyn | Charley Robertson, and Ted Blanken- ship, while Willie Kamm, Earl Sheely. Bib_ Falk, Barrett and Maurice Archdeacon are still to appear. Ye: terday was a day of rest and r creation for the entire crew, many of the men playing golf. Two more casualties have hit the Cubs' camp, at Catalina Island, Calif. Bobby Barrett was struck in the mouth by ball on a bad bounce, and Percy Jones received a sprained hand in a collision with another player. Only one practice session was on the card tod 5 HOW TO PLAY BASE BALL By Stanley (Bucky) Harris. CATCHER IIL—WHAT A CATCHER NEEDS. HAVE pointed out the need of the young catcher developing his legs so that they can stand the strain to which they are subjected. Thc‘ undepinning is severely taxed b. lower his full weight when he is in position behind the bat. bound, sooner or later, to slow up a as catchers are the ones who develop y the backstop having to rise and Such work is ny one. Those who last the longes poweriul leg muscles and then work regularly to keep in the best of condition. I have also touched on of special training to make the youngster fast on his feet. An ability to shift rapidly into a throwing posi- tion is very essentlal. For this rea- son a catcher should invariably be on his toes. The flat-footed type of bacKstop is an easy mark for the fast base runner. Even a man slow on the paths can steal on such a catcher. The runner can generally gain two or three strides on the flat-footed backstop. That Is almost enough of a margin to enable any one to steal successfully. A real catcher must have a fine throwing arm. But unless he has a g00d, fast snap peg to the bases, after he gets in position ta make the play on a runner, the best arm in the world will be wasted. A man playing behind the bat needs to be shifty and also speedy. Confidence in your throwing ability is another essential. Constant prac- tice and hard work will make for accuracy and speed. These things in themselves will breed confidence. A catcher needs to feel sure of his ability to throw. Once he does there is no cause for him to hold back in making a peg to get a runner if he thinks he has a chance to retire his man. Oftentimes a catcher’s position calls for great nicety of judgment in throwing to pick a man off a base or to cut one down stealing. If you don’t think you can nip your man don’t lose your head and make a too- hurried throw. Such pegs are gen- erally wild ones. In a close game they can prove extremely costly. A ball tossed to the outfield over sec- ond or third base may well mean all the difference between victory and defeat. Accurate and quick _ thinking s quite as essential in a good catcher as accurate and quick throwing. The catcher should be deliberate, but not at the expense of speed. In other words, his mind has to be thinking a step ahead of the play so that when he calls on his muscles for action | there is speedy execution with the chances for a blunder minimized. The catcher is the only player on the defense who commands a view of the entire field of play. He is in a place where infield and outfield position. He needs to keep his wits about him and watch the bases when there are men on. Vigilance is demanded of all catchers at all times. A youngster must learn to keep on his toes mentally as well as physically. Catchers need to be good judges of the distance of batted and thrown balls. They have to figure the speed at which a ball is coming from the outfield when a throw is being made all the way or relayed and the play is at the plate. Practice at taking balls on the fly and on the hop will help. A catcher's judgment of a batted ball is most important in the case of a foul. Here Is where good instinct comes in handy. A real backstop must have a natural bent for figuring where a ball is going to drop from the sound of the bat meeting it. He can’'t always quite see the play. Abili- Ity to figure the course of such fouls might almost be called an extra sense. All good catchers have it. Few acquire such knowledge. It is a nat- ural gift. . he can observe every ! the need | plate, toss off his mask and soon be in position to fleld the ball. Such a player is generally camped under the ball when it drops and in a fine place to catch It The backstop who is flat-footed or has poor judgment of foul balls is the one you see making such plays on the run, All the percentage is against him. He doesn’t get in easy position to catch the ball and consequently is at a great disadvantage. So is his team, Good eyesight is another needed qualification in a voung catcher. If you wear eyeglasses or your vision is in any way defective forget about trying to play behind the bat. There is no position on a team which calls for keener vision. In many ways the catcher is the eyes of his team (Tomorrow: How to Throw.) (Copyright, 1023, by, Current News Features, nc.) KAPLAN AND MASCART WILL BATTLE IN JUNE SAN FRANCISCO, March 9.