Evening star., 1917-11-27

will be made in the old order of things
President Johnson voices the opinion
| that numerous doubleheaders would nee
| essarily have to be played if schedule
| OF 15i games were squeezed into five and
q halt months of play and says that al
| though he favors reducing the American
| League schedule to 140 games, it will be
| necessary for his league to play 1874 games
| If the National League decides to retain
the longer schedule in order to avoid con-
| tlicting dates.
Playing two games for one admission
cheapens the sport Johnson says. land
lief that they are not getting their
| moneys worth out OF a single game of
nine innings. Doubleheaders have done
more to injure professional base ball than
any other one thing.
Some of the minor leagues have
| played the doubleheader card to the limit
and owe much of their financial trouble
| to that fact
| First fruits of Clark Grtffith's efforts
| to offset the expected effect of the new
Army draft regulations and in line
with his general policy of infusing new
| blood into the team whenever possible,
Is the announcement by him that the
Washington club has acquired for trial
two young ball players from the West
ern Lea eague-Leftfielder June Cass and
Shortstop Bruce Hartford of the Des
Moines club. Although Manager Grif
fifth has not seen either of these play
recommended to him and will be given
an opportunity to show their qualifica-
tlonS for berths with a major league
team at the training camp next spring,
provided they are not summoned for
Army service in the meantime Both !
are within the age limit of the draft !
but whether either or both are entitled
to exemption because of dependents is
not known by Griffith. Cass is but
youngster, being twenty-five years old.
Hartford is about twenty-five. Both
have established regulations as flelders
in the Western League, and last season
each compiled rather healthy batting
averages in that company.
Manager Griffiths attitude in regard
to the prospective loss of the services
OF Joe Leonard. who plans to enlist in
the Army, is in striking contrast with
| that of other employers faced with the
prospect of having their businesses
seriously impaired or crippled outright,
and truly reflects the character of the
man. Griffith is intensely and sincere
| ly patriotic. He was one of the
pioneers of the base ball fraternity
in taking action to aid the govern
ment in conducting the war against
Germany. and has devoted almost his
entire time and much of his means
to the effort to raise funds to equip
Uncle Sans soldiers with base ball
equipment to provide healthful rec
reation for them in their leisure time
and better qualify them physically as
nghlng men. NO one knows better
than he how much the team will feel
the loss of Leonard. With Judges abil-
! ity to play next season matter of
great doubt. Leonard was practically
the only player he had to fall lack
upon to fill the position at first base.
But Griffith refuses to recognize that
any matter affecting the material bene- |
| fit of the enterprise he has his money
invested in is worthy of consdera-
| tion where the welfare of the nation is
involved. He says he is glad to see
Leonard go-and he means IT. He
thinks. as all fans must. that Leonard
lis deserving only of praise and COM
mendation for the step he is about to
take.
President McGill of the Indiana polls
club which followed up its triumph in
the American Association pennant race
by decisively trouncing Lajoies cham |
pion Toronto team of the Internationa
League in a post season series. is one
magnate who proposes to have base
bali next season regardless of the |
minor league situation. Magnate Nc
Gill now is trying to arrange daily ex-
bihjfion games including SUNDAYS att