The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-28
Art Griggs Hasn't Signed His
st. Louis Contract.
Thinks That He Should Have
more Money"
HEISN'T HOLDOUT
Just Wants Better Deal, That
Is All.
Items OF Interest in Western
League Circles.


League Circles.
If the st. Louis Americans expect Art
Grlggs, the Topeka boy, who was re-
garded as a find by all who saw
him perform last year, to do the bulk
of the catching this year some way
should be found to bring Arthur and
the management to terms. AS yet they
nave been unable to agree. Griggs is
hsted in the st. Louis papers as one
Of the "holdouts.'' This is hardly true.
but Griggs' contract does not cali fer as
/ much money as the all round player
thinks it should and he has not yet
| signed it.
Griggs is not a "holdout" in the
sense that many players are. He does
| not belong to that class. He is asking
| more pay but there is no sign of the
ranting which marks the usual '.flold-
out about him. Griggs thinks he ought
| to have more money and there are a
| lot of people who think he is worth
more to the team than some members
who draw salaries in excess of the
| amount offered the Topeka boy. But
| they are not running the ST. Louis club.
Griggs got away we'll in St. Louis
last year, batting just below the nys-
tic 300 mark and playing first like a
veteran. He was well liked by fans and
players-after ne had settled a few ar
guments with some of the players
and the dope is this year that the To-
| peka youngster is to do the bulk of
| the catching for the team There is
no serious breach between Griggs and
| the management He wants more than
| his contract calls for and his not yet
| appended his signature because of the
salary clause.
Frank J. Leonard. manager of the
Omaha ball club Just 20 years ago. Mr..
Leonard has been closely connected
with professional baseball for nearly 80
years and says his season at Omaha
was the most unsatisfactory of any
during his entire career. The Omaha cop
ped the Western League pennant in
1889, when such stars as Kid Nichols,
Dad Clarke. Nagle. Crooks, Cooney and
Caravan were on the club, and when
Leonard took the reins he found that
the cream of the club had been sold
to the majors. The owners Of the
team promised that he would be given
money to buy players, but when it came
to forking over Leonard found there
was a vast difference between promise
and performance. Once he arranged a
deal for the ACQUISITION of Pitcher
Luby and Stencil from the Texas
league. which was about to go under,
making it possible for the Omaha club
to land both men merely by paying the
cost of their railroad transportation to
the north and at salaries ridiculously
low when compared with the fancy
figures nows paid in the Western. To-
the managers intense chagrin, the
owners OF the Omana cIuD refused to
give Luby and Stencil the transporta-
ton required to cinch their services.
Next year both men went to the Ma
tional league and soon won fame.
Luby, pitching for Anson's Chicago
team, landed 20 successive victories,
which is a record for organized base
ball. and also led the National league
in batting. Stencil batted considerably
better than 300 and was star. The
Omaha club finished in sixth place that
season and the disguised Leonard was
only too glad to beat it out of the
league.
That Joplin pipe dream, in which the
Denver magnates are represented as
considering the sale of their franchise
to the Missouri mining town, will in
woke nothing more than a coarse laugh
on the part of the men who control the
Western league. Messrs. McGill and
Gunthrope. who own-tile Denver club, |
have not given the Joplin nonsense a
moments thought. being busily engag- |
ed buying players and assembling a ball |
club for the coming campaign. Every |
wise magnate in the league is hoping |
that Denver will have a winner this |
year. 1t. means bumper business for |
all visiting teams. Joplin in the West |
ern league in place of Denver? 1t is |
to laugh. No. only roaring ha, ha, |
will suffice.
Nap Jajoie will be the greatest first |
almost unanimous opinion of baseball
men-magnates and players alike-who
were in attendance at the meeting in
Chicago last week.
The subject of first basing was dis
cussed in the presence of Charles Co.
miskey and Adrian c. Arson, two of the
greatest opponents of how to play the
initial sack in the games history and
neither the Old Roman nor Pop took
exceptions to the statements Of the men
who took turns in taking the floor and
having their little say.
Frank Chance and Hall Chase will
have to look to their laurels if Jim Nc
CURE plays the big Frenchman at
first" said one A. L. manager. II think
they are the greatest pair of initial
sackers in the business right now, but
Larry will force them into back seat"
It is the consensus of opinion that
Lajoie will not only play first, but
right field as well in much the same
manner as did Conniskey when he was
in his prime. What's more the French
man will cover most of the ground be-
tween first and second giving Terry
Turner, or whoever is selected for
Larry'S old berth, a chance to help out
on the right side of the second bag.
Larry is what is known as two
handed player. He can give the hard
est hit balls a battle with either his
right or left hand and comes out with
flying colors. He has something on
Chase, Chance, Arson, -Comiskey and
all the other star first basemen, present
and past, in this respect
Then, too. Larry can throw from
practically anv position. What is more
to the point his aim is generally un-
erring. Coupled with his ability to field
is his wonderful work with the stick.
Relieved of the worries attendant On
a managerial job, baseball men pick
Lajoie to have one of the greatest years :
Of his career with the stick and bank on :
him setting a new mark as a first sack
er.