Evening star., 1914-12-29
FEDS NOT MAKING
EXPECTED RUMPUS
Raids on Players of Organized
Ball Seem to Have Been
Exhausted.
new LEAGUES STANDARD
OF PLAY NOT IMPROVED
Outlaws Have No Way to Defray
Training Expenses-Base
Ball Gossip.
BY j. ED GRILLo.

Federal League affairs are rather
quiet these days. In Chicago, where the
headquarters of the Feds are located
nothing is being given out which might
cause those who believe in the Gilmore
circuit to enthuse. So far as Fed raids
on the organized base ball teams are
concerned, that seems to be over The
return of Walter Johnson to the Wash
ington club seems to have discouraged
the players who figured that they
might take a chance with the outlaws,
and reports from various sources are
to the effect that some of the players
who signed with the Feds will follow
in Johnson's footsteps and return to
the organized fold.
The four big surprises promised by
President Gilmore have not material
lied, although the time limit has ex-
pired long since.
The standard Of the new league will
hardly be any better next season than
1t was last Few new men have been
added. and a majority of the old play
ers who jumped last season have not
improved. but in fact, are slowing up.
Few, If any, youngsters have been cor
raled. and nothing to amount to any
thing is being done to develop players.
The financial strain on the organiza-
increased.
the players added have all been signed
at exorbitant figures, and incidentally
have protected themselves against any
financial loss regardless of what may
happen to the venture.
Furthermore, the league has given
out the statement that it will protect
all players who signed with it, even
though it cannot play them, and that
will add to the enormous expenses.
Nor is there any reason for believing
the attractions are virtually the same
and the circuit is not apt to be i'm
proved.
What is more, the spring training ex-
penses of the Feds are a greater bur
den than those of organized base ball
clubs. for the reason that the Feds can
play few exhibition games because
they are barred by teams under the
major league clubs come near to de-
fraying their entire training expenses
by means of the exhibition games
which they play before the season
opens.
The new league undoubtedly is in a
worse plight than it ever has been,
and there are those in some Of the
cities in the west who predict that
some of the clubs will never open their
gates again.
Lee Magee, who will manage the
Brookfeds next season, was the assist
ant groundkeeper at the Cincinnati ball
park only couple of years ago. He
developed into a mighty clever ball
player. practicing with the players
every morning, and jumped right into
major league ball. But how much
ability Magee will display as a mana
had experience enough to become thor
oughly familiar with the fine points
of the game, and whether he has the
ability to handle ballplayers who have
been in the game for a long while is
by no means assured.
But Magee has had a craving for
managerial job, and after a years ex-
perience in that position he may real
ize that it is a lot easier to just play
ball and let some one else do all the
worrying.
The chances are Griffith will carry the
same catching staff next season that he
has had ever since he took charge here.
There was never any danger of either
Ainsmith or Henry being let out, but
had Griffith been able to add some like
ly young catcher he might have
dropped Alva Williams, whose arm is
showing the effects of wear.
But Williams for all that is mighty
good third catcher. He is an excellent
hitter and just the man to have around
in the event of a pinch hitter being
needed.
If the rumor to the effect that Manager
Pat Moran knew nothing of the shifting
of Sherwood Magee to the Braves until
he read it in the papers is true, then con-
ditions on that Philadelphia team are
worse than were suspected and no mana
ger, regardless of how capable he may be,
has a chance to make success of the job.
Interference with a man supposed to
be in charge OF d team means disruption,
regardless of what the conditions may be.
No ball team ever has been successfully
managed by more than one man. He must
rule with free hand and under cir
cumstances must he be hampered by in
reference from the outside.
Douglas Neff is attending the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology and Man
ager Griffith figures that by spending the
winter in the invigorating climate of Bos-
ton the young inffelder will be greatly
improved physically. On what Neif dis
played in college base ball he undoubtedly
stands great chance to become q ma jor
league ball player He has had little
chance since being signed by the Ma
tionals, for he was stricken with ty-
phoid fever shortly after reporting and
was out of commission for some
months.
The citizen soldiery plays an inn
portant part in the base ball war, but
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