Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-23
or course, at the minor meeting to
~ be held In Montreal on December

nF course, at the minor meeting to
~ be held In Montreal on December
8, 4 and 5, Grifith will have some
thing to do besides looking after new
stuff for his Washington club. He'll be
looking after the interests Of the Chat
tanooga club, Washington's farm in the
Southern Association, too. With Joe
Engel, lone scout Of the Nationals and
chief executive of the Lookouts, the
washington prexy will see that nothing
Is put over on the minor holding OF the
Washington organization.
Also in addition to. casting about for
something that might become useful to
the Lookouts, Griffith viii spend some
time and energy seeking to settle the
draft issue that has been bone OF con-
tention between the majors and some
Of the minors since the World War.
Like the other major league bosses, the
washington president believes firmly
in the general draft. The modified
draft as applied to the Class IA minors
never has met with his approval, ana
Grifit1 will lobby at the annual minor
convention with hope that all the
leagues below the majors viii be put
on an equal basis in the selective draft.
As far as the league to which the
Washington farm belongs Is concerned,
he has nothing to bother about. The
Southern Association accepts the majors
draft laws without qualification. But
Grif1th and the other major magnates
may find real fight on their hands
when they stack UP against the hard
boiled Class IA minors.
THIS draft battle very likely win be
i carried to the major meetings 70 be
held In New York on December Q,
10 and IL. The first two days In the big
city each major league VIII conduct It's
own sessions. The third day they VIII
get together with Kenesaw lands,
base ball commissioner, for joint
meeting. This joint meeting isn't apt
to be much more than matter OF APP
proving legislation affecting both
leagues made in the Independent league
meetings unless some one starts rum
pus before the conventions set In, Tor
Judge Lands has q way OF keeping
the magnates in check.
One matter likely to come before the
American League meeting will have TO
do with permitting the clubs Of the
Junior major circuit to play one an
other in Spring exhibitions before the
championship campaign starts. For
some years, the American League has
refused to sanction intra-league exhibi-
tons, although the National League
long has allowed such games to be
played.
Grifnth rather favors the adoption
Of the tntra-league plan now since his
club has shifted its training base from
Florida to the Mississippi Coast. While
at Tampa there were several National
League clubs at hand ready to accom-
modate the Washington club with en-
gagements. At Biloxi the only nearby
major clubs last season belonged TO
the American League and the Nationals
fpuA IN n thong
practice tits.
Adoption of the intra-league exhibi-
ton plan by the American League would
give the Washington club much more
attractive training game schedule next
Spring.
WITH the joint session Of the big
w leagues concluded Grifnth's work
will not be through He Is mem
Der of the Playing Rules Committee
and that body Is to convene in New
York on December IL. The Washing
ton president would like to have the
code amended in several places and
will argue vigorously IN favor OF the
changes.
For one thing he would abolish the
scoring of sacrifice flies. Not only the
loft that enables q runner to advance
from first to second base or from Sec
ond to third after the catch, but also
that which scores q runner after a
catch will 60 out Of the scoring bust
ness If Griffith has his way. He claims
the batter under such circumstances Is
plainly trying to hit the bali out and
does not deserve the same exemption
from time ut bat he gets in putting
down q sacrificial bunt. This rule
change is apt to go through.
Grifith wants some way to coming
hits, too, that there may be an equali-
cation OF batting in parks of varying
size. He wants the batter to get a
homer to have to hit the ball as far
in the little parks as he does in the big
ones. This rule change Is not apt to
30 through.
And after all this base ball business
Grifith thinks he may remain in New
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