Evening Star Newspaper, February 17, 1927, Page 38

IMPROVED BOX BRIGADE SORELY NEEDED BY NATS Despite Infield and Outfield Strength, Club Mu Show Better Pitching Than It Did Last Year to Be Factor in Pennant Race. BY DENMAN THOM s Editor. The St AMPA. Flortda, Februa " far the most int e of the Nationals on work this ye ce for recognition army of fingers on <y the small the voster With an infield composed of Judge. Jfarrie. Myer and Bluege, and having o back them up Grant Gillls from Birmingham, Emmett McCann fron Columbus. Bob Reeves, the Georgia Tech collegian, and Stufty Stewart, former boss of the Barous, the inner works seem to be adequately provided be said to go for the en with the famous Speaker in _center field. Goose Goslin and Sam the well and McNeely Ltice, an avor: known Henry Cullop, the St. Poul swatsmith; ernie Neis, veteran of many blg cague campaigns; Ollle Tucker. carned another trial in the majors at New Orleane, and Sam West, who was rly burning up the Southern Asso- ciation until an injury laid him low last season. There is no gainsaying the fact that | tha backstopping department could | rtand for a bit of bolstering. with | John Berger, New Haven draftee, to the firm of Ruel and Tate. \e powers that be seem inclined ink that this trio will doand may be that they ave right Must Brace Mound Staff. \ere is no argument on the score | that a vast improvement must be ef- ‘ted in the box brigade, however, the Nationals are to prove factors | in the forthcoming American League | race and the large number of candi- | dates for berths on the slinging staff affords a wide fleld for speculation as to the complexion of the curvlngl corps when it finally is decided on. | Any discussion of pitching for the 1927 Griffmen must, of course, start with Walter Johnson and Stanislaus Coveleskie. The former, embarking on his twenty-first campaign, and the latter, who is due to start his twelfth consecutive season in the big | show, are veterans in every sense of | the word, as they admit to 40 and 36 vears of age, respectively. There is | little question but that they still pack | the ability to prove potent factors in the pennant chase, however, and are assured of regular berths, although | their starts may be separated by | longer intermissions for recuperation than formerly was the case. Then there are Fred Marberry, the king of all relief riflemen, who is slated to graduate to starting assign- ments, but whom I'venture to predict will continue to function chiefly as a rescurer, and Hollis Thurston, who merits the rating of veteran on the score of both age and experience. With the former White Stocking, it | simply is a case of whether he recov- ers the cunning he boasted a couple of seasons back as to whether he will be a real pitcher or just thrower. Ogden May Work. Another in the semi-veteran class i&¢ Warren Ogden, who knows what 1t’s all about, but never has succeeded in hitting on all cylinders. Curley showed up considerably overweight | this Spring, but is gradually losing the excess poundage via the open-| pore route | It always has been suspected of him | that he was dlsinclined to try very | hard, due to the effort involved in the | procedure, but it is ventured that he | will apply himself more assiduously | this Spring than ever before, and for a | reason that is good and sufficient. | Tt is that the Sheik of Swarthmore | %ot all fed up on the humid climate and indifferent viands obtainable in Dixie - while performing with Bir- mingham last year, and that rather than be sentenced to another Summer among the Confederates he is willing 10 ga to work, much as it annoys him. So far as General Alvin Crowder and Admiral Decatur Jones are con- cerned, they generally will be ac- corded a high rating on the strength of the promising performances they turned in under the Harrisian ban- ner last season after being plucked from the. Birmingham and Chatta- nooga clubs, respectively. They head the list of rookies, beyond a doubt, although the fact that Bill Morrell, alone of all the bunch that received an inspection here last Spring. con- trived to stick with the team all sea- who | son must be regarded as having some significance, the others there is much ence of opinion. For instance, oll, the mastodonic mounds- man from Little Rock, may or may not suffer from the effects of being divorced from his_tonsils, the neces sity for which will cause him to he late getting on the job here. Ralph Stewart from Birmingham, undoubt- | edly needs polish. In the