Evening star., 1916-01-14
GEDEON NOT LIKELY
TO GET TRIAL HERE
Fact That Player Signed With
Feds May Bar Him
From Team.
GRIFFITH WILL NOT PAY
DEFUNCT LEAGUES FIGURE
Ray Morgan May Be Given Chance
if Californian Does Not Sign
With Nationals.
BY J. ED GRILLo.

| The hope which Manager Griffith ex-
pressed that he might fill the hole at
second base by putting Joe Gedeon in that
position may not be realized after all
Gedeon signed a Federal League con
tract last fall, which calls for more money
than Griffith would pay him. and he also
| drew $1,000 advance money from the
Feds. Griffith is willing to advance him
! this amount to liquidate his Indebtedness
to the Feds. but he will not assume the
contract that Gedeon signed with the de-
! funct league. and if Gedeon signs here it
will be at Griffiths figures
The local manager wired Gedeon to this
effect two weeks ago, and was Informed
by the players wife that he was hunting
in the mountains and would not be back
until last week. Since then Griffith has
not heard anything from Gedeon. He
has. however, been in receipt of informa
tion that the Feds claim Gedeon on his
contract. though he never Joined any team
in that league, and they would turn him
over to Washington with their contract
with him. This blocks the deal SO far as
Griffith is concerned, for he will stand
by his original declaration not to assume
! any Federal League contracts.
If it develops that Gedeon cannot
| be obtained by the local club Griffith
may give Ray Morgan another chance
to make the team at second base. If
Morgan should fail he will be compell-
ed to make some changes in his lineup
and probably shift Foster to SECOND.
| though he does not want to do that
unless conditions necesstate it.
If Morgan will get himself into condi-
tion and retain it during the playing
season he might fill the bill. The Bal
| timore boy must realize that he is at
the end of his string in the major
leagues, having been waived on few
weeks ago by all the clubs in the two
/ big leagues. He is slated for the
minors. but if he gets another chance
here and makes every effort to be ready
! ing strict attention to his business he
might be able to make good.
! There are reasons for believing that
! the effort of the bankers committee
| to sell the Cleveland club will fail, and
that after all the American League S
| offer of a 100000 loan viii be accepted
| and Charley Somers allowed to con-
tinue at the head of the club. There
does not seem to be any one able
who is willing to pay s56O.0O0 for the
| Indians and the bankers committee is
, not likely to let the club go at a sacri-
| flee, hence may change its mind about
! refusing the money the American
| League was willing to advance and
| take a chance on making both ends
meet during the coming season.
| If this goes through Griffith Will turn
| over a lot of his superf1uous players to the
Cleveland club, which would do whole
lot to strengthen that club and give II
| a chance to draw some crowds.
| Negotiations have been renewed with
1.-THE New York Americans for the sale
| of Morley Jennings to the Yankees.
There is no change to make a trade for
this player. as Bill Donovan has moth
| ing in the way of players that he can
/ spare 1t will be a cash transaction.