Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-14

There is no need to get excited over
the signing of contracts by the Washing
ton players" said President Noyes TINS
morning. I'VE have letters by the score
every spring from the players about their
contracts and the dickering is kept up
for months before they sign their names
TO the documents.
The players have not been more back
ward than usual this season. but before
the team commences playing here at
home the chances are that every con-
tract will have been signed. There are
many things the players want in their
contracts, such as car fares. days on
which their salaries are to be paid, trans
portatiOn for their wives, etc, and 1t
takes time 10 stEaigbten these things out.
Il have received a letter from Manager
CantilIon saying that Tom Hughes had
signed contract for the coming season,
and i take this as a good sign, as Tom
has always been backward about placing
his name to the legal paper. Joe said
in his letter that he had heard nothing
from the other boys but that he was
anXiously awaiting a mSsive from Wal
ter johnson, and that he would prbaby
be afraid 10 open it when it arrived.
Walter has been lauded to the skies on
all sides, and his friends have doubtless
braced him up to the point where he will
ask for big money for the coming season
All these matters are in Manager Can
tIllons hands and | am sure Johnson will
be satisfied and be ready to join the team
in Galveston for practice. 1t is funny
thing about Johnson. When he first came
To Washington a tive-dollar bill looked
like century note to him. while at the
end of last season a century note WASH
much larger than a postage stamp. 1t is
wonderful what a season in base ball VIII
90 Tor young man.
Right Fielder Otis Clymer has been cut
ting wide swath among the gunners
up in Pennsylvania this winter. and he
Is away ahead of the game financially.
Ote has had match about once week
since the middle of November, or immedi-
ately after his return from the hunting
trip with Manager Cantillon, and has
come out on top in all but two of them.
Early in December he took Chief" Ben
der's measure in a ffty-bird match, and
the Indian says he wants no more of his
game. As these matches are generally
Tor a hundred dollass, Clymer can be ex-
cused for not being in hurry to sign a
contract He and Cantillon are great
friends, and the chances are that Ote
VIII carry the legal document with him
When he starts for Chicago to meet the |
Nationals in their start for Galveston.
Charley Hickman, the well known ball |
player, has been appointed a special po-
llceman by Maj. Sylvester for Inaugural |
ton week. and already several kids have |
arranged to be ARE ted by the big fell |
low just to show him that they will be !
honored by the service. 1t would be |
funny stunt II several of the teams bound |
for the south should stop here that week !
and rough house" Hick on the avenue
just for old-tinle sake. 1t would certain
ly be trying time for the great slugger.
Followers of the Georgetown base ball |
club are holding their breath and keep
ing their fingers crossed for fear that the
faculty adviser Will spot big Cy McDon-
aid and keep him from playing with the
team. Mcdonald is building on playing
with the Blue and Gray team until the
American Association season opens and !
then joining the Toledo club. Cy was
lucky in getting a berth on the George
town team last season and the chances
are that his work a semi-profeSsionai
in the closing months of last summer will
bar him out this spring. The same ap-
plies to one or two other boys in the
Blue and Gray outfit. and when the aggre-
cation lines up for spring practice the
faculty will more than likely do some
tall shifting of the eligible and ineligible
players.
When the American and National
Leagues meet in Chicago next month for
their annual spring schedule conferences
the proba bilities are that trades which
were started at the New York meeting
will be put through. Almost every club
in the American League has trading ma
teriaI, and as that will be the last call
for the dining car something definite will |
have to be arrived at. About the only
players on the Washington team to figure
in trades are Pitcher Burns and Bob Gan
ley. Both players have many friends in
this city and II is to be deplored that
the authorities do not give out detailed
account of the scrap between the two
men so as to set them right. Burns |
was entirely at fault in the matter, but |
Bob is not the sort of fellow to go around |
hunting for vindication, as he knows that |
Cantillon is with him in that matter at
least But Manager Cantillon is just the
sort of a leader to dump both men II
good turns up.
The surprising report that Boston Is
willing TO trade Cy Young has caused
something of d sensation among the mag
mates and fans but the fact of the
matter is that it was no news to the OF
ficials of the local team. President Tay-
lor has got the young blood fever, and as
Young never did anything for him In the
way of winning pennants. he has no place
for sentiment. Taylor bought the. club
after it had won the championship and
Boston hasn't had a winner since. If
there is anything the Boston boss likes
to do it is to trade ball players, and it
has become q standing joke among the
other magnates. There was rumor cur
rent in Boston early last month that Tay-
lor had offered Young for Burns, but this
is hardly possible, as Cantillon is not the
man to overlook good thing.