The Washington herald., 1920-12-15
CRIFF'S CLAIM TO
SOUTHERN STARS
GOES TO LANDS
Legs Will Play Important
Part in Disposal of Brot-
tem-Miller. Case.
BY JACK NYE,

Now that Judge Kenesaw Noun
tain Landis has assumed his duties
as supreme arbiter in baseball dis
putes, Clark Griffith is preparing to
give him something to worry about.
The long standing debate between
the National chief and Little Rock
officials over the ownership of Bing
Miller and Tony Brottem, two of
the brightest stars of the Southern
Association, will be laid before the
Commissioner without delay.
After having attended the meet
ing of the major leagues in New
York. Griff was back at his desk
yesterday preparing a brief that
would do justice to any lawyer. II
he left out any evidence" it was
not noticeable. The brief will be
turned over to Ban johnson, who
will present 1t to Commissioner
Landis. Another month should sec
the argument settled.
Decision Hinges on Legs.
The Commissioner will have TO
devote a lot of study to legs. They
cat quite a figure in the controversy.
In fact, il the props of Leon Carl
son, ex-National pitcher. are all
that Griff declares them to be, the
Little Rock officials will not have
a leg to stand on.
1t will be recalled that Carlson
and Jack Calvo were sent to Little
Rock in part payment for Miller
and Brottem. A paltry $1,000 was
the other consideration.
After the contract. drawn up by
President Allen, of the Little Rock
Club, had been duly signed, along
came Pittsburgh and offered a small
fortune for the two stars.
You can't blame Allen for feeling
like fish when the Pittsburgh pro-
posal arrived. 1t was enough 70
make any minor league club sit up
and take notice. For Brottem the
price offered was a mere $500. Mil
Ter was rated good enough to bring
$4,000 in cool. cash. a total of
sI9.50O,
Impelled with a desire to swell
their strong box, President Allen
and Manager Kid Elberfeld PROMPT
ly sold the two players again and
shipped Carlson and Calvo back
home.
Has Carlson Bum Props.
Looking around for an excuse.
their gaze fell upon the lengthy
neither limbs of Mr.. Carlson. FL
berfeld decided that such legs
were disgrace to his team.
Discovering that Carlson didn't like
the climate in the South, he caused
him to sign statement to the ef-
feet that he ruined his legs in a
sled accident several winters ago.
That was his only excuse.
The alibi might hold water but
for the fact that Carlson let the
cat out of the bag in letter to one
of the National players. declaring
that lie merely signed the state
ment to get his release.
Griff's brief will also call at
tention to the fact that Carlson
stood an army examination in the
war, was passed and won a COM
mission in service. The army, he
hgures, knows good legs when il
sees 'em. He also knows a thing
or two about legs himself.
This is the dispute that Commits
sioner Lands will be called upon
to straighten out.
I'll get 'em both" says Mr.. Grif-
fifth. "a contracts a contract. and
you can't get around that fact"
Miller. who is a Cuban, made
history in the Southern Association
last year. He set a new record for
home runs; being a right-handed
hitter, he wasn't socking over the
short left-field fences. He didn't
lead the league in hitting, but fn-
ished with an average well above
the 300 mark. In addition he was
a fast fielder and accurate pegger.
Bing Has One Weakness.
In spite of Bing's great record.
however. Southern baseball follow
ers think there is some doubt about
his sticking in select company.
Slow ball pitching is said to be
the only kind he can't murder.
Give him a fast one and he's
liable to put it out of the lot" said
a Southern sport writer a few days
ago. But toward the end of the
season some of the pitchers began
to feed him slow ones. and he didn't
look so. good. He'll have trouble
with the pitching in the majors,
unless he cures himself of that
weakness. With that one excep-
Brottem, the same expert declar-
ed, is a mighty promising receiver
who undoubtedly make a fine rec
ord in the big leagues. He's one
of the best the South has turned
out in several years.
From Catholic University comes a
protest as a result of the football
statistics compiled by Parke Davis.
New York Herald expert. Credit
for the longest run from an inter-
cepted forward pass in the season
just passed. is given by the New
York expert to o. G. Ogden, of
Brown. who travelled 81 yards.
Mr.. Davis probably overlooked the
stunt OF Bobby Denault, Catholic
star, who ran pass back 95 yards
in the game with George Washing