case of Dick Coffman, the Chattanoogu | chucker, it Is feared that his tender {age of 19 nd consequent lack of | experience I prove too great a | handicap for him to shoulder, while | Bob Burke, a former teammate of Carroll, f0 terribly attenuated | that it is hard to couceive of him | being uble to stand the gaff in fast company. Scout Joe Engel's original | on this 20-year-old lad was that it { he only possessed u bit more weight he unqualifiedly could be pronounced a great prospect and with that end in view Burke wuas sent a.minute | set of instructions for dieting, exer- | cise, ete., late last Fall. This course was prepared a well known | physiclan of the Capital, who spends report | most of his spare time at the ball park and has the interests of the team at heart. He assured the club officials that would enable the player to weeks. Nothing was heard from the youns- ster until he reported here this week when, it answer to a_question pro- pounded by one of the bosses, he sheepishly admitted he had carefully followed all the directions, but has lost 10 pounds. Might Change Diet. As it is, Burke, who stretche: feet 11, inches into the air, weighs « | scant 150 pounds, but if the doctor in question can be persuaded to prescribe something designed to make him gain | weight, there may be hope for him | yet. | For a varlety of reasons, those | whose voices in the councils of the | club merit an audience have confiict- | ing notions of the relative merits of the candidates for box berths pending the time when they can be tested un. | der fire, Clark Griffith is of the opinion that Horace Lisenbee, the lean Memphis moundsman, is the cream of the bunch, while Manager Harris fanci the chances of Garland Braxton, ex Yankee, and Frank Loft although he may be influenced toward the lat- ter by sentiment due to the fact that Loftus hails from the hardcoal coun- try, just as Bucky does, Trainer Mike Martin likes George Murray's knuckle ball and Irving Hadley’'s speed, while Coach Jack Onslow is impressed with the size of Lou McEvoy and Leo Mangum. It is not unnatural to belleve that Altrock is a rooter for Clayton van Alstyne, because it was k who dis- | covered him up in New England, while a possible explanation of the fact that Thomas has an_ admirer in Schacht is that Al and Hooky both think lefthanded and the latter, in ad- dition, throws that way. With the arrival yesterday of Catcher John Berger, the advance | squad is fully complemented except for Joe Carroll, who is expected ins of a week. 1t | de | OCEAN SWIM IS WON | BY CHICAGO MATRON By the Associated Press. | Hall at 7 o'cloc Chicago matron, won the first ocean swim from Daytona Beach to Ormond Beach, from a fleld of nine iz and woman starters yesterda; She swam the distance—about five miles—in 2 hours and 38 minutes. Chauncey Hyatt, her husband, led | the swimmers most of the way, but was forced to second position when | cramp developed in a leg and the salt | water caused his eyes trouble. He came in yards back of his wife. Prizes of $30 were awarded both | swimmers. —— e | SOCCERISTS TO DANCE. | British*United soccerites will benefit | from the proceeds of a dance to be | | given Satur night at the Pl | house, 1814 N street. When Base Ball Was Young BY JOHN B. FOSTER “Back Talk™ From a Deaf Mute HERE was a base ball team of deuf mutes in the days of the S0s which played excellent lull throughout the Midwest. “Dummy” Hoy was graduated and so was Dugan. Both ever ball pl This team of mutes was an excelient bas hall nine. It played good base ball sgainst major league teams and oW and then licked them. The eague teams of those ds 2% good as th major league teams o today. Old fellows will tell you th were better and give & good argument to make their case, Hoy was a very fast played the outfleld. He was a good batter and in time went 1o the Cin- cinnati club and played with it. He #lso plaved with Washington. The one thing that all ball players on the teams with which he played had to i most cautious about was to keep aut of his way when he started for anything. It was no use to oy to and he was too in the ball to sce a signal. from were it ve 1 u player. He tent on gettin 1ot Him Alone. I'he best thing to do to let him and by and by all ball playe with him found that if {hey him alone he was pretty sure to ¢t anything for which he started, be- 1use he wouldn't set sail for the ball I thought he could catch it. -d with the 1 side of him o * If Hoy started a cer . ant he was to get the ball, and d unother