The Washington herald., 1917-01-19
MINORS TO OBTAIN
BENEFIT OF Fight
"Old Fox" Claims Little League Will
Be Back on Feet When Show
down Comes.

Strike or no strike It surely looks to
me as II minor league baseball will be
but 1t sure will put the minor circuits
inent is settled" is the way Manager
Griffith treated the question on the result
of the fight now going on between Or
ganized baseball and the Baseball Play-
ers Fraternity would have on baseball
in general
II really do not think this little scrap
will affect the major league In any way.
but II is sure will put the minor circuits
back on the paying basis. Weighing the
question thoroughly 1t appears as II this
tilt was made for the minor leagues in
stead of by the players of the minor cir
cults. 1t will be the making OF the
smaller baseball organizations and the
leagues termed as Glass AA are sure to
thrive during the next couple of years.
You know that the International
League and the American Association
have been paying fancy salaries to major
league veterans for ever so many years,
and since the big league baseball mag
mates have set their foot down on these
high salaries and long term contracts it
is sure thing that the minors will be
benefited in the end. I am not afraid of
any strike, and anxiously await the
next move of the fraternity"
The Old Fox was all smiles yesterday
when he handed out the above interview
for reasons of having received a signed
contract from a player of the Washing
ton team who is member of the play
ers' fraternity.
Because of loyalty to organized base
ball the Old Fox would not make known
this players name, as he figured that It
would disrepute the player in the eyes
of any member of the local team that
would Join the strikers.
Grin is watching his mail carefully
every day. and says before long that all
the Nationals recruits and regulars will
ne in line ready for the hike to the Sunny
South.
Marvin Goodwin. the pitcher that Man
aser Griffith obtained from the Martins
burg Club. of the Blue Ridge Mountain
League, last season, will not wear a
Washington uniform in 1917.
1t will be remembered that the NIL
waukee club. of the American Associa-
tion. had protested the purchase of the
local club of Player Goodwin, and the
case was presented to the National Com
mission.
Reports first handed out on the commits
SONS ruling rendered in Cincinnati la st
week. claimed that Goodwin was the prop
erty Of the local club. but Manager Gri.-
fifth received official word yesterday that
the big smoke from Martinsburg must be
turned over to Milwaukee
Most OF the magnates OF the major
league teams claim they do not care IL
there is a strike or no strike that they
will put teams on the diamonds next
spring ready to play the championship
schedule. The talk OF the lockout on the
part of the magnates is going a little
farther than the club owners desire
There are a number of players signeI
to long-term contracts, and these play
ers, unless they voluntarily decide to toin
hands with the strikers would have to
be paid their salaries regularly Accord
ing to Dave Fultz, president of the Play
ers' Fraternity, there will be no attemrt
10 call out the men whose contracts do
not expire until next fall or later
On the contrary, Dave says these play
ers will be urged to live up to their con-
tracts. The club owners also have GER
tain overhead charges that must be paid,
whether the gates Of their parks are kept
open Or are closed -
One plan talked OF is that the club
owners get as many of their regulars as
POSSIBLE into line and fill In with semi
professionals and collegians.
Some Of the highest-price players in the
Country are now unOer contract for this
year. Four OF these players are Ty Cobb
Eddie Collins, Iris Speaker and Walter
johnson, which is a sure fact that most
Of the stars. such as Grover Alexander
Duffy Lewis. George Sisler and Baby
Ruth will sign before the team starts
for the South. Washington now has five
men signed, these being: Johnson, Nor
gan, Foster, Milan and Flaherty
John Anderson, famous golf player and
critic, declares that Chick Evans will be
able to improve the batting Of the Chicago
Cubs. Anderson explains at length Of
similarity Of batting and golf form. The
explanation was fine excepting that his
idea Of baseball batting had right
handed hitter getting his driving power
from his right arm. when, as a matter of
fact, a rIght-hander gets all of his driv-
ing power from his left hand. Some of
the greatest right-handed hitters are
what are termed one-handed hitters, such
as Zimmerman, Cravath and McInnis,
while the great left-handed hitters sell