Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-30
GR|FF|TH'S OFFER
TOPSFEDERALS'
Fielder Jones Will Have to Go
fliqher Before Johnson Will
Consider Proposition.
NATIONALS MANAGER BIDS
$4,000 FOR THREE YEARS
All-Star Touring Teams Are Earring
Well in West-Base Ball
Gossip.
BY ]. ED GRILLo.

II the report from St. Louis, that the
Federal League has offered Waiter
Johnson $4,000 for three years. is cor
rect, there Is not the slightest chance
Of his accepting the proposition. even
IL johnson Is correctly quoted in say
ing he will accept the highest bid.
Grif1ith's offer to Johnson, made last
spring when the Federals made their
first effort to do business with him. ex-
ceeds the one mentioned in the St. Louis
report. Griffith at that time offered
johnson $4,000 per season for three
years. At the time the Feds were al
lowing the impression to go forth that
the Wards were willing to pay Johnson
$4,000 per year for three years, and
give him a similar amount as bonus
for signing. That, of course, was moth
ing more than an advertising scheme
and johnson did not take it seriously.
Those who know Johnson do not be-
lieve that he made the statement that
it was now up to the highest bidder.
Johnson is going to do a lot of listen
ing before he makes up his mind as to
where he will play, but it can be posi-
lively stated that he will communicate
with Manager Griffith before he atfixes
his signature to any sort of a con-
tract.
According to letters from some of the
players who are making the trip to
the coast with the All-American and
AH-National teams. the tour is prov
neapolts. where the first game was
played. each player received s172 for
his share. At Mandan, N. D., each
player r- received $40; at Dickinson. N.
u, $3e, and at Forsythe, Mont. SIT
each. The players are paying their
own expenses and taking pot luck"
Up to date they are away ahead on
their expenses. BY the time they play
the towns along the coast and Homo
lulu they are figuring on having a regu-
lar world series pool to whack up. The
sensation of the trip is Grover Cleve-
land Alexander. who is pitching the
Au-Nationals to victory every time he
appears on the rubber.
The Cleveland club picked I'D pair
OF very promising young players last
Iali. who are apt to do much to put
the Maps higher in the next race. Ell
earmarks of making a really great
player. He is fast. can hit and field.
but 1t is in hitting that he looks most
impressive. Third Baseman Barbara is
He, too, appears to be a hitter Of more
than ordinary ability. and he and Smith
ought to help Birmingham more than q
little. .
1t leaked out during the Feds confab
here last week that Mike Cantillon,
who owns the property on which the
Chifeds' park stands. wrote a letter to
organized base ball six weeks ago sug-
costing a plan to settle the present
strife, says the New York Sun. Gill
more stated that Cantillon acted on his
own responsibility, and that his letter
had been repudiated by the Feds. But
1t was admitted that Cantillon in his
communication declared that he had
been asked by the Feds to see what
he could accomplish. Cantillon sug
tional League and the American Asso-
citation. He limited that the Feds in
Brooklyn. Buffalo. Baltimore and Pitts
burgh would gladly accept franchises
in the International. while the Chifeds
would agree to operate in the associa-
ton, providing the rival clubs in Kan
sas City and Indianapolis were con-
solidated.
In Cantillon' opinion the St. Louis
Feds could be eliminated by the pay
ment of their losses. He added that the
If the national commission abolished
the draft rule as applied to the Interna-
tional and Association circuits. 1t is
hard to believe that Canttllon wrote
his letter without consulting the Feds.
He is a smart base ball man. who is on
friendly terms with Ban Johnson and
Charles A. Comiskey. His brother Is
Joseph Cantillon. once the manager OF
the Washington club. The reputation
of Cantillon is believed to be due to
the fact that his letter was completely
ignored by the leaders of organized
base ball, who, by the way, did not
make the story public.