way, that meant back up the other fielder. it on Hoy always to siart (fiernoon in a very tight #s o wrought up that he confused and gave the backi then started ahead full speed ball. He collided with 1) fielder, Bugs Holliday, maxin Anyhow, there was i coilision The other fielder was knocked dowr nd shaken up pretty severely. | .ame to the hench yowling and moz g and said to the manager, Loss, | want a clanse in my contract rht mow or 1 don’t play any mere tih + the teeth | hie er o was v major | s were about lose when he gives me then follo n £ he back-up < with the tip-up. Look ntelli zent m time named Dumn sali 1y nick use he was @ suavi as : his handicaps. Hank O'Day was umpiring the Polo Ground and Taylor was coach ing. It was wet und rainy and the iants thought the should he called. O'Day didn't. Now aud then | an umpire takes seeming delight in keeping the hoys out in the mud and making the spectators sit in the rain. he umpire it the spectators would oniy go home he would call the game. but us long as they sit th and ke their gentle drops he stand out and umpire, Taylor went down to the clubhouse | and found the groundkeeper's hip 5. lovely rubber affa which n when the keeper navigated ¥ 10w and ¢ filled with water. The mute v on and went to the first position, whe ind grunted with noise that w ise that Oner will put bse, urgled Throws Away Boots. The umpir line sudd | high boots looked down , and there wa ind all, making | of peculiar gesture with his ward the umpire “Get out o’ the game. Then he remembered that { not hear. He motione of ti e, anc ed “50' with his fin Which meant that Taylor was fined $50. Taylor hus tled to the bench go get consolation Me sreeted fiim with a ace, the manager the only too well, and to for the ¢luh would not pay the fine, Taylor groaned and pulled off the hoots, run ning to the clubhouse in his stocking {fect. e did not look in the show window of a shoe store for the player out he cou .| mainder of the vear Next—Wagon Tongues as Base Ball | Bats.) v | management re. | THE EVENING STAR., WASHINGTOX, D. T, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1927. Harris Must Solve Mound Staff Problem : Griffs” Dates Favor Fans, Not Club i!OOKIE TWIRLERS WHO ARE STRIVING FOR BERTHS WITH THE WASHINGTON CLUB AND THEIR COACH Left to right: Thomas, Burke, Cofftman, McEvoy, Mangum, Jones, Hadley, R. Stewart, Lisenbee, Coach Onslow, Van Alstyne and Loftus. SUZANNE ON TOUR By the Assoriated Press LOS ANGELES, February 17. - promoter of professional sports, statement today, Baldwin of Los Angeles, grandson of the late E. J. “Lucky” Baldwin, mil lionaire turfman, for difficulties which he sald caused him to relinquish the of Suzanne French woman tennis star. Pyle said he had been told Baldwin would succeed him in directing the next exhibition tour of the French ace. G Py | Mile. Lenglen and I part company | with nothing bu the friendliest of re- " sald Pyle. “She had a suc cessful tour of this country and would have been equally successful in Japan had we gone through with our orig- inal schedule. Shortly after meeting Baldwin 1 noticed that she was getting for our mutual best interests. “I am given to understand by m: Eastern representative, W. H. Pick ens, that Mile. Lenglen and Baldwin have decided to map out her future professional program together. 1 am perfectly willing to step out of the picture.” The tennis star's profit in her Amer- jcan tour was sald to have totaled $100,000. Pyle said his net return on the venture was about half that sum. | Buzanne is scheduled to sail for France Saturday from New York. PARK VIEWS TO BEGIN PRACTICE ON DIAMOND Park View midget base ballers, who last season won 28 of 34 starts, will begin practice Saturday morning at {10:30 o'clock at Soldiers’ Home field. | at the These players are asked to be on han Niles, Hunt, Perry, Bob and Bud Lev- erton, Sorrell, n, Myers, Greene, Be: Beazely, Hoy, Beck, Wel- lens and Sargent. Junior, midget and insect base ball- ers of the Corinthian Club will meet tonight at the Immaculate Conception k blamed JBaldwin | Lenglen, SAFETY <@®@>RAZOR puc on 10 poundsin six pa) DWIN MAY PILOT MOST ALL OF THE CUBS HAVE SIGNED CONTRACTS CHICAGO, February 17 (P « 1zo Cubs roster was almost com plete today with the arrival of signed contracts trom infielders Jimmy and Howard Freigau, and out Stephenson Blake, pitcher, | Heatheote, outfieider, sent | contracts yesterday. | President Veeck said Lo was not | worrying about any “holdouts.” The |team wiil depart for Catalina Island, | February 24. and CHff in 'POOR SHOTS IN GOLF EARN THE APPLAUSE By the Associated Pres ATLANTA, Ga. | Golt etiquette was 17.