Evening star., 1918-02-14
PIRATES AND CARDS
MAY MAKE ADEAL
Catcher Gonzales Offered for
OutfieIder StengeI, Recently
Secured From Dodgers.
By Ripley.

NEW YORK. February At may be
that the Pirates and Cards will pull off
a deal before the base ball contingent
leaves this city. Manager Jack Hen
dricks Of the Cards offered Catcher
Gonzales. the Cuban. to Manager Bez-
dek for Outfelder Casey Stengel re-
Gently secured from the Dodgers with
CutshaW. in exchange for Mamaux,
Grimes and Ward. Pittsburgh has been
after Catcher Snyder of the Cards. but
Hendricks refuses to let him go. but
is willing to let the Pirates have Con-
zales, who outhft and outcaught Sny-
der last year. Hendricks believes Sny-
der is better all-around man than the
Cuban and intends to retain him for the
Cards.
Hendricks believes it bad policy for
team to have two first string catch
ers. He thinks that it prevents either
man from getting as much work as he
should get.
THE history Of great ball clubs said
Hendricks in speaking OF tho matter.
shows that one catcher in there every
day ia better than two alternating be-
hind the bat. Witness the old Cubs
with Johnny Killing. the Giants with
Bresnahan and later with Meyers. the
Athletics with Thomas and then
Schang, the White Sox with Schalk. All
l want is one good backstop.
Bill Essick, new manager of the Yer
non Club of the Pacific Coast League, is
here and is on a hunt for players to
strengthen his team. Essick says that
he needs several infielders and a
catcher.
Mike ONeill is bidding for the serv-
ices Of George Jackson, former Buffalo
outfielder, and Clement, formerly of
Richmond Mike says the Texas League
is fast and he doesn't want a loser at
Shreveport.
Harry Smith. once a catcher for the
Giants. is a visitor. Smith made a
comeback last season and is now
hooked up with Matty'S Reds.
Dick Rudolph, the Braves sturdy
little pitcher, is attending the league
able to arrange deal for his transfer
to another club. Dick spurned a con-
tract offered to him by the Boston Club
recently for the reason that he was
offered only $4,000. whereas he drew
$500 for his work last year. He in
formed President Percy D. Haughton
Of the Braves that he preferred spend
ing the summer on his chicken farm at
Nyack to playing ball for the paltry
sum which Haughton saw fit to offer
him. Nevertheless. he came down here
to see Haughton yesterday. and 1t is
understood that, after discussing the
situation with his employer, Rudolph
received Haughton's permission to trade
himself to any club in the league, pro-
viding, Of course. that the deal he ar
ranges be satisfactory to the Boston
club.
Another member Of the Braves who is
tenaciously holding out is Ed konetchy
who refuses to consider salary of
$5.400 for the coming season. Honey
led the National League first basemen
in fielding last season and hit .272. In
view of this he feels that he should at
least receive as much money for this
years work as he did in 1917. and as
the terms offered to him for this year
are about $4,000 shy of the figures
named in his 1917 contract, he cannot
see his way clear to accept them. Even
George Stallings' reported threat to
bring back Butch Schmidt to cover the
initial sack for the Braves this year
has failed to stir Konetchy
George Foster OF the Red Sox is try
ing to hold up Frazee for a $4,000 SAL
ary by again threatening to retire.
Mays, Leonard. Ruth and Shore. the