The Washington times., 1917-01-18
IN TWO WEEKSLID
PROMISES TO JUMP
.t-
New Contracts, at Lower
Terms, will Chase Those
Not Yet Signed.
BAN JOHNSON IN EARNEST
Griffmen May Be Hit Hard. as
{ Only Four Players Are
Now in Line.
BAN JOHNSON IN EARNEST
BY LOUIS A. BOUCHER.

ny LOUIS A. BOUCHER
Two weeks from today the lid will
be on In baseball
= II contracts recently rendered major
league players. are not received signed
by that time, new ones carrying lower
terms will be forwarded to the rebel
Hous players.
In cases where players evince q will
ingness to sign, but not at the figure
offered, negotiations viii begin and
no new contract will be offered until
they cease.
- All magnates and managers In the
American and National Leagues have
been advised by Ban johnson and
as possible upon the possible action
Of the two leagues.
Leaspes In Earnest.
:. The two big leagues are in deadly
earnest about winning this night
against Fultz's Organization. They
do not mean to rest on their oars until
February 20 and have the fraternity
declare war. They will do 1t them
selves In two weeks from today, I'M
less all tips are wrong.
Ban johnson 10 in control of the
situation. When the play ers threat
ened to, strike In the Kraft case,
Charlie Ebbets spoiled everything by
ending the SQuabble with . cash con-
Sideration. This was directly against
the wishes Of johnson and made posi-
bic the conditions of today.
Now the American League chieftain
has the support Of both big leagues,
and he means business. No club will
lese much more than sec, 900 II COM
PEELED to close its gates next season.
This IL practically nothing. But plans
call for baseball played by somebody
nsxt summer.
May Break Backbone.
Though inclined to scoff at the
Players Fraternity the major league
magnates are planning Q move cal
culated to break the backbone OF the
opposition.
Fultz's pronunciamentos are to the
effect that the big league players are
engaged in the altruistic work of
seeking to better the conditions sur
rounding the poor little minor league
player. Therefore, 1t may be a sud
den ending Of the Fraternity when its
members, out on q strike, discover
GAlOoG g1AAAC l11uOE lCoSuC pldyCTb
ing their places.
The magnates are inclined to be-
1ievc that high class minor leaguers
VIII Jump at q chance to play in tho
big rings at salaries far in advance
OF what they can get In the minors.
II the strike does begin on scheduled
time that ID, the beginning Of the
training season, minor leaguers will
be drafted by al major league clubs
needing them, and the minor leagues
VIII not open their gates for Q year.
GriHs May BE Hit.
II the strike is declared by Dave
Fultz, and the Griffmen obey the Or
der. the local team may be hard hit,
as only four players are now in line.
johnson, Milan, Foster, and Morgan
are working on contracts running
through the 1917 season. Manager
Grifhth refuses to admit any fear Of
the coming events, though.
Il have been receiving letters from
my players for several days" said
he today, and my players, while not
sending in any signed CONTRACTS, are
writing that they don't want to com
init themselves either way at this
time I respect their situation by not
giving out their names.
From what some of my PLAYERS
write me and from what was told by
others 1 met in Chicago, on my trip
home from Montana, am firmly
convinced that the players never
signed any pledge to force through
what Dave Fultz now demands.
Against the Clause.
My players, with those on the
other clubs, were opposed to the dis
ability clause in the old contract,
that's all. When they put their
names to those pledges 1t was TO
have that clause eliminated. This
has been done. Fultz has accepted
the new contracts. But the players,
I'm sure OF my own,-were not in
formed that Fultz would use those
signed pledges to further his own
ends. When they wake up to find
receding tide, they'll quickly hop
aboard the band wagon"
Manager Griffith will not make
public any plans he may have in
mind, in case the Washington players
do strike. He simply laughs and
takes another long pull on his cher
DOT.
Representative major league play
ers are beginning to be heard from
all over the country. Most OF them
beIittIe talk Of a strike.
rabbit" Meanwhile. OF the Braves,
the representative of the Fraternity
in his club, says he'll never strike,
"no matter wha Dave Fultz orders"
Roger Peckinpaugh, captain of the
Yankees, calls the demands of the
fraternity trivial" Peckinpaugh Is
now under contract, and says he Will
-asnAct that in every detail.
Many Not Members.
Many of the big leagues best
players are not members of the fra
ternity. The entire Philadelphia
American League club is in this posi-
tion, the players being satisfied to do
business with Connie Mack without
waving clubs over his head.
About half OF the Cleveland players
are members of the fraternity. The
White Sox have only a few members.
The same thing applies to the
Browns, too.
So far a. known, every member OF
the Washington club of last season
is q fraternity member. OF course,
this does not apply to rockies tried
out toward the close of the season
John Henry worked long and hard
getting the players into line, for few
had G1I SntAusiaGn.