— February cast aside here |advice contrary to what I regarded as | vesterday as woman golfers pounded | dishpans, honked horns, shouted and otherwise attempted to disconcert their opponents in the first “monkey” tournament ever held here. The wildest hullabaloo imaginable | held sway | ment. | “Starting over the nine-hale Ansley | Park course, with a “2l1-some,” the ldin kept up from tee to tee. An argument ensued at the seventh hole as to the score and the bickerings | threatened to end the match right |there. Amity was finally lished, however, and the ninth hole reached In season. Dishpans | were well dented and voices hoarse las the players returned to the club| | house. | Mr |of a the da: Roy Burns had the “honor’ awwing the loudest hurrah of when she topped her drive rst tee and was in a ditch. | a matter of formality the final se | Mra, Clarence lagainst the team of Mrs. T. T. | liams. The players drew fe starting the round. 'stic alloted th | Many times a | \ putter. Wil- 2 club before h using the pughout the match, ayer drove with A tho I need Gillette BLADES with the finest edge that steel can take SOLD BY ALL DEALERS THE WORLD OVER their | throughout the tourna- | estab- | e was deduced and the team of | Bradley had won 2 up | 'GIANTS WILL START. FOR CAMP SATURDAY the Associated Press NEW YORK. February members of the New Yol te club will le pring training camp at The vanguard of the | sauad. consisting of pitchers Hugh McQuillan, Harpy Courtney, Joe | Stryker, and Catcher John Cummings, | will gather several additions en route. | John Bentley, southpaw first base- man and pitcher. will toss his gl aboard Hot Springs, and “Bevo” Lebourveau, highly touted re- cruit_outfielder, is to entrain at Jack- {sonville, Fla., along with Rogers Hornsby. The party is due at Sara soti Sunday By the time Manager John McGraw arrives in camp from Havana for the pitching of the first ball Monday, & squad of 15 pi three catcher |and two Il be on hand. Remainder of McGraw's base ball family is expected at the camp by | February 28. \CLYDE ASHER DEFEATED IN ST. AUGUSTINE GOLF| ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. February | 17.—Clyde B. sher of Columbia Country Club, Washington, lost on the twentieth hole in the first round of the S Valentine's golf tournament terday. Ash v fell before L. stenson of New York. chlaeger of New York, who her at 79 for low medal in the qualifying round, also | first-round match. B 17— Four < National i | tied with honor ot |SHEPHERD, MOOSE CLUB, | | ENTERS ALOY MARATHON | Melvin Shepherd of Moose A. C.| will carry the club colors in the 10- mile modified marathon of the Aloys- | ius Club to be run through the streets | of Washington, Februa 2 | Moose A. C. has scheduled a base | ball meeting for tonight, to be held | {at the home of Manager Nalley at S | lock. | i ht well wL:)grth remembering The De Luxe Package Thirty blades (60 keenest shaving edges). Thefinest i devise | ters’ tournament was complete today | Cuba, world title holder, and Frank J. | Capablanca, to_be played in Buenos | of BIG LEAGUERS TO PLAY FOR HONORS ON LINKS ST, PETERSBURG, Fla., P).—Golfers mong the ague base ball clubs that lorida this Spring are to g to “sce who's who on the links as| DEL MONTE, Calif.. Fehruary well as on the diamond | Macton Hollins, New:¥ork. four times A tournament for American and| 3 National League base ball players is|'Winner of the Pebble Beach golf championship fo planned here, to open March 0. Lang, local base ball ciub man- | for the second round in that tourna- s arranging it. and he savs that | ment here today with Mrs. F. C. riffith, Connie Mack and | Letts, Chicago. Miss Hollins defeated ! il Sutro, San Francisco, 7 ve indorsed the idea. and 6, yesterday. |WOMAN GOLF STARS ARE MEETING EARLY By the As-ociated Prese February 11 major in in chance 17 Sutro, and had h work to defeat Miss ' Margaret yward, Vietoria | British Columbia, 2 up. { Mrs. Melvin Jones, Chicago, who | showed the results of a month’s prac tice before the tournament when she {won from Mrs. Hunter Robbi | Pasadena, 5 and 4 yesterday, | matched ‘with Mrs. Joe Mayo, Monte. Mrs. Mayo vesterday defeated Mrs. F. Wilding, Victoria, British Co- lumbia, 1 up. Mrs. Lee Mida, Chicago. and Mrs. | A.B_ Swinerton, ‘San_Francisco, won by default when Mrs. L. M. Van Meter of San Francisco and Mrs. J. F. Toole, Denver, withdrew. | GREEN-NIXON MAT BOUT Hane, to.ha wiased n Buence | ADDED TO ARCADIA CARD A. Ninzowitsch of Copenhagen, and R. | Spiclmann of Vienna. