The Washington times., 1930-03-08
HIS
REPLY To
GRIFFITH
(continued from Paae ~


with no show of temper but more
after the manner Of a modern
and somewhat shrewd business
man.
Nobody needs to tell me I had
q bad year in 1929. I naturally
expected to get 'slashed' this
season, but I didn't expect to be
offered q contract which Is virtu-
ally an insult to q man who has
played the ball have over q
period of more than half q dozen
years.
''It Only Averaged"
st know got more than I
earned last season, but what II !
did? That only equalized the
average for the years I didn't
get what I earned.
"You can take 1t from me,
Griff slashed and slashed and
slashed when he sent me my con-
tract, and I thought so little Of
his gesture that haven't even
communicated with him in any
way.
Before he left washington he
wrote for me to 60 there and
talk things over, but I know him
too well to fall for any Of that
stuff. I'll be right here In Salem
until he makes UP his mind TO
come clean with me, and in the
meantime he knows better than
any one living what it viii take
to jar me loose from good old
Salem.
"I'm right fond Of this here
little old town. I've spent most
of my life here, except when I've
been playing ball, and I tell you
I've missed being away from here
OF summers, which Is q great
part of the year to spend IN
South Jersey.
'I'd just as soon stay out OF
baseball this summer, anyway.
NY young brother Jimmy, who is
Just 18, needs little coaching
and I'd consider the summer
well spent just helping develop
him for the big leagues.
Brother Is Bigger
!, ALREADY he's q bigger fellow
than I am, and he can throw
and bat like I never dreamed OF
doing. Within two years he'll
be ready for the big show and
I'd consider it q pleasure to con-
tribute the coming summer to-
ward helping him round out into
professional baseball caliber.
'Too, the local high school
wants me to help tutor its base
ball team and when school is
out, the little town Of Bridgeton,
not far away, which has a semi
industrial team, has offered me
the Job Of managing and playing.
"Of course, none Of these
things to which could very
happily devote the summer, would
pay me anything like what I
could get II Griff would trade
me or pay me decent wage, but
they'd darn near pay me as much
as Griffith has offered me and
II that's all he thinks Of my
services, why, you'll find me right
down here In South Jersey next
summer, playing golf, fooling
around these kid ball teams and
enjoying the best summer I've
known In many year.
IT'S Solid Bunk.
''While the item Of money Is the
only thing that stands between
Griff and myself stuff about
me and Walter johnson not being
friendly is solid bunk-money
doesn't happen to be everything
with me.
II saved a good bit of money
and can easily afford q year out
Of the game. While I'm not con-
tending I'm essential to the Wash
ington team or any other team,
I've been around long enough to
be able to place my own value on
my services and II Griffith can't
see things that way, why then it's
just too bad.
Understand me, I'm not hold
Ing Griffith up. I'm ready to meet
him half way, but his offer Is so
insignificant it doesn't even rate
an answer. He knows he's made
too low an offer and he ought to
know I wouldn't fall for 1t. When
he wants me, he can get me with
one thing-at least dignified
offer.
II wouldn't even go to Biloxi
10 talk 1t over with him, unless
I had every dime Of my expenses
both ways in advance, because I
won't sign for penny less than
I think I deserve in view Of my
entire baseball record. Griff
wants to pay me on q basis Of
last year and I do not think that
Is fair. It stands to reason I
won't have another year like that
1T would be against all laws Of
averages, yet he's made me an
offer based on my miserable hit
ting mark Of 1929.
"How much more sportsmanlike
It would be of. him to rate me on
my whole record, that big year of
1928 thrown In with the rest!"
Asked If Griffith has offered
him q salary with q bonus for
good work, Goslin said:
No Bonus Offered
NAV, he didn't offer me no
bonus. and besides, If he did. I
wouldn't accept it. played for
him on a $1,000 bonus basis sew
eral years ago and when I went
to collect it, he side-stepped on an
excuse that he hadn't had a good
wear at the gate. So that cured