The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-02-06
{. u STARS
SHINE IN
MAJORS
~ Louis a. Dougher

-
BY Louis a. Dougher
Georgetown men are going to fol.
NV two former weArers Of the Blue
and Gray as they attempt to set
fhe National League ablaze next
summer. Clyde Sukeforth was 50
GOOD : packstop last year IN Gin
cinnafi that he Is ranked - first
string receiver Tor Jack Hendricks
pitchers. Del Bissonette. who used
10 pitch at the Hilltop i've years
ago, comes up TO the Brooklyn
Robins as slsiggipg first baselnan'
Sulzeforth caught In but zA games
Tor the Reds last year. his two
or $40. but Manager Hendricks says
the boy will be in there with va
Pfcinich from the opening gong THIS
wear. His .1gO batting average Tor
IS games makes no record, Yet this
same Hendricks claims that regular
work win see Sukeforth among the
leagues best batsmerl.
BissOnetke was q Georgetown
pitcher il the days when art
Reynolds was hurting ace
under John Id. O'Reilly. How
ever. because Of his hitting, he
became firstsaclEer when he
entered professional baseball
Last season he was the Inter
national Leagues Lon Gehrig.
Bissonette hit for .365 in Buffalo
last season and seems sure Of land
ing the first base job with the
Robins this year. He led the league
il almost everything, runs, hits.
two-baggers, three-baggers, home
runs. total bases and runs batted in.
Gehrie set three new league
records in 1927, total bases, extra
bases and runs batted. Bissonette
made three new International
Iearue records last season. runs
batted in. runs scored and total
bases.
Bissonette scored 163 runs, beat
lng Maurice Archdeacon's frOmer
record BY two. He drove in 16T
runs beating Fred MerkIe's former
mark BY one. His total Of 408 bases
bettered Jack Bentley's former
record BY IL.
Bissonette was In the famous
Johnny Butler deal two years ago
when BROOKLYN tried tO give Babe
Herman to Minneapolis. Mike Kelly
refused to take Herman and. after
looking at BissoIleEke while. ship
red him back to Brooklyn. Her
man was not failure with the
Robins ana now Bissonette seems
likely to- make good IN the big
show. incidentally. Butler failed
with Brooklyn and III now with the
Chicago Cubs.
From various sections come
sorry gr0ans and wild hOWIs
from big Ieaguers who. far
from getting salary increases,
have been asked to accept cuts
for the approaching campaign.
Blood doesn't come from stones
and the magnates cant pay out
what doesn't come in.
The one-sided race in the Arneri-
can League hurt players on every
team. but the Yankees. Nevertne.
less, waite Hoyt. Tony Lazzeri and
Nike GazelIa. are yelping for more
money than has been offered them.
t certainly hurt the Washington
club
When the Griffs made their final
tour Of the West last year only in
Detroit did the fans turn out. 1t
was positively painful to see the at
tendance in st. Louis and Cleve-
land, while Chicago had soured on
the White Sox in no unmistakable
manner.
During the final week of the sea-
son the GrIffs played to empty
benches in Boston and in New York
the largest crowd was about 10000.
New Workers. were saving up for the
world series and had no interest in
the Iowly Griffs back in third place.
The Cubs made money last
year, yet Root and Bush, pitch
Ing stars, are kicking on their
contracts. Rixey and Mays are
bowling in Cincinnati. One or
two of the Giants are hanging
back before signing the papers.
Hogan and Welsh, who took part
In the HOrnsby deal, are among
the grOuchers.
Ball players salaries have been
steadily rising for years. Never be.
fore has Ruth's sac, 900 been eauaIed.
There are no signs OF its successor,
either. On the other hand. signs
point to a slackening in the high
salary move.
Three high-priced players have
passed along in Cobb, Speaker and
Johnson. Those remaining among
the topnotchers are Rogers Hornsby,
Grover Alexander, Babe Ruth, Lou
Gehrig, Herb Pennock. Bucky Har.
ris, Paul Waner. Rey Kremer. Travis
Jackson, Ed Roush and possibly one
or two more. Aside from Ruth,
Harris, Gehrig and Hornsby, IL is
doubtful IL any of those named is
drawing more than $4,000 a year,
IL that much.
Sam Rice differs from the
average big Lacquer. Once he
told this writer his philosophy
along these lines:
mo. I don't make any loud bowls
about salary. go to Griff and have
talk. He tells me just what the
club has done in a. business way.
He explains why he has offered any
certain amount. Then, lie I don't
agree, we talk II over quietly. /
always feel that Griff Is Offering
me the very highest amount he can
afford to pay me. OF course. If /,
were on some other club. I might
get more money. but that isn't
Griff's fault. He doesn't hold out on
me and haven't had any. serious
argument with him since coming to
tho 0laa'1.'s
- a.. s..