The Washington times., 1911-11-01
NATIONALS STOCK
IS OYERSUBSCR|BED
BY LOCAL INVESTORS
! American League Club in
Excellent Financial Con-
dition at Start.
GRIFFITH TO PICK
PLACE FOR TRAINING
Must Also Choose Captain for
Next Season-Grif Will
Coach.

With this the closing date Of the final
sale Of the additional stock In the
Washington ball club, 1t was learned
today that not only has all the added
stock been sold. but 1t was over-sub-
scribed before the closing time of the
market yesterday. 1t is bringing more
than par value.
This means that the Nationals are In
better shape financially than ever be-
fore and the corporation now has a
working capital far in excess of that
available last year. While the new
plant at Seventh street and Florida
avenue has still to be paid for the
financial situation is in better shape
than ever before and Griffith will start
his work under the most favorable cir
cumstances.
One Of the first problems that Clarke
Griffith will have to settle as soon as
he comes here to take charge OF the
Nationals will be that of spring train
ing.
About midseason McAleer announced
that there would be no trip for tho
players next year but, instead, he in
tended to have them get into condition
by working out at National park here.
There were many who expressed the
belief that bad weather might prove the
greatest sort of handicap to the play
way and. had he remained here, the
team would never have left Washington
until Its first trip during the cham
pionship season.
Griffith. however, is a firm believer in
the absolute necessity of man being
conditioned before attempting to take
part IN any sport. SO 1t would not be
surprising to see him start at once to
plan for several weeks in some Southern
city. While at Cincinnati he took his
men to Hot Springs, Ark, but as all the
available grounds at that resort are al
ready engaged, 1t will be necessary to
look. elsewhere for a camp. should it
finally be decided to have the Nationals
go to Dixieland.
Yankees At Atlanta.
Atlanta. where the Washington club
worked last March. has been grabbed
up by the New York Americans and
practically all Of the larger cities in
Georgia has been taken by the different
major league clubs. So where the
Nationals may go will not be known
Another question that Griffith will
taincy. If George Mcbride is retained
he would be the logical choice, as he Is
popular with the players and knows
every angle Of the game. II he Is trad
ed Griffith will have to go through the
whole list in order to name some man
to take charge Of affairs on the playing
field.
- NO matter VINO Is captain ne Will not
have as much to do as did Mcbride
during McAleer's term. Where Nc
Aleer was wont to sit on the bench In
citizen clothes during the game. Grif-
fifth Is a believer in manager getting
out and hustling every minute of the
contest. So anxious was Griffith to
win that while he was at New York
he got quite q reputation for having
trouble with the umpires, but during
the close Of his stay on Manhattan anu
latter taking up the charge at Cincin-
matt, he forsook those habits, and now
attends strictly to his duties in direct
Ing the players.
No Surprise Here.
The report that Garry Hermann was
surprised when he heard that Griffith
was to come here does not come as a
surprise to those who know the new
manager.
That Griffith was disgusted with at
fairs in Redland was an open secret,
30 he could hardly be blamed when he
received an offer to come here as man
ager for three years, and at the same
time afforded an opportunity to pur-
chase a block of stock, that he expects
to later pay him handsome dividends.
In every successful baseball organ
ization IL has been found desirable to
have the manager financially interested
in the organization, as 1t tends to ma Se
him even more jealous of the success
of the club, so in getting Griffith as a
stockholder the Washington directors
have made a step forward that would
tend to put the whole company on a
more modern basis