The Washington herald., 1917-04-16
Griff Is Undecided as to
What Pitcher to Use Today
Acosta Suspends Himself by
Not Reporting in Ten Days
After Being Notified.
By JOHN A. DUGAN.

| New York, April l5.-When the Dig
| 5000, 900, 900 war bill is presented to the
United States Senate for action Tuesday
or Wednesday, there will, no doubt. be
a clause attached to this measure where
! by all amusements will be taxed in order
to meet the deficiencies.
! If the taxing of amusements finds its
] way into the Senate chamber, baseball
will be one of the big amusement enter
/ prises that will be forced to contribute
| to this fund.
l. In an interview given out at the An
| sonia Hotel here today between the Old
! Fox, Capt. Til Huston, and Jack Barry
| 1t appears as If the magnates behind the
major league teams are more than willing
! to do their share
Baseball is bound to boom all over the
country this season, and I am looking for
the grand old game to have the best sea-
! son since the peace pact was agreed upon
with the Federal League.
Although we are now paying out quite
a big figure as an amusement tax we
are sure willing to help out stronger, and
with larger amounts than any other form
! Of amusement in this country" said
Capt. Huston when the question was
| asked him.
Old Fox Griffith stated that the direc-
the recent meeting in Washington to be
one Of the first clubs in either circuit to
I meet the requirements Of the government
If the call is issued
Grim Is even more enthusiastic over the
drilling and preparing of the ball play
ers, in case they are to be called than
Capt. Til Huston. 1t will be remembered
that the military drill idea came from
| Capt. Huston last winter at the meeting
Of the American League in this city.
Every athlete with the Washington
club believes that the Nationals are the
best drilled outfit in the American
League and are at all times willing to
swear by Corp. ]. H. Dean, the drill
master of the club. The Nationals are
great deal further advanced in drilling
than the Mackmen and since New York
started ten days ahead OF the Washing
ton crowd, it remains to be seen how
the two clubs appear in this issue among
the major league clubs.
Capt. Huston announced tonight that
should the Senate see ft to tax baseball
that President Johnson would call a
meeting of the American League imme-
diately to meet the obligations
Although New York is slightly war
mad 1t was the opinion here today that
neither minor league or major league
baseball would be forced to call a halt.
and 1t is the opinion OF these magnates
that the game is in for the biggest boom
Ing 1t has had during the past ten years.
The Old Fox last night received a wire
from Washington that Cuba Acosta
had arrived in the Capital City and want
ed to report here. Grin wired back
Immediately telling President Minor to
have the little rebel work out at the
Florida avenue stadium. along with
Harry Harper, the big southpaw
The Old Fox Is between two fires in
Acosta's case, as, according to a strict
ruling OF the American League, the
Cuban automatically suspended him
self when he did not report to the Au-
gusta training camp ten days after being
notified. OF course. under the circum-
stances Of his case the Old Fox will not
force the issue on the Cuban but before
any headway can be made toward hav-
ing him reinstated by Ban johnson,
Acosta must show that he is In shape.
Grin stated that the little fellow was
always in good form; that he was sure
that he would no doubt be ready to jump
into the game by the time the club re-
turns home on Friday for the big OPEN
ing in the Capital
AS the Philadelphia Mackmen yester-
day came near using up Grirr's entire
pitching star. with the exception of
Mollie Craft, the Old Fox is a little puz-
zled on who his selection will be for the
first game of the Yankee series here to-
morrow. II Craft does not get the call
in the first game Walter Johnson will he
the choice and II the smokeball king is
in anywhere near the shape which he
displayed the other day in the Quaker
City these pennant contending Yankees
will be compelled to hustle to land the
verdict.
Many Of the Yankee players ere s1re
tonight. as they claim that the heanng
of Frank Baker yesterday was did pur-
posely to put them out of the early sea-
son going Herbert PennOck is known
as a wild man and cut loose one of his
fast ones that hit Baker on the right
hand, breaking the thumb OF that men,
ber. Whether any charges will be pre-
ferred against Pennock or the Boston
club could not be learned last night, but
the old bad blood is sure to still exist
between these two teams.
Manager Jack Barry before boarding
the train for the Hub City at noon today
denied that either Bert Shorten or We'll
lington Wyckofr 4 would be sold or
traded to the Philadelphia Athletics, but
admitted that he would consider a trade
for either OF them.