The Washington times., 1917-02-08
Says He Trusts His Players and
Believes They Will Be On
Hand for Trip.
TENER ISSUES ULTIMATUM
Ray Morgan Will Skate Himself
Into Condition For His
Best Work.
By LOUIS A. BOUCHER.

Il have made no time limit for my
players to sign up. The limit is the
day for reporting. That's the only
limit I'm making, or ever will make.
That stuff from the National League
heads is just bush stuff"
Thus does Manager Clark c. Grif-
fifth express his dissatisfaction. with
statements emanating almost daily
from various National League clubs,
and also from one or two American
League clubs, notably the st. Louis
Browns.
Il want my players, not strike
breakers" continued the Old Fox,
and Pm going to have them. have
their promises to report on time, and
that's good enough for me. 1 always
trust my players, and have yet TO be
fooled.
81 have had correspondence with my
players, and without exception they
will report when ordered. There will
be no strike. It's all joke, this talk
of hiring strike breakers. They won't
be needed because there will never be
any strike"
Issues An UItImatum.
President John h. Tener, of the
National League, has issued an ulti-
matum to the players in his league.
'Tn case war is declared against
Germany" says Tener, "our club own
ers will Immediately withdraw all
contracts unsigned. Each club will
be cut down to eighteen, or even six
teen players. Those now signed up
will. of course, benefit accordingly,
but those on the outside may have to
remain there.
1T behooveS players to wake up to
the times We are now going through.
! repeat what 1 said some time ago,
that our league may be more fortu-
nate than the American League. in
view of the fact that we have fewer
players signed - big contracts"
Morgan VIII Skate.
Ray Morgan is going to skate him.
self into condition to make a hit at
the Augusta training camp.
The Griffmen's little infielder. &C
cording to advices from Baltimore,
will soon repair to Atlantic City.
where he will bundle himself up in
heavy sweaters, fasten ice skates up
on his feet and literally skate himself |
down to weight required by Mike |
Martin.
Morgan is a devotee OF ice skating, /
but finds little or none OF it in his |
own home town, so he will go to At 1
iantic City. where a hotel has pro- /
vided big surface.
Its too monotonous working out /
in gymnasium" is the way Morgan /
explains his latest decision. II can 1
take off just as much weight on the |
ice, and the exercise should strength
en- my legs and ankles a lot, too. i 4
can keep up more interest in my
work, Also
Jones Wants MaIseI.
Fielder Jones, the leader Of the
Browns, must have come to the con-
elusion that the Old Fox will not let
him have Eddie Foster, for he is now
said to be after Fritz Maistl, of the
Hanks. Well, he can have Maisel in
return for Derrill Pratt. Right here
is where the deal will fall through.
At the American League meeting in
last December, Branch Rick
ey offered Eddie Plank for MaiseI.
That made Rupert and Huston gasp,
but they almost suffocated when Lee
Foil offered to trade Terry Turner
for Maisel.
The Yankees will give up Maisel.
needed to plug up that hot corner
with the Brownies, but will insist on
taking Pratt in exchange for him. At
any rate, that's the tip from New
York.
Cleveland Goes Mad.
This is but February, yet Cleveland
has already gone baseball mad. All
box seats for the coming season are
now sold, and grandmothers and
aunts in the Sixth City are having
4 tough time, all expecting to die
many times during the summer
We'll probably have to enlarge
our plant" says Jim Dunn. the popu-
lar president of the Indians, IF we
would care for all our friends who
want to follow the team to a pen
nant. No, l don't claim any pennant,
but do say that your have to keep
April to October. He's got some
team there"
1t is refreshing to read OF suR6
conditions in baseball
VIII Get Early Start.
Frank Baker, Fritz Maisel, and
Frank GiIhooly will get an early
start for the season of 1917. They
will accompany the pitchers to Ma
ION, FEBRUARY 70.
Baker failed to get going salts
'actorily last spring. For two months
ne hit down around go, and did not
-each his stride until hot weather
same along. He figures on getting
/ jump away from the mark this
year.
Maisel, a third baseman until last
year, knows he has much TO learn,
Z he would be the Yankees regular
iecond baseman, and so he will get
Ill the work possible. He hopes to
peat out Cotton" knapp, Charlie
fullen, and Joe Gedeon for the place
Gilhooly wants to test his leg in
very way possible. He broke it in
his city last year, but is said to have
ecovered.
Reason For Asking.
II develops that the real reason for
he Baseball Fraternity's ASKING an
/. +. OF L. charter Is for it's boycott {
ne value.
President Fultz believes that the :
acking of union labor would prove {
tremendous club in the cities occu-
led by the minor leagues. and even
n some major league cities. New
'Ork, Philadelphia, and Washington I
night not be so strong for the boy