—Louis (Kid) Kaplan, champion featherweight boxer of Meriden, Conn., has been matched to meet Edouard Mascart, French featherweight, in a contest to be held in the Yankee Stadium, New York, some time in June, it has been an- nounced here by “Scotty” Monteith, manager of the American. PERUVIAN BOXER WINS. BUENOS AIRES, March 9.—The Peruvian middleweight, Alex Rely, knocked out the Uruguayan, Alejandro Trias, in the third of what was to have been a 20-round bout. By his victory Rely earned the right to meet Angel Rodriguez for the South American mid- dleweight championship. As EBONITE “Strings™ to a Stick, MR. MOTORIST You cannot judge the good- ness of a gear lubricant by its looks. In buying, you must rely upon its reputa- tion for qualtiy. For your safe guidance, there is but one high standard of gear lubrication, EBONITE. It’s all oil. It cushions the gears, stops noise and wear to parts and saves repair bills. Buy with your mind made up. Demand EBONITE. Take no substitute. : At dealers in five-pound cans, and at service stations from the EBONITE checkerboard pump only. "EBONITE (1ITS SHREDDED oOiL FOR TRANSMISSIONS The catcher with good judgment on foul balls has a big advantage. He can get a quick break from the AMD REAR AXLES AYERSON Q14 WORKS - (0LY | pending on the weather man's an | FOUR BOUTS TONIGHT AT BARRACKS SHOW Washington fight fans are due to witness out-of-doors exhi- bition at Washington Barracks tonight when Charlie Baum and Johnny Gill meet the hea attraction the boxing card of 34 rounds. The barracks gymnas mall to accommodate crowd that is expected to view the exhibition of punching, and the au- thorities at the Army post are de- pre- diction that the evening will bring nothing worse than a slight cloudi- ness. Sailor Jimmie Waterman against Curly Warfield in the semi- final of six rounds. Jack Cafoni meets Chick Rubin, Johnny McCarthy fights Jack Cody and Joe Adveco takes on Jimmy Gardner in the other preliminaries. COLLEGE SWIMMERS ELECT A YALE MAN NEW YORK, March 9—Andrew J Wilson of Yale, a former holder of the office, has been elected president of the Intercollegiate Swimming As- sociation to succeed the late W. Leeming Jelliffe. Ben S. De Young of the College of the City of New York was elected vice president The meeting completed arrange- ments for the individual swimming championships at New Haven March 27 and 28. Colleges another the as on m is far too the large Eoes represented were Yale, Princeton, Pennsylvania, Columbia, City College, United States Naval ! Academy, Rutgers, Swarthmore and Dartmouth. Favorable action was taken on ap- plications for membership from Syra- cuse and Carnegie Tech. CREDIT Small Payment Down Balance Monthly T. 0. PROBEY CO. Store No, 1, 2164 Pa. Ave. To. %,'1200 H St. N.E. LIGHTWEIGHT EVENT CONTINUES TONIGHT NEW YORK, Marcn 3.—Six light- weights who passed the tests of the first round in the New York State Athletic Commission’s tournament to name a successor to the retired champion, Benny Leonard, will con- tinue eliminations in 10-round bouts here to night. Solly Seeman of New York will | meet Charley O'Connell of Cleveland, K. O. Clyde Jeakle of Toledo faces Jimmy Goodrich of Buffalo and Benny Valger of New York opposes Basil 10 of New Orleans, At the Sign of the Moon Big Reductions —Offer wonderful —Tailoring values. Suit or Overcoat —Made for you. $18-50 $30 Grade For $35 Grade $30 For $40 Grade For $50 Grade In this display are a numb er of medium- weight fabrics. Full Dress Suits to Order Silk Lined, $45 Up MERTZ & MERTZ CO0., INC. TAILORS 906 F Street’ SPORTS. CALIBER OF THEIR PUNCH STILL IS PROBLEMATICAL Manager Killefer Believes Has Been Acquired With Hitherto Lacking “Kick”’ Grimm and Maranville, But This Remains to Be Demonstrated. BY JOHN B. FOSTER. A start off well and makes a corking when the test came and men were a pun. r that same problem comes up. were made of flint or putty, the Cubs have been in the habit of s They usually have followed tk hard, but never show nant. Imost always th which to knock dov or two more runs the ruck. Batting was so evidently w needed that the Cub scouts were told to round up every potential fence buster they could find. The scouts| have not had a lot of success along | that line past years and it is a question whether the neeced wal- loper is witi® the team this year. In fact, it is pretty certain t! no one slugger has been uncovered However. if the combination of Grimm and Maranvi'le bring to the Cubs as much batting activity as it is conceivable tI nigl the team will be helped wonderfull Both will field fast enough, and b have shown in the