Evening star., 1918-01-14
Ed A|NSM|TK SIGNS
CONTRACT FOR 1918
Catcher Is First of Nationals
to Get in Line-Griff Gets
Offer From Cuba.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

Eddie Ainsmith is the first of the Ma
tionals to get into the fold for the COM
ing campaign, the fleet-footed catcher hav-
!. ing signed contract today for the 1913
campaign. What terms were incorporated
| in the document are not known, and Man
ager Griffith refused to divulge them, it
being contrary to his custom to make
| public financial matters affecting the club
or his players.
Although Griff declined to say whether
the figures in Ainsnith's new document
| call for a smaller or greater amount than
the backstop received last season, in view
of the splendid work Ainsmith did in 1917,
when he did the bulk of the catching. and
| the fact that Griff is known to plan using
Ainsmith in practically all of the games
| this year it would seem a foregoone con-
clusion that Eddie was not asked to ac-
cept a cut, and perhaps his stipend was
| boosted a trifle.
'T had very little trouble reaching an
agreement with Ainsmith,' Griff said.
| THE figures in his contract were perfect
i ly satisfactory to both Of us. That is all
| care to say about the matter"
/ With Ainsmith already in line, the
| chances are that a number of other Wash
i ington players will sign up within a few
| days. Today the first of batch of con-
tracts for the coming season were sent
| out Half a dozen of the documents were
placed in the mails addressed to athletes
/ with whom the pilot has reached an un-
derstanding regarding terms as a result
OF correspondence. Contracts will be sent
| to other players as rapidly as agreement
between them and their boss is effected.
! one of the players with whom no agree
ment has yet been reached. according to
dispatch from Lewiston, is Joe Judge.
Nat mol 1cS hrs.~
! the Maine city recovering from the injury
| that incapacitated him last season Incl
dentally, Judges condition is represented
in this report as being such that he will
not be available for service at the opening
| of the season April Is; that it will be
some time in May before he will be ready
to play. The telegram, received yesterday,
| follows:
Lewiston. Me-, January 1s.-Joe
Judge, who performed well at first base
| for the Senators last season until he was
benched by an injury. will be ready to
| play by May. His leg was fractured when
he slid into the plate and two operations
| We're necessary before the break healed
properly. Judge now is on crutches but
his leg is free from the cast The Sena-
| tors first sacker is enthusiastic over the
outlook for this season He and Griffith
| have few financial difficulties to settle
before he gets into the game. and regard
ing these the pair have been correspond.
| ing continuously
Manager Griffith took exception to the
contents of the above dispatch when it
was read to him.
That's all bunk about Judge not being
ready to play until May said the man
ager today. ''If he follows my instruc-
tons about having his ankle baked and
massaged. or will come here and have 1t
done, Judge will be out ice skating in
fies or six weeks time. AS far as having
any trouble with him over the terms OF
his contract Is concerned, that is bunk.
too; 1 have been in communication with
Judge in regard to his injured leg. but we
have had no correspondence about his
contract. When the subject is taken up
with him don't expect to have any diff
hculty In reaching an agreement with
him.
'T received letter from him today ac-
knowledging receipt from me of money
sent to defray the cost of the operation
he recently underwent. but he made no
mention of the condition of his leg. ex-
cept to say that he is able to get about
on crutches, and he made no reference
whatever to salary terms for next sea-
son.
Manager Griffith today received an Of
fer to take his team to Cuba for week
OF exhibition games next spring The
offer came from the Cuban Stars Base
Ball Association of which Abel Linares
| is president. and included a guarantee
| OF certain sum for a series of con-
tests in Havana, where the Stars have
one of the best base ball diamonds on
the island. Manager Griffith said there
was no chance of his accepting the of
fer unless he decided to train at Tampa,
but that in case the Florida town was
selected as training camp he would
/ consider the question of going to Cuba
| for three four games, although he
would not keep his men there for a week
week.
| Griff was the first manager to give
Cuban players chance with big
! league team. he signing Marsans and
Alemeda for the Reds when he was
managing the Cincinnati club of the
National League. The Cubans. never
| Griff always has been exceedingly non
ular with the island fans.