Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-12
NATIONALS LISTED
TO OPEN IN PH|LLY
Unofficial Report Says Local
Club Does Not Play Here /
Until April 20.
GRIFF HOPEFUL FOR HENRY
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

BY DENMAN THOMPSON.
According to reports from authentic
sources the Washington team this year
is to open its schedule with the Ath-
letics in Philadelphia. April H. after
which it viii play series in New
| York before returning to this city for
its first home game with the Mackmen,
April 20 Last year the Nationals open
ed in New York and did not play here
until the goth of April, when they drew
the Yankees as their opponents.
| 1t has been customary for the sched-
ule-makers to alternate the home
| openings so that a team billed to play
its first games on foreign fields one
Iyear would appear before the home folk
in the initial contest the succeeding
season. This being the case it was
confidently expected that the Nationals
would be seen in action April IL of this
year at the Georgia avenue grounds.
! If the official American League
| schedule, which is due to be published
next Friday, bears out the report that
Washington is listed to open away
| from home two years in succession it
would seem that this city is not being
given all the consideration due it.
Being deprived of the home opening is
! bad enough. but TO be listed TO play
game of the season and the first game
at home is not a very inviting prospect,
either from the standpoint of the Wash
ington fans or from the angle of the
box Office receipts of the local club.
President Minor and Manager Griffith
plan to leave here Wednesday after
noon for New York to attend the meet
ing of the American League. Both nat
urally are interested in the Henry case,
but Griffith today said there was no eS-
''0"ial Significance in the fact that Mr..
Minor will make the trip. as it is his
Custom attend the league meetings.
1t has been stated that, being a lawyer,
Mr.. Minors presence at the meeting
would be particularly desirable in or
der that he might protect the club S
, interests from a legal standpoint. But.
according to Griffith, there will be no
legal aspect to the Henry case.
Henry either will be vindicated, or
convicted of the charge that he is I'M
desirable in the league" Griff said today
But there will be no legal proceed
ings of any kind. Whatever is decided
in regard to Henry will be mutually
agreed upon by all concerned. Person
ally I am confident that the wrinkles in
the Henry case will be ironed out satls-
factorily and that he will remain a
member of the Washington club. But If
not it will be because he does not de-
serve to be retained, in which case we
would not keep him under any consid-
Grafton"
Still another signed contract has been
received by Manager Griffith. The docu-
ment came in the mail today and was
from one of the regular members or
the 1916 team, Griff said. Fifteen OF
the local athletes now are in line for
the 1917 campaign.
Eddie Plank, the veteran southpaw,
who says he will not play in st. Louis
any longer, owing to the excessive
H. n
uniform this year. President Navin of
the Tigers has announced that he is
going to the American League meeting
in New York this week with the in
tention of buying the release of the
former star of the Athletics. Fielder
Jones wants to trade Plank, but the
difficulty he will experience in inducing
any of the other clubs to give him
promising playing material 1or .ne
forty-tw -year-old twirler may lead
him to accept Navin's offer of cash:
Plank still is a fine pitcher. but is good
for only about one game a week-h
the weather must be propitious.
IT now has been definitely decided
that Gavvy Cravath will not pass from
the big show this year. During the OH
season many laudatory articles regard
ing the Phillies' slugger have been pup,
lished on the assumption that OLD
wooden Shoes, who at one time wore
a Washington uniform, had played his
last game as a big Lacquer. CraVath
wanted to play in California, when Is
his home state, but the inability of the
Philly management to obtain waivers
from all the National League teams ne
cessitated his retention. He Will be
used for pinch hitting purposes unless
he should decide to retire altogether.
Twenty signed contracts for this sea-
son have been received by the St Louis
Browns. The latest man to get In line
is Ernie Koob. the southpaw pitcher,
who submitted his properly inscribed
document yesterday, according to an
nouncement by Business Manager
Branch Hickey.
Max Carey, the original and chronic
hold-out artist of the Pittsburgh Ma
tionals. is going to have company this
year. for a few weeks at least. Doug
las Baird. for two seasons an inf1elder
on the Pirates. has become hold-out.
by President Dreyfuss. Baird refuses
to sign a contract because of cut in
salary.
Griffith is not much impressed with
the plan outlined in a letter to Ban
johnson by Capt. Huston of the New
York Americans, to give all base ball
players military training from the time
they arrive at their southern camps
until the world series games are
played. Griff's idea is that his ball
players will have plenty to do getting
into condition to play the game while
at Augusta and to keep their batting
eyes keen after coming back north.
But evidence that Illusions scheme will
not be without supporters is furnished
by the action of Manager Mitchell of
the Chicago Nationals. who has wired
to President Weeghman, recommending
period of military training each day
for the Cubs. Weeghman, it is said, |
approves the plan.