past tha bat. Rabhit Is Biggest Problem. Maranville, perhaps problem of the two. about as well as he tried. but the Rabbit ir occasionally | too fiighty for his own good. Still. he is as hard as nails this Spring and is bubbling over with deter tion to | make a good record | BIll Killefer, th pressed himse!f to the w satisfied with the tea having a punch. He tr of Maranville and Grimm feels he might F last season with t Of course, last sea the dam, but it's about the by which a manager future. It it to be considered Cubs have a punch it mus upon as a combination punch, made | up of two players taken over from Pittsburgh. The Cubs figure that the Cooper end of the deal was all their way, and they are counting on get- ting at least 15 victories out of his south wing. Maybe that, too, is a part of the punch. But if the Cubs had a real .400 hitting player on the team there would be fewer ifs and buts. They would be almost sure to land *among the first three One thing is certain—with Hartnett | behind the bat, they have five arms of steel in the infield. Although they have been here only a week, Grimm, Adams, Maranville, Friberg and Hart- nett are throwing the ball as if they had been playing half a season. H nett's throwing to second is the mar- vel of the other players. He them down, one after another, never higher than a man's head at the highest point of their trajectory. Maranville says he never caught such hot shots in his career on the infleld. And the three basemen and the shortstop promise to make things per game, they t they should is the greater He can p ever did if he nnant e-up. er over only thing can figure the that the be looked | VALON, Catalina Island, Calif., would not have lines | March 9.—Have the Cubs of . team carly showing. But in past years called upon to show whether they gging seems to s up by hanging on to the finish, fighting g enough pun h to carry them through to a per has been due to the lack of heavy artillery with n the opposition’s pitching Cubs possessed one good clean-up hitter, fortifications. Had the who could assure th of one inished so far down 1l right, but maybe their unwil lingness to let Kelly go to Ch was due to the fact that they figured he would raise to much Ned wit them if he got a chance to bat against them on the Cubs' field, the fences of which are just suited to h style of hitting. Killi s with Grimm and Ma anville g00d he won't eve: the outfield—and | igures he can use the clever O'Fi rell to mighty good advantage (Copyright, 1825.) D. C. GIRL SWIMMERS AIMING TO GET EVEN say going =s Kelly in Although defeated, 43 to 18, in the the auqua Swimming Club of Baltimore, girl the Capitol Athletic meet with swimmers of Club will g | through = strenuous course this weel and encounter the Baltimoreans aga on Saturday night the Congre sional Country Club pool. Florence Skadding was the on Washingtonian to take a first place in any of the seven events of t meet in the Baltimore pool, winning the 100-yard breast stroke by a wid= margin mmaries sard free style—Won by Gladys Bowen (Citauqua): Eoa Pettingill (Capitol), secon Florence Skadding (Capitol), third| T'me 3445 seconds. 430-vard free style—Won wick (Citauqua); G r second; Thelma pitol), T.me, 8 mi 109-ya. (Citaugua); Winifred ond. Time. 1 minute 20 2.3 seconds. 50-yard backstroke—Won by Olivia Warne (Citauqua): Ellen Berg (Citauqua), second lone Whaler (Capitol), third. Time, 434 roke—Won by Fl fary Dickner (Citauq (Capitol), third. 1T (Citauqu this Glady. Faunce (Capitol rdbreast Skadding (Capitol) Bench Benhan (Capitol) by Cita o, W Skading, L. Whale Time, 1 mizute FOUR AUSSIE NETMEN MAY BE SENT TO U. pretty hot for base runners O'Farrell Is Highly Valued. The Chicago management O'Farrell, the Giants but Killifer says weeks back offered catcher, outright to exchange for Kell he It was Kell would not make the thought at the batting as a O'Farrell's catching. The Glants seem to need a catcher, few the clean-up man woud be worth more to the Cubs than S. MELBOU Australia, March 9 A fund is being raised here to obta | money to defray the expense of sending G. M. Hone, the south Australian cha: pion, as the fourth player on the Av tralasian Davis cup team to the Unit States. in known as “the young giant of He has a service which some of the game consider equa in pace to, if not faster than, that Gerald L. Patterson. TO thousands of smokers, El Producto is more than just a good cigar. It is a constant com- panion—a friend on whom to depend for real enjoyment. And no wonder! Its mild, yet distinc. tive character never varies—you can bank on it always. There’s a size to suit your fancy—10 to 30c. G. H. P. Cigar Co., Inc. Phila., Pa. Distridutor Daniel Loughran Co., Inc. 1347 Penna. Ave. N.W. ‘Washington, D. O. '