The Washington herald., 1914-12-20
Fans See Pennant Here
Now Johnson Is Signed
Smokeban Hurler Soon WIN Reclaim His Lost Popularity.
Figures on Contract Said to Be Close to
Feds 0fer-Gossip.>

into condition to work the opening game
II called upon. &a
Walter never really wanted to leave
Washington. His friendship with the
players on the team. his high regard for
Manager Griffith, and his countless
friends in the Capital all served TO put
him in receptive mood when Grifith
talked with him in Kansas City yester-
day.
In spite Of the statements given out by
Griffith and the Washington ball club
officials, the writer Is of the opinion that
johnson was given a big cash bonus for
renouncing his allegiance to the Feds,
and probably little side agreement was
entered into assuring Walter a salary
pretty close to the figures displayed on
the contract rendered him by Joe Tinker,
manager of the Chicago Federals. a short
time ago.
Fielding H. Yost believes that YaIe's
turn Is due next season. 1t has been five
years now-back in ls09-since Yale won
a Harvard game But Harvard viii
meet a harder proposition next fall, %
says Yost, than she has known since
the days of Coy. Yale, in my opinion.
will have one OF her best elevens-a far
better machine than she has known in
half a dozen years. Hinkey has already
gotten a good start. for he has worked
in the right direction. BY next year he
will have his system working in much
better shape. And by next year he will
have material able to make up a strong
defensive machine. Yale next fall should
be the hardest team in the East to beat"
1t looks very much as IL Comlskey made
a blunder when he signed Clarence Row
land to manage the White Sox next sea-
son, says Spick Hall in the Philadelphia
Ledger. While Rowland may be just as
brainy a baseball man as Jimmy" Gala
han, and Just as good a judge Of players
his prestige is hardly sufficient to insure
his making good at the helm OF the Chi
cago Americans. 1t has always been the
case that when a baseball manager is
brought into the major leagues. with little
experience in fast company, the players
of his team have been prone to underrate
his ability, regardless Of his real worth.
The whole trouble is that many baseball
players are peculiar beings. They have
great confidence in their own ability, and
when a man is put above them who is
thought to know less the road Is not one
strewn with roses for the leader.
1t Is true that Branch Hickey had little
trouble in st. Louis, although he jumped
from the position of coach OF the Uni
versity OF Michigan into major league
baseball, and as manager at that But
the reason why the players had great
respect for Hickey was, in a great meas
ure, because the majority Of them were
novices in the majors or else had had so
little experience that they were not pre-
pared to put their judgment against
Rickey's. While Rowland may be able
to work along with the White Sox In a
fairly harmonious way. the chances of
Comsikey having q pennant winner next
year are slender indeed, even though the
pitching staff of the Sox is an excellent
one and the general defensive and often
sive strength of the team has been in
creased by the addition OF Eddie" Col
Inns.