The Washington herald., 1914-12-24

Monaco. Pa, Dee. 23.-Joe Tinker,
manager of the Chicago FederalA.
had q IOnE talk with Howard
Shanks, the washington Ameri-
eans' outheIder. tonight and offered
him n fancy salary to sign mp for
next year. The outcome Of the In
terview could not be learned, for
shankS refused to talk, and Tinker
left town before an enterprising
Newspaper man from Pittsburgh,
only forty miles away, could see
him.
Great stun. You've got TO hand IT
to the Feds when 1t comes to grabbing
off free advertising in the newspapers,
said Clark Griffith. when the writer told
him about the report from Monaco, print
ed In the foregoing paragraph.
''Shanks is already signed up for next
year. His contract does not contain the
much-mooted ten-day release clause, and
Gilmore's gang hasn't chance to get
him." was the way the Old Fox dis
missed the matter.
When it comes to pulling on foxy stunts
commend us to the Old Fox, himself.
Il am going to sign up all my ball
players before the season closes.' said
Griff to the local baseball writers last
August and as a personal favor / wish
you fellows would refrain from writing
big stories about this signing up busi-
ness"
The Washington scribes mentioned the
fact after each player had affixed his
signature to a 1915 contract, but little
or no publicity was given.
Griff's original idea was not to show
his hand to the Feds, and to let them
spend all the winter trying to sign up
a lot of bail players who were already
under contract.
Is it any wonder that the Old Fox sits
back in his chair and chuckles to him
self when-he reads about this man or
the other from the Gilmore circuit try
ing to Jab of his ball players.
The writer yesterday was in receipt OF
a letter from Jack Bentley, the Nation
ais young southpaw who is spending
the winter on his farm in Sandy Spring,
Md. Jacks letter follows:
Sandy Spring Nd. Dec -
Dear Bill: Just a line to say "HOwdy" and IN
ten you that ] an feeling ht ss a fiddle Have
teen working had eEer snce the closed. but
don't believe 1t hurts fellow any.
Nick Altrock M 10 me the other day.
and, believe ne. he ls aIre the Champion nimrod.
Insisting that there must be sUme good shooting
around our Tacc. Nick borrowed my gun and in
less than half hour returned with couple Of
nbhits both of then my petS Eddie AinSnith
was also here and the natives Wure strong for him.
Eddie vas full Of ''PcP." nd we tsHked over old
times
I hope to be in good shape for spring. rractics.
Was glad 10 hear that Walter johnson would bc
JOHN BENTLEY
The foregoing letter is characteristic
of Bentley. He is unassuming, modest.
a hard worker and one of the best young
prospects in the Griffith stable.
That Bentley is bound to6make a name
for himself next season goes without say
ing. His One-hit victory over the Phil
adelphia Athletics late last season made
him the talk OF the circuit. His eNpe-
rience should stand him in good stead
next year, and great things are expected
of him.
One-year managerial contracts in base
bal should be eliminated. No man can
hope to get the best work out OF the
finished product in that time. TO say moth
ing of building up a new team. which is
practically the task laid out for Pat"
Moran, of the Philadelphia Nationals.
Rowland. tho recently acquired leader of
the Chicago White Sox. has a years con-
tract with Comiskey. If he fails to win
the American League flag or to be a close
runner-up he will no doubt be relegated
to the minors whence he came While IL
into Jimmy Callahan's shoes, IL is a !
still greater one not to give him full pow
er. Granting that Rowland and Moran
arc equally good, which is by no means
the case. Rowland should have much the |
better of the National League manager
because he has a team which is fairly |
well trained to work. when Pat" Moran |
took charge of the Phillies he had only |
the nucleus OF team. Now the nucleus |
is slipping away.
A striking instance OF how baseball |
salaries have grown is brought to light |
by statistician, who figures that Walter |
johnson will draw down more money |
next year than the combined infield and |
outfield Of the Philadelphia team Of !
about fifteen years ago. He points out |
that the great team, which numbered ,
Bill Douglass at first, Napoleon Lajoie at |
second, Monte Cross at-short. Billy Lau-
der at third, and Ed DeIehanty. Elmer |
Flick, Dick Cooley or Roy Thomas in |
the outfield, had a salary list of about |
$4,000 for the players named above |
johnson. it is believed, will get more, |
Eddie Collins will get almost as much I
and the same goes for Ty Cobb The |
game has advanced to a wonderful de-
gree, but hardly enough to warrant such /
a difference in salaries, as the magnates
OF old got more fame than wealth out /
NJ he Taefiroa yEba, "a rao ofiar oar,a,