Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-30
League Head Decides Wash
ington Club Has No Claim
on Player.
GIVES PRESIDENT MINOR
HIS REASONS IN LETTER
Points Out Nationals Had Chance
to Obtain Player by Assuming
Fed Contract.
BY ]. ED GRILLo.


Joe Gedeon case against the
Washington club. A letter to this
effect reached President BenJa-
min S. Minor yesterday after
noon. Manager Griffith received
a letter from President Johnson
N the first mail yesterday morn
inc in which the head of the
league explained that Griffith
erred in not taking Gedeon and
his Federal League contract,
which called for $4,000 for the
first year. 500 the second year
and $1,000 for the third year.
though Gedeon had promised
John Henry. Grifith's agent. in
California that he would sign
with Washington for $1,000 a year
If Griffith would advance him
$1,000 with which to pay the
Feds advance money he had re-
ceived from them.
Griffith naturally did not want
to assume the Federal League
contract, in view of the PROPOSE
ton he had from Gedeon after
the latter had signed with the
. Feds.
The letter to President Minor
made it plain that because of an
agreement which the peace pact
called for all players who had
signed with the Feds would have
to be turned over to Sinclair, and
that for this reason Gedeon would
be allowed to report to the New
York American League club,
which purchased him for 5000
and assumed his Federal League
contract.
Cost Local Club $1,000.
Griffith figures that Gedeon has cost
the Washington club approximately
$1,000 since he has been a member of
the team. He bought him from Los
Angeles for $500, and figuring the
salary he drew while here and while
away. for the local club had to pay
part of the salary he drew from Salt
Lake City club, and also 5000 for an
option for his services for 1916, it
amounted in all to about $1,000. while
the Feds got him for virtually nothing.
and then sold him for $1,000. and had
the New York club assume his three
year contract.
II think we got the worst of it in
the case of Gedeon.'' said Griffith last
night. Personally. ! would feel GER
tain I could win the case by going to
court with the matter. but il is not
the clubs policy to do this. so j sup
pose we viii let 1t drop. Our action in
and honest. and / thought it would
be decided in our favor. But we have
been ruled against and Gedeon can
now play with the Yankees
Ability Yet to Be Proved.
Just how much strength Gedeon will
add to the New York team remains to
be seen. II he is no better ball player
than he was during his trial with the
Griffmen nothing will be lost by the
ruling of Ban Johnson. The fact that
he proved himself a good hitter for
the Salt Lake City club. where he roll
ed up an average of .317. means moth
ing so far his ability in the Amer
lean League is concerned. He may
have improved, of course. but he will
have had to in order to be able to hold
his own in this company. Those OF the
local fans who saw Gedeon in action
with the local team will not consider
the decision which makes him mem
Der of the New York club a loss to
the Nationals. He was looked upon
as very questionable proposition SO
far as making the local team was con-
cerned. though. of course, Griffith was
anxious to give him a trial with his
team this spring.
The loss of Gedeon means that Tom
Sawyer. the Des Moines second base
man. will be asked to go south with
the rest of the recruits for a try-out. II
also may assure Ray Morgan of
another chance . win back his posi-
ton on the Griffmens infield. Mayhap
the loss of Gedeon will prove to the
best interests of the Nationals after all.