Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-07
PRESENT F|E[DERS
MUST SERVETEAM|
Nationals Manager Unable to
Get New Player for
Gardens.
EXPECTS HIS CORPS
GREATLY TO IMPROVE
Joe Gedeon Says He Has No Inten-
ton of Joining the
Outlaws"
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Manager Griffith has about given up al
hope of being able to add seasoned
outfielder to his lineup. Though disap
pointed in his efforts to make some sor
OF deal at the meeting of the Nationa
League magnates in New York in De
cenber, Griffith gave it as his opinion
at that time that he would be able tc
land a desirable man before spring
Since then, however, conditions have
changed, and he thinks it rather unlikely
that he will be able to make good Not
only have plans of the National League
teams from which he hoped to secure a
fielder been upset by the activities of the
Federal League, but there appears to be
a scarcity of outfielders on several teams
in the old league, which refuse to waive
on any gardener whom some other club
may be willing to let Griffith have
Il guess we will have to stand pat"
said Griffith this morning, $50 far as
our outfield is concerned, and that is
not going to prove a handicap. 1t
Of the present outfield with some cast
on, but / wanted seasoned man
around to use in the event of emergen-
cies. 1t would require a player of more
than ordinary ability to fill the shoes
of any one of my outfielders. and, of
course. such players are not easily OBJ
tanned.
Il look for Shanks, Moeller and Milan
to have better season than last year
in the coming race. and if they do 1
won't have to worry.
Joe Gedeon seems anxious not to have
the impression created that he intends
to join the Federal League. Manager
Griffith received wire from him yes
terday saying that the report that he
had signed with the Baltimore outlaw"
Ahr,A =
report here just as soon as he was asked
to. Griffith does not expect to lose a
single man to the Federal League, not
Withstanding announcements that sey-
eral of them have been negotiating with
the new league.
Griffith seems to be of the opinion that
1t will be easier for the Federal League
clubs than from the American League.
There is q whole lot of difference Ii
the treatment Of players in the two
leagues, said he. MANY OF the demands
which the commission granted to the
players In Cincinnati yesterday have been
in vogue for several years in the Ameri-
can League Then. too, the players re-
ceive better treatment in the American
than in. the National, hence there will be
more dfsgruntled ones in the old league
than in ours; and. of course. that will
have its effect when propositions are
made by the outlaws The players are
well taken care of in the American
League. and it is my judgment that few
of them will want to take chance of
jumping"
Reports from the worlds tourists seem
to indicate that the trip is going to prove
a big financial success. Base ball APP
pears to have become better known
abroad since the last invasion by Ameri-
can teams in 1883 and as a result the at
tendance at the games has been enor-
nous. incidentally the game has been
popalarized in foreign countries and it is
not at <all unlikely that there will be a
genuine base ball boom in many places
where the game was virtually unknown,
as result of the present trip. 1t is not
unlikely that similar trips will be ar
ranged for the future and effort then will
be made to get together two teams of
real stars, for in an artistic way the
present aggregations are lacking consid-
erably.
Few of the players whom Manager
Jennings gave trial last season seem
to have come up to expectations, and
most Of them are being shipped to the
TIGERS farm at Providence. Trying to
build up winning team Is not an easy
matter these days because of the
scarcity Of material and great COM
petition which exists In base bail. Jen-
nings, however, has a splendid nucleus
for a winning aggregation. and If he
is lucky enough to pick up several
good players he will again he promi-
nent in the race, though it will require
some frSt-claSs material to get that
team back to the standard it held dur
ing its pennant-winning days.