Evening star., 1920-01-18
GR|FF HAS REMEDY
/ FOR COIN GOUGERS
viii Meet Any "Stick-Up" At
tempts by Giving Them the
: Silent. Treatment.
BUYS MAYER, A CATCHER
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

by DENMAN THOMPSON.
Evidence is not lacking that some
new high records will be set this sea
son in the matter of held-outs among
the diamond fraternity. As was to be
expected, the Cincinnati Reds are biaz-
ing the trail and Garry Hermann IL
reported to have turned pale upon
perusing the salary suggestions Of his
players, which have jumped from the
$4,000 paid out last year to about
$1S5.0Oo. OF something like $500 per
champion.
No club in the history of the game
ever has been called upon to shoulder
such a financial burden titleholder or
otherwise. Needless TO say, no such
sum will be disbursed to the Reds.
1t can't he done. But the players
have asked it and the indications are
a lot OF. other clubs will experience
difficulty in signing players this win
ter.
Dissatisfaction General I'm 1919.
Dissatisfaction with salaries was
general last season. When The players
Were signed year ago it was to con-
tracts written by magnateS who eX-
pected lean season Immediately fol-
lowing the war. Instead of poor
campaign financially that of 1919
proved one of the most profitable in
the annals of the game, and as that
fact became apparent the athletes
were not backward in announcing
their intention to demand a share of
the prosperity the owners enjoyed.
They argue that porterhouse steaks
cost ball players just as much as
other nortals and are firmly of the
opinion in view of the wide scope of
the H. c. l.. that reclassification of
salaries should not be confined to
Uncle Sans toilers
There is little question but that a
great majority of the magnates are
osp disposed to be fair in doing out in
creases to players whose work last
season warrants it. This is the ex-
pressed attitude of Clark Grifith and
Sw1il obtain this year as always, but
the Nationals boss is prepared to re-
I, sist unmerited salary drives of grasp
ing players by giving them the silent
treatment.
Much of whatever success bal, toss-
ers have had in gouging their employ
ers Tor inflated stipends has been due
10 the enlistment of sympathy of the
fans by publicity obtained for their
demands. President Griffith is well
aware OF this fact. The last of tae
batch OF contracts for his players were
paced in the nails yesterday. Asket
if any objections to the figures Quoted
mad as yet been received from his
hireIings. he made this significan Mt
statement:
To date there hasn't been a single
KICK registered by any Of my PLAYERS
@ TO the terms offered them. Further
been rendered contracts based ,ncn
the ability they have shown to pro-
ouce the goods and none who excaed
expectations will go unrewarded. NV
PLAYERS know that fs my policy. For
@ snls reason the Washington club sell
exry.
players have until the start OF the
training season to sign. They will
not be hurried, but they cannot go
, south until they come to terms. :f
mere are any outside the fold when
that time comes l will let it be
known. but I will not give any pube
ncity to salary demands that may
De made In the meantime"
or the Grifithian array only four
now are under contract--WaIter
Johnson. who is working under a
hold-over agreement: 10. Leonard.
Frank Elerpe and, Otto. Greenlee,- the
backstopPfng recruit. :.
Catcher Mayer In Purchased.
Speak ling of .csxffsNrs. Gri1stb an
nounced yesterday the purchase from
the Browns of Walter Mayer. the
husky receiver who went to st. Louis
from the Boston Red Sox last winter
Having sent Sam Agnew. also a form
DiV" u IteU SOA, 10 San trSn-
cisco. the Nationals needed a mitt
artist to work along with Picinich
and Charity and GriH processes to
believe that in Mayer he has picked
up Just the man needed to round out
his receiving corps. The local chief
throwing ability and believes that
with steady work he should be able
TO hit effectively.
With two such sterling performers
as SEVERED and Billings hanging
around with the Browns. Mayer last
enough games to have his name in
cluded in the fielding records. in
which he is placed next to the bot
tom. with mark of .959 for fifteen
games: Including appearances as a
pinch hitter, he participated in twice
that many contests. however, his
fourteen hits in sixty-two times at
bat giving him a mark Of .226.
Mayer will be thirty-one years old
next summer, having been born Au-
gust 8, 1883. in Cincinnati. where he
row lives. He bats and throws right
handed, is FIVE feet ten and a half
inches in height and weighs 40
pounds.
AS matter of fact, Mayors record
since he broke into the game with
the Paris club of the Blue Grass
League back in 1911 is far from i'm
ganization with the stick with a mark
of .352. Never since has he reached
the charmed circle with any of the
half dozen clubs he has subsequently
played with
Mayer put in the businest season
of his career with the Birmingham
club of the Southern Association in
1913. when he batted go for 112
games. This earned him a trial with
the Chicago White Sox, with whom
he hit for .165 in 80 games in 1914
and for .222 in % games the follow
ing season.
In 1915 he was with the st. Paul
club of the American Association,
where he caught 104 games and
batted .210. In 1917, with Providence
Of the International League, he
boosted his average to .291 for 70
games. on the strength Of which he
was picked up by the Red Sox in time
TO get into four games. In 1918 he
horned into rs games in Boston, bat
ting .226, and last season. with the
browns. where he raised his average
two points.
Milan's Health Ii Improved.
Clyde Milan this year is expected
to prove of more value to the Ma
tionals than for several seasons past
During the 1919 Campaign the Ten