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Show NATIONALS ARE CERTAIN TO CREATE TROUBLE PHILLIPS. GOSLIN. PECK I PAI" Gil, MrGRCW Capital City Team Fully Expects to Land in First Division (Bj m; $er1oe) TAMPA. Pla., alarch 30 uwnerj Griffith and Manager Milan of the' Washington club are eonfiderit of fin-' idling in the first division. Neither is willing to make any pre-! diction other than that the Nationals! Will be- in the select four. Washington finisned fourth In thoi American league last season, just a hatf game &waj from St Loui-. T hile both Griffith and Milan would like to win the pennant, still to be able to better their position of1 last season would bo considered a step' in the right direction. Washington is a much better ball club this year than last. This state-l ment is baaed entirely on th;; addition! of Roger Pocldnpaugh. Shortstop is a most vital position. The infield's strength is in a measure' I based on the caliber of its shorlstop.l Last season the Washington club lost' at least 15 games through ineffidencj at that position. STKI SG i III s INFIELD In Pecklnpaugh, Washington has se-, cured one of the best shortstops in the hlstosy of the game. Tie does every-' thing well. Although not a hard hitter hit-ter he is very dangerous in a pinch. It is in fielding, rather than hitting that Pecklnpaugh will add his greatest great-est punch, lie will greatly strengthen the National's defense. His presence in the infield will also improve the play of Stanley Harris generally considered as the ranking 1 successor of Eddie Collins. Many a double play will be pulled by the Nationals Na-tionals this year that otherwise would never have been completed. The coming of I'ockinpaugh gives Washington the best infield in the American league. In addition his pres-j cute betters the morale of the team. A recruit by name of Goslin. also has a great opportunity to weld the Nationals Into a pennant contender. With the exception of Perkinp.uigh and Goslin the Nationals will present the same lineup as last year. It is up to these two players to make the Na- tionals better than a fourth place t :i 10. .M.I ERTAINT1 in the fall of last year Goslin had a brlel tnal with the Nationals and d great. In spring practice he has continued to play good ball. It is a certainty that he will start In right field with Milan and Rice playing the other two outfield positions. posi-tions. None of the other recruits taken south by the Nationals threaten to displace any. of the regulars. How -ever, It looks as if a number of worthy ul.stitutes hac been picked up The only unpleasant feature ef the training trip to date has been the condition of Walter Johnson. Throughout the training period he has leen under the weafher. Klrit it was. a hard cold, then a case of ilu." or grippe, plus a few other minor ailments. lii'-se tilings hae retarded Walter s condition and he has not yet strucU bis stride He may be a bit late in getting start ed Sine- pitching Is the Nationals' big IP, with W:ilter Johnson playing the leading role. Manager Milan is naturally natur-ally a bit worried over the situation. |