Evening star., 1925-06-10

Tuesdays date, Johnson is quoted
as saying. belonged to the Chicago
club in Washington. The fact that 1t
rained Monday and prevented a legal
game being played made it compul,
sorry for Washington to avail itself of
the first open date, which was Tues.
day. The fact that the team is Grip
pied does not enter into the question.
under the rules the game will be for
fHted unless extraordinary excuses
are offered to the board Of directors" :"
Whether Johnson was correctly
quoted in the press dispatches sent
out from Philadelphia is not known.
but according to Clark Griffith the as
sertion that it was Compulsory for
Washington to play yesterday. and
that under the rules the game will
be forfeited are incorrect.
Griffith today said he had received
no official notice of any action to be
taken as result of claim to a for
feiture made by Manager Collins of
the White Sox, nor of a meeting Of the
board Of directors of the league TO pass
on the question.
No Rule Covers Case.
There is no rule in the league con-
stitution which stipulates that the
Washington club should have played
Tuesday under the circumstances
which prevailed, and this was admit
ted by Umpire Nallin at the confer
ence which followed the calling off of
Mondays game" Griff said.
The rules do provide that games
postponed in the second and third
series of any year be played on the
first available date, but there are no
regulations covering the first visit of
club.
1T always has been the custom in
the American League for the officials
of the home club to decide when un-
scheduled games shall be played,
where no rule exists to cover the sit
uation. In this instance we not only
had been advised by the Weather Bu-
reau that rain would prevail Tuesday,
but the weather had been so hot that
interest of the fans in base ball had
suffered.
THE wishes of the public should
govern in a case such as this, and the
home club officials are in a better po-
sition to know what the fans want
than are visiting managers, and it was
our judgment that the fans here were
not anxious to see the White Sox in
action for a fifth consecutive day.
Griff Sure He Is Right.
II have not been advised of any
meeting of the leagues board of di-
fectOrS TO pass on the protest LOGGED
by Manager Collins. Although / am
a member of the board l naturally
would not be permitted to- vote on
this question, but l would be given
hearing and am confident no order
for forfeiture could result"
The league directors, in addition to
Griffith, are President John Shibe of
Philadelphia, President Frank Navin
of Detroit and President E. S. Bar
nard of Cleveland.
Although there seems no doubt
that Collins protest will have to be
disallowed and Griffith's action up
held, should the directors be called
to pass on the controversy, it is
more than likely that the issue will
result in an amendment to the code
of the league specifically covering
such situation should it arise again.
Tigers Here for Series.
Bucky Harris and. his game gang
sters will have their hands full for
the next four days repelling the at
tacks of the Jungle Cats from De-
trcit. Although still occupying a low
ly position in the race, due to a niser
able start, the Tigers are on the
climb now, having started at the wind
. up of their recent home stand, when
they won the only series they have
accounted for this season by taking