New-York tribune., 1918-02-07
Pratt Refuses
lermsOfered
By Yankees
Second Baseman Returns
Contract Unsigned-Hug-
gins Not Worried
By Louis Lee Arms
rrill Pratt is a holdout.

Derrili Pratt is a holdout.
The young second baseman from ~.
st. Louis Browns, who has been added
to the Yankee roster, has indicated !.
is dissatisfied with the contract th..
has been rendered him by returning Il
to the Yanks' office unsigned
Last night Miller Huggins, manase,
Of the Yankees, said:
~ am sure that We Will be able N
reach an amicablc agreement with
Pratt. He must understand that unde,
war conditions all baseball salaries are
subject to change, and I am sure the
contract We have proffered him is an
equitable one
Calls for Same Salary
It is understood unofficially that tho
contract forwarded the second baseman
calls for Approximately the same salary
that he received in the Mound CITY.
This is said to be $1,000 per annum.
Hugpins indicated last night that he
considered it would be no lasting diff.
Guilty to put the young Southerner
under contract. lie was not, in othe-
)
the present situation.
No one better than Higgins knows
the potential value CT Pratt to thu
Yanks, and it was generally conceded
if he was unworried there was littls
reason for any one else 10 be
Cursory inves tigation Of local base
ball gambling circles serves to prove
that no money has been wagered oa the
1918 baseball races. Il is estimated by
Jack Doyle that close to 81 600 600
changed hands in New York last season
as a result Of the league races and tho
world series. Friends of The Giants
took a beautiful trimming along IN Oc.
tober
"The trouble with laying odds at This
time Of the season." said Doyle yes.
terday. SIS that no one knows how war
conditions will affect the teams Tho
Cubs, for instance, with Alexander
pitching, are TO ! shot TO win tho
out him they are no better than i ia
l.. The Boston Red Sox in the Amerl-
can League are 3 20 l proposition to
win the American League pennant, pro-
viding Dutch Leonard and others of the
SoN pitching staff do not emulate the
American Leaguers in joining the
navy. Otherwise the Chicago White
Sox will be odds-on favorites
"No wise money viii be wagered on
the outcome OF the major league races
until it is ascertained just how the
draft and war conditions affect the
various teams. It is probable that less
than half the ordinary amount that is
bet on the league races before the sea-
son begins will be put up this year"
Doyle declared that outside of a 2
to bet made that the Giants would
repeat in 1918, he knew of no base
ball bets that had been made this
year A Pittsburgh enthusiast was
backing the Giants.
We are in receipt Of the following:
The indications point strongly tow
ard baseball being played extensively
spring, and no doubt the air will be
full of long drives and high ones as
soon as the frost IS out Of the ground.
"The Y. NJ. c. A. War Work Coun-
Gil awarded contract to Alex Taylor
& Co. Inc.) for 4,9S0 dozen Taylor
league balls, which is probably one of
the largest orders of this, kind ever
to be placed.
Especial preparation has to be rnads
in the packing Of these balls so that
they will not be affected by dampness,
and special cases arc made for that
purpose.
"Ihere is no doubt. however. barring
mlshap OH the ocean, that the balls
will reach the hands of the eager SOL
diers in perfect condition"
The first issue of the Camp Wads.
worth Gas Attack" is at hand 1t con-
tains thrilling article by Arthur Rob
inson, former sports writer en- "The
New York American" entitled "Nuts
Will be Nuts" Brighton Beach is
prominently mentioned. All, there, Rob-
bic!
Damon Runyon, one of the best
known baseball writers in the country,
has just been released from a San
Francisco hospital. He suffered an at
tack of pneumonia.
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