Evening star., 1921-02-13
DIAMOND PLAYERS
NOW HAVE To SIGN
UP OR co TO WORK
Base Ball Owners Not Wor-
rying This Year-Griffs Go
South in Two Weeks.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

and Nicholas Altrock, come
dian extraordinaire of the Nationals.
will be southwark bound to get
things in shape for the arrival of
the first squad of players at
Tampa, Fla. One week later Presi-
dent Griffith. Manager George
Mcbride and the young battery
candidates will be aboard a train
steaming for the training camp.
while another squad of older players
will be on rattler headed Tor Hot
Springs, Ark. for preliminary con-
ditioning.
With the opening OF actual prepa-
ration for the next championship sea-
son close at hand the backward
ness of a large number OF Washing
ton players in signing their contracts
might cause apprehension to a mag
nate with less knowledge of athletes
and their ways than Clark Griffith. or
even to him in other seasons. But not
SO this year-and there's a reason.
In 1920 and for several seasons be-
fore, extending back as far as the ad-
vent of the Federal League, and con-
tinuing during the term OF the war.
conditions in base ball were so unset
tied that il was a wise mogul who
knew for sure just what players he
could depend upon. But it's different
now. The Federal League with its
glittering inducements for contract
jumping now is only a painful mem
Dry: the war is ended: organized base
ball has been established on solid
footing under a new system of gov
ernment. and last. but far from leas'.
conditions in the industrial field have
undergone radical change.
Independents Are wobbiy.
| Last summer the shipyard and steel
'rcuitS looned as menace to the
| tranquility of major league club own
ers. and in a number of instances sue
/ ceeded in Turing away valuable play
ing material. This year plants and
factories of nearly all descriptions
have laid off a large proportion of
their operatives and in many instances
shut down completely. An illustra-
tion of the difference in conditions
prevailing last year and now is shown
by the attitude of Joe Harris. the
sturdy hitting and depeadable fielding
first sacker of the Cleveland Indians.
This highly regarded slugger. who de-
serted the Tribe last year for a berth
with the Franklin. Pa. independent
team. now is making overtures to re-
siderable doubt whether he can get
back. His action in jumping auto
matically placed him on the ineligibl.
/ list. and if the club owners stand firm
by their dec sion to drastically punish
deserters his application for rein
statement will be denied.
Must Sign or Go to Work.
With no alternative but to go to
work, the diamond performers are not
likely to defer signing beyond the
point where they lay themselves liable
| to salary deductions The magnates
are well aware of this fact and as a
consequence the worrying committees
this spring will be composed exclu-
sively of players. So far as the Ma
! tionals are concerned there are NO
holdouts - not according to Griffith's
Interpretation OF the term. He prob
ably is carrying on quite an extern
sive correspondence with some of the
boys whose views regarding their
worth differ materially from his own:
may even have had his terms fatty
rejected in one or two instances. But
Griff believes 1t is poor policy to dis
cuss such things in the newspapers
All players have until we start for
the training camp to sign their con-
tracts" is the way Griff puts ii. Until
then they are not holdouts. When
that time comes il any have failed to
sign it will be known. But 1 do not
anticipate any such contingency. I'm
, confident the boys all will be in line
in good time"
Indians Sought Rice and Judge.
Efforts to lure Sam Rice and Joe
Judge from the Nationals this winter
have not been confined to the Yankees.
1t develops that when those so-called
negotiations were at their height
Owner James c. Dunn OF the Indians
heard of it and wrote to Griff about
his chances for doing business for the
local stars. Griff made it plain In q
letter to the boss of the world cham
pions that he would not consider any
deal for either of them, as he was
building up and not tearing down."
Rockies to Play pills.
Business Manager Shettsline Of the
Philadelphia Nationals believes that
series of three games he has ar
ranged between Wild Bill Donovan's
hirelings and those directed by George
Mcbride March Is, II and Is will
prove a big thing from a box Office
played at Gainesville, Fla. where the
Quakers are to train during the 'rin
Can jubilee" This is a celebration
held by tourists who use their fiivers
in travelling from their homes in the
north to Florida for the winter
months. Several thousand visitors are
expected to assemble there for this
event. At that time the regulars OF
the team will have just started train
ing. and will be in no condition to
take part in game, SO a squad of
youngsters will attempt to uphold the
prestige of the American League
against the representatives Of the
rival circuit. There WIN oe a quartet
of the juvenile fingers with Torres
to receive them. Brewer Ma.hafka,
La Motto and Foss for the infield and
Miller. Goebel and McHugh in the out
field.
Another "Scrap Of Paper"
: Looks as if another agreement must
be listed in the scrap-of-paper class
the one wherein base ball magnates
bound themselves to refrain from
mud Singing and recrimination. That
is the conclusion to be drawn from an
interview given by Barney Dreyfuss
owner of the Pittsburgh club. to Sid
Mercer. New York writer. 1t has to
do with the reorganization meeting
last fall in Chicago, when the Ques-
tion arose as to whether Judge Lands
should be empowered to take" or
merely "recommend' action against
players or club owners accused on
miSdeeds.
Dreyfuss is quoted as saying that It
was Henry Killilea, lawyer and IAN
old friend of Ban Johnsons" who ac-
companied the American League mem.
bers of the joint committee to frame
the new agreement-Shibe. Navin and
Griffitk-who suggested that the
wording should be changed SO that
Lands would be shorn of his power
to punish an offending club owner
Dreyfuss is quoted as concluding his
remarks with this statement:
Those stories that johnson had Sc
cretly been for Landis all the time and