The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-02
MAJOR LEAGUE MEN !
HELD IN SERVICE
Club Owners Unable to Get
Stars Released, Even at
Transportation Cost.
HEYDLER DETAILS FACTS
y
Alexander Still in Germany
Brooklyn Club Especially
Is Hard Hit. I'd,
HEYDLER DETAILS FACTS
By FREDERICK G. LIEB.

Baseball club owners are feeling
inability to get star ball players out OF
service. Tho Clubs hoped to take sd,
vantage of an order b which men in,
the American Expeditionary Force could
get their discharges abroad provided
they paid their own transportation back
and could show unmistakable evidence
that they had good jobs awaiting them
In the United states.
II will admit that a LOT OF our people
are rather disappointed over the way In
which mary of our best players are be-
ing retained In service said John
Heydler, president of the National
League. yesterday.
Baseball of course never wanted any
thing that was not open to any other
American citizen. Many large corpora
tons took advantage OF the order by
which they could get valuable men back
quicker by paying their ocean trans
portation. and we tried to get our most
valuable men through the same channel
Alexander in Germany Yet.
by delaying the opening of the sea-
son until the latter part of April We
Taught VIZ tOuhl nOlu OH UNTIL we ndu
most of our men back. But now Alex
ander the leading star of the Cubs. still
Is In Germany. with little chance OF get
ting home by the start of the season,
while the Brooklyn club also has many
of its most valuable men on the other
siCe-Sherrod Smith. Chuck Ward, Clar-
ence Mitchell and others.
For that matter many players stili
are In camps on this side Whitfield, Dill
AG-TN n.
still are stationed at Camp Merritt and
may not be available when the season
opens
'"1 do not want to give the impre ssion
that baseball is kicking or that it wants
any special favors. We realize that per-
sons in all walks of life and in every
business are asking for the return OF
their boys. However, when We read OF
discharged soldiers having no employ
ment we wonder why men who have good
jobs awaiting them are not released from
the service sooner"
Miller Higgins, Yankee manager. now
has his entire outfleld and catching
stan lined up for the coming season. but
is not making much progress with his in
fielders or pitching staff. -
Outheld Under Contract. r.,
The entire outheld is under contract
Lewis. Bodie. Miller. High, Kane and
Halis-as well as the two catchers,
Truck Hanna and Muddy Ruel OF tho
regular inlelders only Pipp has signed
Baker. Pratt and Peckinpaugh remain
out of the fold.
Baker has announced that he IL
through with major league baseball.
while Pratt has sent back his contract
. saying the figures displeased hi:u.
Peckinpaugh went to the National CON-
mission last fall trying to make tho
Yankees pay him for 1875 games. This
may result in strained relations with
the club
OF the pitchers expected TO be regu-
lars next season only big Pete Schneider
has signed. Ernie Shore, Dutch Leonard,
Ray Fisher. George Mogridge. Herb
Thormahlen and Allan Russell have
neglected to return their contracts 80 far.
Higgins takes a very optimistic view
or the situation, as a week ago lie only
had four men under contract.
They began coming in fast last
week.. he says, land ] have no dou1E
that | will have the entire club lined Up
before we leave here on March %"
BY an odd twist OF fate Polly Perritt,
tho Giant pitcher. who claims he is maxi
ing so much money out OF a Louisiana
oil strike that he hasn't time to play
ball, again is being lured away from
Organized Baseball by Federal
Lacquer.
With Harry Sinclair Now.
Harry Sinclair, the former Federal
League hacker, Is the big man in tho
Louisiana oil fields recently discovered
near Permits property. and Poll now is
working with him.
Back in 1915 Perritt jumped the St.
Louis Nationals to go to the Pittsburg
Federals. making the leap in midwinteS.
McGraw procured permission from tha
St Louis club to kdnap Perritt back
for organized baseball, and agreed to
send Bob Bescher to st. Louis If he
could induce Perritt to come to New
York
McGraw made a quiet visit to Pe~-
ritts plantation in Louisiana and took
Poll with him TO the Giants camp at
Marlin. Rebel Cakes, who then man
aged the Pittsburg FederaE, heard OF
Mcirdw's pilgrimage and also made a
tourney To Pollys cotton lands. How
ever. OaKes got in few hours after
McCItaw-~ fled Via his pzICe.
Now It may be necessary for No
Graw TO kidnap PeTitt from Harry
Sinclair and spirit Polly away from the