The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-11-10
HAS
THREE YEAR TRY
Long Term Is Granted in
Which to Build Up the
Washington Team

washington Team
Washington. ID. c.. Nov. 1O.-Three
years Is the term of Griffith's contract
with the Washington American leag-
uers. the theory OF this long-trial ten
ure being that 1t will take that length
of time to build up the team and
make anything of 1t. This is logical
reasoning. In fact, in the light Of
past events. it might be considered the
extreme limit of conservatism. The
Nationals have been in the American
league eleven seasons nov under five
different managers. and eleven years
of their combined. efforts at upbuild-
ing have sufficed only to bring the
team into sixth place twice, never
above that. and not as high a. that
since 1902. Manning and LOTUS each
p placing I'll the oa team ao.i in the position lion
be seen hat If Griffith gets it fifth or
better in any one of the years OF his
present contract he will be exceeding
all speed limits Of the past.
1t is promised that Griffith will bend
his efforts toward better things, MAIN
~ through rebuilding. That is what is
needed, though there have been sea-
sons when a more noteworthy display
Of energy by the teams leader would
have produced better things in the
way of ambitious baseball, even If no
higher position in the column Of
standings. In this particular line Crit
fifth should show something, assum-
ing that his duties are not to be made
SO multifarious that he will not have
sufficient time to give to his team. He
will be around the ball lot whenever
he can be there. n he will insist on
his players being there also.
First Years Have Been Best.
There Ia no really reliable dope in
baseball-nothing on which M may
bank with certainty. But were history
to repeat. this. instead of the third,
Griffith year. should be the one in
which he shall show something in the
way Of advance. 1t is a popularity of
been stronger on the getaway than in
the years that have followed. He has
been a major league team leader for
eleven consecutive seasons. in three diff
ferent cities. He came into the Ameri-
a league as manager for Comiskey's
team In 1901. And that year he won
the pennant. He finished fourth the
next season and at its conclusion was
shifted to New York to take charge
of the Highlanders. who began their
existence as a team in 1908.
In his first year in New York. with
a team whose players had not become
fully accustomed to each other, Grif.
fifth finished fourth. But in his next
season. when Chesbro had his great
year. the present Washington manager
made the best showing that was his
while with h H~ighlanders. being
beaten out by Boston for the flag on
the last day Of the eason Then for
four succeeding seasons he was in the
first division only once. That was in
1906. when he apparently won the
pennant by giving Chicago an awful
trimming on its own lot on the last
trip. "''
He had only a week to go. with a
he had to play three anne with De-
tror. The players of the latter team
were a little sore on Griffith, who had
let pitchers stay in in the last series
with Boston. In the fall preceding.
wnen they We're being hammered. The
In the previous years finish.
were fighting Boston for third place.
winch they just managed to make.
lneS avenged themselves in 1906 Just
ne same. winning three straight from
New York. Detroit finished sixth. but
put the Sox into the world series.
Same Case With Nationals.
Griinth has been out of the league
tnree seasons now. He went to
III 1909 on q one-year con-
and finished fourth. It is said
that he drew a bonus for his good
showing. and 1t is certain that it got
him a W years contract. Last wear
MS team was fifth, and this season
sixth. He made numerous changes
after HIS first division year, in the
hope of making his club a ennan
contender. but. for various reasons.
they, did not work out we'll for him.
left Cincinnati a good team, how
and one that. properly handled,
n with any luck. should be heard
from next year
1t has been a popularity of wash-
lngton baseball. in connection with
what has been said about Griffith,
mat managers here usually have made
their best showing at the start. Man
ming was here but one year, but no
team since has had as high a percent
as his Nationals made. Lotus
was sixth in his first season. and then
eighth twice. Stahl was seventh twice,
hao ~fifty-seven points the better
OF 1t IN his first ear Cantillon was
exception. His second year he
was seventh. But his eighth of 1907
was f~orty-nfne points better than his
Of 1909. McAleer was seventh
twice. and his first year was much the
performance.
Griffith's first year. despite all of his
dope. probably will not set him higher
seventh. But 1t must be a differ
ent brand of seventh place ball for
him to win out on. and the explana-
ton at the finish must be SOMETHING
than lack of luck or failure of
the team to give its best efforts, both
OH the field and in preparation for
work or the field.