The Washington herald., 1916-02-09
George Stallings, Of Braves,
Puts in Bid for Ed
die Ainsmith.
GOSSIP OF THE MEETING
BY WILLIAM PEET.

New York, Feb. S-E&pecting to
pun on trade or sale for Chick Gan
DILL Joe Boehling and Eddie Ainsmith,
clark Griffith came to New York yes
terday for the purpose of adding
strength to the Washington club.
'T hope to start something here"
Griffith said to the writer. But It
VIII be week or more before any
thing definite can be given out"
Il Will sell any of three players
named, providing. OF course. / get my
price. And several club owners have
talked with me regarding these men.
George Stallings, of the Boston
Braves, would like to get Eddie Aim
smith, and I may put through this
deal
Before any business can be done
1t viii be necessary for me to ask for
waivers on Ainsmith. Boehling and
Gandil This l have not done as yet"
Grtf was in discussion with Man
ager Jimmy Callahan and Barney
Dreyfuss, owner of the Pittsburgh Pr
rates. for more than an hour, and II
was rumored that Pittsburgh might
put in bid for either Boehling or
Gandil; perhaps both. On this subject
Grin was absolutely mum.
1t would be absurd for me to dis
cuss through the newspapers any
plans j have in view for disposinE of
my ball players. First, because too
much publicity would kill off prospec-
tive deals, and, secondly. nothing
could possibly be done until waivers
had been obtained on the men am
anxious to sell" declared the Old Fox.
At the Waldorf, where the baseball
men are assembled every National
Lacquer of prominence is in attendance.
Gr1hth, of Washington, and Capt Hus-
ton, of the New York Yankees, are the
only American men on deck, Owner
iannin, OF Boston, is i'll. and Connie
Mack, Of Philadelphia, rs not expected
Tho National League banquet tomorrow
night in celebrating the fortieth an
niversary of that body, is looked for
ward to with great interest and pleasure
1t is expected that plates will be laid
for 400 guests and the post-prandial
exercises should be well worth going a
long distance to hear.
| Harry Sinclair, owner of the Newark
Federal League Club, supposed to be
one Of the big men in baseball. has
turned out to be very much Of a
''bloomer.' if the National League rep
resentatives are to be credited.
It is said that Sinclair instead of tax
| ing over the contracts of more than
seventy Federal lcaguers, has assumed
could be sold for cash, such as MaEee
Kauff. Cullop. Rousch. Anderson. Rari-
den. and others. while the players who
were supposed to be taken care of ex-
! elusive of the so-called stars will all be
1 given their unconditional releases.
, Sinclair. II reports are to be credited
has cleaned up more than $4,000 on the
sale of players, the clubs buying these
men being responsible for their contracts
Ftrrth har Is oil ,al h,~. h.
of organized ball that the Federal
League would never have opened for
! business in 1916. for the reason that in
every players contract there was in
serted a clause which read unless
notified on or before September 80. etc.
your services will not be required the
! following sea son. etc"
The majority of Federal League play
ers. It is said, were not notified that their
services were required in 1916
1t is upon this point that Eddie Plank.
OF the st. Louis Feds, believed he was a
| free agent. but according to organized
ball he is held because OF the claim that
he Jumped the reserve clause in his 1913
Philadelphia contract.
George Stovall "the frebrand Of the
Federal League" is here hobnobbing
with old friends StovalI wants to get
! that Job as manager of the Cleveland
! Indians, says the fans OF Cleveland want
him. and declares that he can give the
sixth city a winner
Stovall is decidedly in bad" with
President Johnson and other major league
magnates. so his chances OF landing in
Cleveland are small
Joe Tinker, manager of the Chicago
Cubs, who is here, declares that he will
manage the team from the bench this
season and that Mike Doolan will play
shortstop. Tinker gives as his reason for
releasing Bob Fisher to Kans>s City that
| Usher, although a good hitter, is a poor
| fielder.
Gorge Whitted. the outfelder who re-
Gently declared himself a hold-out has
come to terms with the Phillies, while
Butch" Schmidt, the big first baseman
of the Boston Braves, left his Baltimore
home tonight for a conference with Stall
| iings and Owner Percy Haughton. At a
late hour tonight, it was reported that
Schmidt had agred to return to the fold
and that he would conduct his meat mar
ket business only during the of season.
The writer after talking with a hun
dred or more experienced baseball men,
was given the impression that the season
of 1916 would go down in history as a ban
ner year. insofar as the national game is
concerned
The dismissal of the Federal League
suit, the determination Of the so-called
outlaws, and a soft pedal on big salaries
paid the stars. is said to be the main
reasons why old sores will be healed.
and the game given a new lease of life
Henry Hxubsr is training hard for his coming
| battle with Youns Jack 0Bren. The boys are
to meet in /, ffteen-rcund contest TO be stssed