Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06
EFFORT TO BOOST
GR|FFS EXPENSIVE
Final Outlay for Players May
Be $264, 250-Harris
Sold for $4,000.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

more much more OF 1t stored ava.
II in the vaults Of great financial In
situations, don't try to run a biz
league base ball club. 1t takes rea
money these days to give q city any
kind of a team. This Is revealed in the
figures given out by the washington
club that concern the outlay mace since
the middle of last season in efforts to
strengthen the Nationals for the 1925
campaign in the American League.
OF the 80 players now on the Nation
ais roster, II have been added since
nlidseason in 1928, and for them the
Washington club eXchequeT already has
been tapped for $203, $50 and stands to
be tapped for 1888, $50 if the II are car
RED into the start Of the next flag tight
in Mr. Barnard's circuit
And that's not all. The Washington
club paid $500 ridiculously low
price for a player these dayS-for an
old pitcher that really never had a
chance to make good again in the big
show So, all told, in their efforts to
bolster the Nationals the local owners
actually have expended since the mid
die of last season $208, ESQ. which sum
may grow to 1854 $50. That's an out
lay with capital 90"
Against this the Washington owners
can show a total of $4,000 received for
four players sold since the end of the
past season. Gobs of red ink needed
to make the club books balance, and all
the luck in base bali necessary if the
Washington owners are to feel the ex-
penditure justified. Buying bali play
ers always is more or less gamble
mostly more-and, according to Presi-
dent Clark Griffith of the Nationals, If
the purchaser gets 20 per cent break
On the investment he is, indeed, fortu-
nate
Prices From $4,000 to $4,000.
The prices paid for the II latest adj
ditionS to the Nationals range from
$2,ooo to $4,000 but in the case of the
$4,000 player there's an elf" Should he
be retained, the Washington treasury
must part with $4,000 more.
The highest priced acquisition, of
course, is Buddy Myer, recently pro-
cured from the Red Sox to become
the third baseman of the Nationals.
Cutwardly, Myer was brought here from
the Boston club in exchange for Horace
LiSenbee and Milton Castor, pitchers;
Bob Reeves and Grant ellis, tnflelderS,
and Elliot Eigelow, outfelder But two
of the players involved in the deal ac-
tIIally cost the washington club plenty
money this past year and the three
others have much market value. And
market value as well as playing value
always is considered in the making Of
q base ball deal.
ellis had been bought back from
Minneapolis, to which club he was sold
last Summer, for nothing less than
$4,000 The Nationals had to pay
Birmingham S10,0 900 for Bigelow. Reeves
is rated $4,000 player. while Lisen-
bee is of the $4,000 class and Castor
~ 1aR fST1ffifn
insists that the valuations of Reeves
and Lisenbee are too low. He contends
that Myer really cost the washington
club more than the $4,000 registered.
One of the surprising valuations
among the lot is that placed against
Guy Cantreu's name. This rignt-hand
pitcher. only an everage performer for
Baltimore in the International League
last season, win cost just a cool $4,000
If he is retained. washington gave
the Orioles $1,000 for Cantrell, but must
pay $25,o00 more if he remains Ma
tional after May !. They do come
high these days.
Three of the new Nationals are in
the $4,000 class. They are Adolpn
Liska and Paul Mccullough. somewhat
inexperienced pitchers, and Spencer
Harris, outfielder, who has been up 10
the big show before, all with Mime
apolis in the American Association last
year. In the cases of LiSka ana NC
Clllough, the Washington club planked
down the full $4,000. For Liska the
$4,000 went to the Millers. but the
$4,000 for Mccullough went to the
Toledo club. He had been loaned 10
Minneapolis by the Mudhens:
Harris is another Of the "if'' players.
Should he make the grade with the
Nationals, it will be up to Griffith ano
Co to nav Minneapolis $4,000 In ad-
dition. TO the $1,000 already given put.
In other words, the Millers get $2,OOO
sirnnlv for permitting the washington
noguls to look over Harris at work. :.
Ed Kenna, bought from Minneapolis
last Summer, and Pete Yoter, procured
from the same club in the Fan, are the
$4,000 players added to the Nationals.
Kenna. the little catcher. did not come
here until SIS. 600 was transferred from
the Washington treasury TO the MN
neapolis money chest Voter, the third
haseman. though, has so far cost the
Nationals but $500. That's merely the
price paid for being allowed to give him
a trial. however. If he sticks, Washing
ton must give Minneapolis an addltional
$12,500.
Now for the $4,000 players. There
are three of them, Harley Boss, 1lrSL
baseman bought from Little Rock. and
StIffv Stewart. second sacker, and Mel
Simons, outfielder. procured from Biz
minghanl. No ifs" in these instances
The actual cash was turned over TO the
Little Rock club last season, and real
money went to Birmingham to buy back
Stewart and Simons, with the Nationals
before.
Two of the new Nationals cost the
club $500 each. They are Joe Cron!n,
who was bought from the Kansas Guy
club for that amount in midseason last
wear. and jim Weaver, the Strungout
pitcher lifted from Chattanooga near
the close of the 1928 campaign. botn
are straight cash deals.
Al Bool, catcher, is the only new Ma
tional rated at $4,000. That's what the
club paid Nashville for him. In the So
600 class are Archie Campbell. pitcher,
and Jimmy Partridge, second baseman.
Campbell came from the st. Paul cruz
at the "A. A" League draft price, While
Atlanta got the cash for Partridge IN
regular sale. Another draftee, Charley
Gooch, cost but $4,000. That money
for the infielder went to Little Rock.
Cliff Bolton, the kid catcher bought
from High Point of the Piedmont
League. cost the Nationals but $3.50.
The purchases already mentioned
have removed thus far $203,250 from
the treasury of the Washington Clun
and may take away enough more TO
boost the total outlay for new talent 70
S258,750 But another purchase maze
1l,,riry tho mast wear hit the local eX-