The Washington times., 1917-01-12
MANAGER GRIFFITH
CONTINUES PLANS
"lf Necessary, Shall Take But
Four Men to Augusta"
He Announces.
HIS CONTRACTS ARE OUT
Old Fox Believes FuItz's Organi-
zation Will Crack Before
Campaign.
HIS CONTRACTS ARE OUT
BY LOUIS A. BOUCHER,

BY LOUIS A. BOUCHER,
eff necessary, shall take foub play
jers to the training camp, Johnson,
Milan, Morgan, and Foster, but don't
expect to have any trouble signing up
the other twenty-eight 1 want to see
working out at Augusta"
Thus does Manager Griffith talk
of the reported strike on the part of
the big league players, Thus does he
answer the statement of David l.
Fultz, president of the Baseball Play
ers' Fraternity.
mo player can go South unless he
In signed. That is the rule in the
American League and that is the way
I shall act. II my players don't want
to sign, let them stay out. But
shall go through with my plans just
as If they were all in line.
whole Move Wrong.
'If the fraternity were honest, I'd
be with it, but in all its four years of
existence IT has never been on the
level. That's why 1 am opposed to 1t.
Following the leader it has now, Dave
Fultz, who once played for me in
New York, 1t can do nothing more
than collapse.
1.-THE Fraternity claims to be seek
ing the good OF the players. 1t now
wants to force minor leagues to pay
TRANSPORTATION of players from their
homes to the club camp. There isn't
4 minor league club in the country
that can stand that drain on Its fnan-
ciaI Golfers.
aOnly three minor league clubs in
the country made money last year.
For instance, saddle $4,000 in trans.
portation expense upon the Syracuse
club In the New York State League,
where do you suppose the club would
get off? 1t would have to go into
bankruptcy.
Ii Merely a Club.
'sThe Fraternity is simply club
hanging over the heads Of the major
leagues, and we know it II the mem
bers of the fraternity-no, I don't
mean that, exactly--but IL the leaders
OF the fraternity would be honest ana
look at things es they are rather
than they wa they wish them to be,
they'd know that they cannot succeed
in their present purpose.
There are several minor league CIT
cults that will have a struggle to
start this spring. Indeed, one or two
clubs are in q bad way In the Ma
tional League.
.aThe fraternity rs wrong. For that
reason, IL for no other, It will fail"
Contracts Are Out.
Manager Griffith has sent out con-
tracts to those of his players who
live at a distance, but he expects to
confer with Jim, Shaw, Eddie Ain
smith. and Jack Bentley personally.
This trio IL wintering in the Capital
aAdy contracts haven't been out long
enough yet for me to determine
whether or not the players will stick
to me or to Fultz," smiled Griffith
today. 81 hope that the boys Will
appreciate good treatment IN the past
and sign with the Washington club.
But If they don't, why, that'll be their
business.
This is Dave Fultz's last gasp. He
was ever full of words even in the
old days. I predict here and now
that the. fraternity will not be In ex-
istence When April IL comes around"
johnson ID UnrunIed.-
Ban johnson, boss of the big
leagues, is unrufled in the face of
Fultz's threat to strike.
His remarks seem to me to be
anarchistic," says johnson. How
ever, we are going right ahead with |
our training camp plans"
John K. Tener, president of the Ma |
tionaI League, says the players have |
"no moral or legal right to declare a
strike"
VIII Welcome Strike.
'rMy club owners will welcome a
strike" says Ed Barrow, president of
the international League. "a years |
vacation may put some of my clubs !
on their feet again, for they all lost
money last season.
"Our owners have been losing !
money and holding on. and the play
ers have been getting the money. Our
players have been treated royalty; in
fact, during the last five years they |
have received too much. A years
strike would straighten out many
angles of the minor league situation. |
II cannot help but say, however,
that FuItz's action is poorly advised
and he has gone a long way to break
his organization"
FuItE In Meeting.
Much to his chagrin, Dave Fultz
vas discovered holding a meeting yes
terday of major leaguers living in
Philadelphia. Declining to use the
word strike" Fultz admitted that no
players would go TO the training
camps until he gave the word.
Isn't that the same as striking2"
he was asked.
Well, no." was the reply. There
Is a shade of difference. Men who
hold jobs and quit do strike, but play
ers whose contracts expired last Oc- |
.tober no longer hold jobs. They can
decline to sign a contract and not
play, and that wouldn't be striking.
But, to all intents and purposes,
suppose fits the same"
ain 6IFHHER nIEc