Evening star., 1918-01-10
CRTFF NOT WORRYINC OVER LOSS
OF SHORTSTOP JOHNNY LAVAN
Former Brown, Who Passes Examination
for Commission in Navy, May Not Be
Called Into Service for Some Time.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

II am not worrying" Manager Gl
spectiye loss Of Johnny Lavan, the s
along with Bert Shotton for $4,000 ar
the examinations for the Navy and HI
lieutenant, more power to him. We ca
players needed by Uncle Sam. Howeve
derstand he is subject to call upon TIVE
not come until the middle of next SUNNI
ends. The Washington club will have
actually summoned. In case the call CO
be without a shortstop. Shanks and Nj
In case Lavan is unable to play with
Washington this year the deal Grfn
made with the Browns will prove an
expensive one for the local club. Tor
the Nationals will have given up a big
wad of money and pitcher and have
obtained only Shotton in return. The
understanding reached at the time the
deal was made was that each cluo
should run it's chances of getting the
players involved Lavan's enlistment
in the Medical Corps of the naval re-
serve does in no wise affect the deal.
nor would its status be altered if Gallia
should be called in the draft.
Nothing new has developed regard
ing training camp for the Nationals
next spring. Manager Griffith has re-
ceived word by telegraph from Tampa
Fla, that letter is on it's way explain
liiS III dGldll "IiaI Inducements thS SuiA
resort has to offer. The pilot has writ
ten to the officials in charge of the bali
park at Augusta, Ga, setting forth un-
der what conditions he will take his
team back there. He has stipulated
that the ball grounds be placed in good
conditVn and the clubhouse be given
any repairs it may need. The hotel at
which the players lived last spring has
offered Grif a limited number of rooms
If a sufficient additional number of
10, ia 1ht toSr of haf q
the helmsman today said he would be
willing to split up his squad, but that
he would not be willing to place his
athletes in such crowded quarters as
would be necessary with only the one
hotel available.
Failure of William Harridge. secre-
tary of the American League. to arrive
at Cincinnati yesterday prevented con-
sideration of the major league dates, it
is announced, and it now is arranged
that the schedule committees of the
two leagues will meet in joint session
soon at Dover Hall, Ca, to frame the
schedules.
The national commission adjourned
is meeting yesterday after disposing of
several matters of minor Importance.
No sales or swaps of players were an
bounced by the assembled magnates. In
this connection President Weeghman
IF the Chicago Cubs, who has been
duS1HS SUCH d IuIoIe pdSS pShli Nii
.les by his prodigious expenditure of
cash. has hurled a verbal broadside at
mis- fellow magnates of the National
League, in which he accuses them OF
boycotting him. He says that he was
willing to make good offer for Cut
shaw and Stenge1, whom the Dodgers
traded to Pittsburgh, but that Owner
lbbets of Brooklyn refused to give him
= chance to bid.
According to reports from New York,
stuffy McInnis. the slugging first base
nan of the Mackmen. already has been
sold to the Boston Red Sox. The deal
Is said to have been consummated ten
days ago, but for some reason neither
Connie Mack nor President Frazee OF
the Red sox has been wiling ] 10 make &c
the official announcement. Frazee is
said to be positive that Dick Hoblitzell
will go into the United States service
as an Army dentist, and when the
deal was made the
Boston owner also bought McInnis. The
boss of the Mackmen is said to have
insisted that the sale of the first sacker
be kept quiet for few weeks, how
ever.
Determined efforts are being made
to nut through the New York state
legislature a bill for Sunday base ball
which was introduced at Albany yes
terday by Assemblyman 0. NJ. Herman
democrat, of Manhattan.
mo man who goes to see good game
Of ball on Sunday afternoon will be any
less a Christian" Herman says. our
soldiers now in France are the pest
bomb throwers among the allies. why!
Because they're all good ball players.
which makes our soldier boys more
effectiye against the enemy?'
Tommy Rice, erstwhile Washington
sports writer. who now and TOT some
years back has been enffghtening sup
scribers to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle
by means of articles couched in the IN
imitable Rice style, in commenting on
the acquisition by the Washington
club Of Earl Yingling. former Brooklyn
"One popularity about Yfngling was
that, although he was a large man;
he had the slim legs of professional
runner and made a most deceptive ap-
pearance in the box. He was SO trinity
built that the perspective created the
Impression that he was lacking in the
size and stamina to make major
league pitcher. A closeup OF him In
his street clothes would have surprised
many fans by revealing him as an un.
with Indications Of exceptional hurting
power. It may be that he will come
back and do good work for Griffith In
washington, which would be a big help
to the game IN that city ana I'll arouno
the circuit"
What undoubtedly is q record for
selling and swapping ball players
within the space Of a month has been
by the major league moguls
since their meetings in December:
Seven big deals have been completed
and several more may be made within
a short space of time.
The first of the list Of momentous
transactions was announced December
III. when the Philadelphia Nationals
sold Pitcher Alexander and Catcher
estimated at between $4,000
and $4,000, and Pitcher Prendergast
and Catcher Dilhoefer. Four days later
the Grirfmen bought outfelder shotton
for $4,000 and Bert Gallia, and the
same M day the Mackmen sold outaelder
Catcher Schang and Pitcher