Evening star., 1918-01-05
GRIFF'S CONTRACTS
GOOUT NEXT WEEK
Starting Monday Documents
viii Be Mailed to All Wash
ington Players.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.


Contracts for the coming season will be
snailed to all the players Oh tlo roster of
the Washington club next week. starting
Monday. according to announcement
made by Manager Griffith today Replies
TO communications sent out prior to the
first of the year have been received from
nearly all the athletes on the reserve
list OF the team. and by the end CT next
week Griff expects TO have heard from
the last man.
One of the first players to whom a
document will be mailed is Earl Yingling.
the pitcher Washington obtained in the
draft from Minneapolis in 1916. but who
refused to report for duty last season
Griffith had talk with Yingling while
the Nationals were in Cincinnati last
spring and the pitcher explained then
that his attention was so fully occupied in
looking after the estate of his wife whose
father had just died that he would be
unable to play last season
Several weeks ago Yingiing wrote to
Manager Griffith telling him he would like
TO get back in the game next season and
asking what steps he should take. The
pilot told Yingling to apply to the ma
uonal commission for reinstatement and
Grin also appris'ed ths commission of the
Iacts IN f1nglings case. As a result the
pitcher yesterday was declared eligible
Grin expects Yinglins to prove a capable
running mate for Harry Harper last year
his only lefthanded pitcher and also is
banking on his hitting ability to help the
team Yinglng has had several years of
service in the American Association. and
prior to that obtained big league expe-
nence as a member of the Brooklyn
Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds
The names of Clark Griffith and Ed
ward Ainsmith are among the more
than 400 members of the Mems Bible
which is taught by the pastor. Rev.
James shera Montgomery. A cam
paign having for it's goal the attain
ment of 500 members is being con-
Quoted: with J. William De Grange.
several years ago president of the sun
day School Base Ball League. when
that organization was thriving as
manager. The field leader and catcher
of the Washington club are numbered
among those De Grange has enlisted
as members, both having Joined two
weeks ago.
That horse racing in Maryland. where
the sport has thrived in recent years
will be curtailed or ended altogether
may be the outcome of the deliberations
of the Maryland Legislature, which be-
gan its biennial session of ninety days
at Annapolis "Wednesday. The OPP
Quoted at, present are expected to sup
port bill to prohibit betting along
the lines of the Hughes law in New
York. Race meets still are held in
the promoters of the Pimlico, Laurel,
Bowie and Havre de Grace courses
would attempt to continue their am
bilious programs IL the game were
as now apply to horse racing in New
York.
The tour Of the New York Americans
and Boston Nationals next spring will
include games at four. if not more. of
the military camps in the south, with
the possibility that contests also will
be played at the cities near all the
camps to be visited. Arrangements
thus far made provide for games be-
tween the Yankees and Braves for
Camp Gordon. Atlanta. Ga: Camp
Wheeler. Macon. Ga; Camp Wadsworth.
Spartanburg. S. G., and Camp Lee.
Petersburg, va The soldiers OF Uncle
should turn out in great numbers to
see the big leaguers perform.
Sam Rice. in addition to being the
only Grinman finishing with a batting
mark Of more than 400. also takes rank
with the six strongcst-armed outfield-
ers in the American League. according
to the record for assists. the guide for
this the others being Cobb, Felsch
Speaker. Jacobson and Bodie. All of
these had more than twenty assists,
and Bodie led with thirty-two.
This chap Felsch. who figured 50
prominently in the victory of the " White
Sox over the Giants in October. judged
nv the records. is a more valuable play
o. by rnr +han he is given credit for be-
ing. His hitting propensities have been
pretty generally recognized. but the
extent of his class as a fielder is lust
coming to be appreciated. According
TO the official averages Felsch not only
led all the outfe1ders of the league in
game-except Jacobson. with whom he
was tied-but he took care of more
chances than any outfieider in the his
tory of base ball, his 440 putouts and
tventy-four assists giving him rec
ord of 464 chances accepted, nine more
than the previous high-water mark of
ass which caused so much comment
when established by Iris Speaker as a
member Of the Red Sox in 1914. Cobb.
who came closest to Felsch i'm activity
last season. accepted a total of 400
chances. sixty-four less than the Chi
caSo star. and both played the same
number Of games. 152.
Other points of interest found in the
averages are that Pipp and SisIer. both
}efthanders. led the first basemen in
the matter of assists. the Yank having
les and the Brown eight less, while
Young of the Tigers, Grover of the
Mackmen and Wanby OF Cleveland all
surpass Eddie Collins of Chicago in as
sists complied, and for fewer games,
too. Then there Is the case of Frank
Baker. The former home-run hero is
considered to be slowing up in all de-
partments and critics have accused him
Of being unable to go to right for
ground balls. but the Narylander last
season had more putouts and more as
sists than any thirdbasenan in the