The Washington herald., 1918-12-02
All the Live Neys and Helus Of the Sporting World
REPORT CLAIMS LOCAL CLUB
FRANCHISE WILL BE SOLD
Manager Griffith Denies
Wild Rumor on Trans,
fer of Team to Toronto.
No Foundation to Story.


snce more for sale, and once again
the franchise will be transferred from
here to Toronto. il Joe Villa, of the
New York Evening Sun, has his way.
Villa claims that everything is set
for the sale Of the local franchise at
the big baseball conferences to be held
next week.
Manager Griffith. of the local club.
claims there Is nothing to this wild
rumor and comes out frankly with
statement that once again Villa and
Ban B. johnson are all wrong. The
local club is not for sale and WASH
ington win always have an American
League franchise as long as there is
an American League.
Johnson's slam at the Washington
Club from the pen OF Villa is as fol-
lows:
There may be a new city in each
of the major leagues before the base
ball pennant races are resumed. To-
ronto is mentioned" by prominent
magnates as a possible substitute for
Washington in the American League,
while Kansas City. for several months,
has been unofficially slated to sup
plant ST. Louis in the National
League. The Evening Sun is in a
position to announce today that these
changes. together with a complete re-
arrangement of the minor leagues,
will be seriously considered at tn eneXt
baseball conferences week after next.
Toronto is a remarkable baseball
city. 1t has been a member of the
International League for nearly thirty
years. During the late war popular
interest in baseball was maintained
by Canadian fans so that the Toronto
fans last summer turned out in large
numbers to witness exhibition games
played in that city by American and
National League teams. The To-
rontos won their second International
League pennant in two years. which
was another reason for the surprising
enthusiasm.
Naturally, the prosperity of the To-
ronto club. under the same trying
conditions that decreased the attend
ance figures at some of the major
league parks in this country. has been
tabled for future reference by lead
ers of the game who are in favor of
reconstruction.
The Washington club. according to
insiders. is for sale. The stockhold-
crs have grown tired OF making up
willing to consider a proposition
from Toronto capitalists who long
have been eager to break into the
American League circuit.
Two years ago American League
men began to be dissatisfied with
baseball conditions in Washington.
and there was some talk of trans
ferTing the franchise and players 10
the Canadian city. but it was finally
decided to Keep Washington in the
league until the war ended. II ONLY
for diplomatic reasons. But the Wash
inEtOn clubs patronage. in spite OF
Sunday games. was so poor last sea =
son that a change may be deemed
necessary.
The National League admitted
Washington in 1885. with Robert c.
Hewett president of the club The
latter was succeeded by his brother.
Walter 2. Hewett. in 1SSS but at the
end Of the season Of 1889 Washing
ton was removed from the circuit
TO make room for the Brooklyn. club.
which resigned from the American
AssoCiatiOn When the National
League expanded to twelve CHS in
1892 Washington came back to re-
main in the circuit until l"Jl. with
George W. Wagner the principa
stOclholder- The National League
then was reduced to eight clubs.
Washington. Baltimore. Cleveland and
Louisville being discarded.
This move was a ten-stTike for Ban
johnson. who was organizing the
American Lear1- rnr he quickly in
vaded all Of 'Hr cities except
Louisville. Fred 81 being the
hacker OF the ua- Washington club,
which he controlled @~r three years.
When Postal died. the Senators were
turned over to Thomas j. Lotus, who
was a failure. and in 1905 the late
Thomas e. Noyes and others became
the owners OF the franchise. They
ran the Washingtons for eight years
with only fair success. and at the
death Of Noyes the club was sold to
the present owners. who are headed
by Benjamin S. Minor
Clark Griffith has vainIv tried to
produce a winning team in the
Capital The Senators finished in
the first division this year. but it
was the same old story-small
crowds and no profits.
Toronto, il is argued. would afford
certain advantages that are lacking
in Washington. The Canadian city
can be more easily reached by the
Detroit. Cleveland. Chicago and St
Louis clubs than the seat of Uncle
Sans government. Toronto owns a
fine ball park and is able to draw
patronage from a population Of more
than half a million residents in the
city and the neighboring towns. The
railroad jump from Boston. New York
and Philadelphia can be made over
night. so that Toronto would be in
cluded in the Eastern end of the
American League circuit Should
President johnson and his colleagues
decide to regard the shifting o. the
Washington franchise to Toronto
with favor, il is said that plenty of
money could be raised to conclude
the big deal