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, February 17.—The roster for the International Chess Mas- with the arrival of four European ex. perts invited to compete in 20 rounds to play with Jose R. Capablanca of farshall, States. The initial matches are scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The Europeans are: Dr. Alexander Alekhine of Paris, who is also nego- tiating for a championship match with champion of the United Rob Roy Mackey, president of the | Mohawk A. C., has dropped his mid- | dleweight championship wrestling con- | tender, Dutch Green, into a bout with | Harry Nixon of Fort Myer in a pre- W YORK, February 17 (®).— |liminary to the Joe Stecher-Charle; Jake Schaefer, 18.1 balkline billiard | Hanson match for the world heavy champion, maintained his wide lead | weight mat championship at the Arca- on Willie' Hoppe, 18.2 title holder, in dia February 24. Green claims the the third and fourth 300-point blocks | Southern middleweight title. their 3,000-point 18.1 exhibition| The Mohawk grappler weighs 156 match. Totals for the two days’ play | pounds and_will concede about 10 ve Schaefer 1,200 points, Hoppe, 914. pounds to Nixon. women, was pafred | SCHEDULE TO KEEP HARRISMEN ON RUN {Many Sunday Tiits Listed Here, But None in New York With Yanks. ASHINGTON'S olub rather than fts fans are hagd hit by the schedule arrangea by the American League for the 1927 base ball cam paign. In so far as playing dates are concerned, followers of the game are cared for admirably, but the club ix catled upon to do a deal of long rail road tripping and it seems it does not get a break with other clubs in opportunitles to swell the treasury in contests on forelgn flelds. Once more the National Capital £ets a season opening date, somewha: surprising for the American Leagi« had been in the habit of granting campalgn starters to a club on every other vear. But the series he ginning here April 12 is with the Red Sox, certainly not the most a1 tractive opponent a team could draw | And after a string of eight engage | ments here, the Nationals hop t Boston to assist Bill Carrigan's erew to start the ball rolling there o Aprfl 21, Then the Athletics and Yankes« will show here befors the Nationa depart after the first week in M for their initial Western invason or the vear. Other Western tours w!l | be made in July and August. The Western clubs will first “visit Waal ington in June, come here again t! latter part of July and appear Clark Grifith Stadlum for the I | time this season in September Two Long Jumps. = Nationals got their fill of ra roading last season, but they'll ha: to do plenty this vear. Tiwlos tir club will jump from here to St. Leui« to meet the Browns in starting Waea jern invasions. In April, Buck Harris and company will have travel overnight from Boston to play a Sunday game here with the Yankees and late in June they'll stop in the middle of a four-game series in the Hub to come down to Washington for | a one-day stand against the Red Sox. Here's a hot one, too. The Na tionals are to play the Tigers in De- troit Sunday, May 22. On Monday. May 23, they are to play the Yankees | here. That will mean some stepping. | And immediately thereafter they will | have a three-day lay-off, the longes of the season. Just why that period of idleness is provided for so early in the campaign is difficult to under- | stand. | _The longest trip will be made in | July. Leaving here the night of the third, the clup will go to New York | for a serles with the Yanks, then tour | the XVest, being scheduled for 19 | games before returning to Clark Griffith Stadium. No Sundays in New York. Unfortunately for the Nationals treasu the club has no Sunday dates in New York this season. Each of the six other clubs outside of tha big city gets two whacks at this rich plum, but the Nationals are left out in the cold. The Yankees are given three Sun day dates here. That's fine for the fans, but one Sunday in New York probably would mean more to the club treasury than two with the Yanks in this city. ([UCKY STRIKES are smooth and mellow— the finest cigarettes you ever smoked. They are kind to your throat. Why? All because they are made of the finest Turk- ishand domestic tobaccos, properly aged and blend- ed with great skill, and there is an extra process in treating the tobacco. “It’s toasted” Your Throat Protection