The Washington herald., 1917-01-14
Howard Will Be Given Chance
to Land Joe Judges
Job.

howard Shanks, VINO was one of the
best hy-gatherers that has been seen IN
either of the major leagues ,-2ring the
past three years. will be shifted from the
Nationals outfield to an infeld position
in the 1911 campaign.
Manager Griffith has given his word to
Shanks that he will try him out at first
base and that Joe Judge who was slated
as a regular in this position last season,
and young Menosky, who was drafted
from the minors last fall, will be COM
PEELED to hustle this spring in order to
hold a position at the initial sack.
Il tried Shanks at third base and first
base last season and really believe that
he will make good in his efforts at the
initial bag this season, or to confirm my
statement l mean to say that Howard
has shown me enough to warrant him
a thorough trail before take him out of
the infield"
1t will be remembered that Howard
Shanks held down third base before
g 'fffith pulled the deal with the Cleve-
la I'd club, which brought Joe Leonard to
this team. Shanks not only played the
"a corner during the 1916 campaign, but
Insisted that he was a first baseman and
was tried at this position in a few
games.
What shanks showed in these few
workouts has warranted the Old Fox
giving him chance this season.
The next few weeks will show how
strong or how weak is the Baseball
Players Fraternity. The gauntlet has
be IN thrown down to the club owners
by President Dave Fultz, of the frater-
nifty.
For several weeks Fultz has been
scurrying around holding secret meet
ings, with major and minor league play
ers in various cities. He believes that
he has lined up the players so that they
will back him IN the stand that he has
taken. This is to make the National
Association OF Minor Leagues grant the
concessions that have been asked for by
the fraternity. Although the major
league player are not concerned direct
ly in the fight. they are said to have
agreed to go along with the fraternity
and to refuse to sign until the minor
leaguers get the concessions that they
desire.
II Is a fight in which the major league
magnates are not concerned, so far as it
lies in their power to grant anything,
and yet the paternity proposes, II pos
sihle, to make the big league clubs suf-
fer for what it considers the sins Of the
minor league magnates.
AS for the latter. they have been haYt
ing tough shedding for several years
There are now fewer minor leagues than
there were before the Federal League
war with organized baseball. Many OF
those that lasted out the recent cam
paigns did so at financial loss. Al
though they kept their teams together
and are now striving to make plans so
that they can continue with a reason
able chance to break even on the season
thsy are now confronted with a strike,
or a walk-out, by their employees.
How the major league players will look
at the case is not known now. Fultz
says that the big stars Of the diamond
will stand by the fraternity, even though
they have nothing to gain personally by
getting mixed up in the affair. Major
league magnates will certainly resent any
action by the fraternity to induce or CO.
cree their players not to sign the con-
tracts offered them until the minor
leagues grant the concessions asked for.
Major league magnates profess not to
be worried over the situation, and GER
tain minor leaguers say that it would
De good thing for them If the players
would strike. as a lay-off for a year
would help rather than hurt their cir
cults.
Contracts were sent out to the major
league players a few days ago. As a
rule, the players are not in any hurry
TO sign the contracts unless they desire
How much pressure, If any, will be put
on the players to sign is not known.
Some Of the clubs have very few Of their
men under contract. The contracts of
nearly all OF the players who were sign
ed during the war ran out last fall.
The New York Giants claim that they
have very few players on their list who
are not already under contract, and that
some OF the men signed their contracts
after the first of this year For doing
so Pitcher Sallee has been expelled by
the Players Fraternity. AS the Frater-
nifty Is not a beneficial organization. the
only penalty that will be suffered by
Sallee or any other player who is ex-
PEELED will be the feeling exhibited to-
wards him by the members of the Or
ganization-
The Amer san League will 44ght Dave
Fultz, presid mt Of the Baseball Players
Fraternity. to a finish President Ban
Johnson said yesterday.
mo American League player will be
taken to the training camp until he mas
signed his contract" declared Johnson,
and any player who stands " Fultz
likely will be barred from base all.
I don't think many players will up
hold Fu1 in his ridiculous dem ,ds. and
I believe he has taken his stanu -7ithout
their consent"
Johnson's threat followed the statement
Of Fultz that 800 ball players asVuld go
on strike unless their dema, ds were
granted by the National Commission and
the National Association of Minor
Leagues