The Washington herald., 1918-12-03
BASEBALL WRITER'S ALREADY
CALL GRIFFITH A SOCIALIST
Opinion Of Foxy Pilot in
Reconstruction of Or
ganized Baseball Differs
Among Those Close to
Game.

Come all you faithful fans until
the old Paul Jones takes the rocks
and is due for submergence into
King Neptune's salt bottom" On
the eve of realization of a joint
meeting between the American and
National league moguls in New York
next week. fanGom wants to prick
up their ears and listen to the bat
tie of the outside world on the re-
construction of the national pastine
for the unsettled next season.
There is no doubt this joint meet
ing of tho two leagues will settle
al, the grievances of what will be
ancient history among the moguls. but
Clark C. Griffith has once moe placed
himself on the chopping block of open
citicism
criticism.
The Old Fox gladly handed TO mo
guls and baseball writers hfs opinion
on the reconstruction of baseball, fig
uring all the time that both the
players, major league moguls and the
downcast minor leaguers would de-.
rive n benefit. This proposition was
founded upon fair and square ba-
sis. and taking the Foxy Pilots word
himself he gladly welcomes all the
pros and cons OF criticism and defies
even the greatest of the moguls to
present an example that will be a
loophole under his outline by which
any baseball flnancier or perhaps
profiteer may show him wrong. The
following criticisms are scratched
from few well-known pens:
Hugh Fullerton, statistician extra
ordinary and one of the most promi-
nent of all baseball writers is well
coming the chance of having Bill
Hohenzollern az the joint meeting of
both leagues.
His light let down follows:
That was a great idea of Hemp
stead and Frazee to nominate former
President Taft for head of the Ma
tional Baseball Commission. There
is nothing small about those fell
lows, only they are too modest, and,
besides. some one might nominate
Roosevelt.
Now that the war is over, King
George, or President Poincaire, or
Foch. or Lloyd George might take
the job. However, that would not
be quite right, because they may
want to do some useful work. It
is even possible Mr.. Taft may suf-
fer from the delusion that presid-
ing at Yale is as important as set
ting the question whether Bunky
Bill Barnes should repay 1926 he
borrowed from the Kalamazoo Club,
or whether Slew Foot Skraggs be-
longs to -Ottumwa or wappinger's
Falls. Those fellows have good Jobs.
Why not give the National Commits
lnh n
needs one?"
George Daley. baseball writer of the
New York World, claims that our
own Clark c. Griffith is the~real radi-
cal Of baseball Socialism in Base
ball." as introduced by C. c. Griffith.
is the latest monster movement In the
rational game, as explained by this
New York expert in the following
short paragraph:
In plain words, Clark Griffith has
MADE himself the socialist of baseball
he Is hoping to bring about a condi-
uon that Will DrtN Nent the power of
money being factor in the game. or
IN any case an outstanding factor,
His ideals are high. but there is grave
doubt about their being practical,
After having friend Clark c. Grtf-
nth called a radical socialist. Star
Matthews, of the Baltimore Sun. pre-
sents the following, which seems all
wrong. as 1t is from a minor league
town that digs deep into all baseball
matters:
One Is forced to admit that the whole
scheme laid down by the Washington
ian Is fine for Clark Griffith Per-
sonally Griffith is n splendid fellow,
but his rules protect the player and
provide for his advancement to the
major league, but the athlete is
chained after he gets into the big
show and the bushers are practically
set aside as developers, managers of
farms for the majors.
According to Griff's scheme. Water
Johnson would have no chance of be-
ing sold to club that could pay him
more than Washington, because any