Evening star., 1931-12-13

EIo VI LllC w dolA444B bOAI
v club will not suffer big
salary cuts though the
major league moguls at their re-
cent gathering in Chicago decided
that base ball pay rolls must be
trimmed.
On his return from the meeting
President Clark Grifith declared
only those Nationals getting top
heavy wages will have their pay
scaled down and that the run-of-
the-mine player would not have
his salary reduced.
The resolution adopted by the Chi
cago meeting was aimed primarily at
the heavily paid players in base ball, !"
Grtffth explained. There are some
who are being paid all out of proportion
to ths service they give. For a time in
base ball the owners were prone to value
certain players too highly. Now, with
the owners more reasonable in their
valuations, some of the big boys of the
game will have to take it-and like it,
too"
While the Nationals are q well paid
lot, there are but few Of them in the
top-heavy salary class. Most of the
players are paid from SIS, 900 to So 900 a
year, and, according to Griffith, only
those Of this group who have failed to
produce satisfactorily in a base ball way
win feasi the ak.
The washington club wants its play
era satisfied with salaries, and 1t has
eadeavored to pay them fairly" said
the Nationals president. There have
been some disagreements over salaries
In the past, of course, but those occur
on every club. And I am glad to state
that In most instances of disagreements
on the Washington club terms satisfac-
tory 10 both player and club have been
quickly made.
Pew Of the ball players need quake
Ia their boots when the salary question
comes up this Winter. They'll be paid
should be rare"
Griffith was asked: How about raises
for thoss players who had an excep-
tiopal season."
"Hmmm," he replied. We were talk
ing about not cutting salaries"
CRIFFITH considers the Hadley-
VI Jones Hayes for Reynolds-Kerr
trade among the best he has made
81 believe Reynolds will 60 much bet
ter for US than he did for the White
Sox, and he certainly did some good
playing for them" is the way the Ma
tioaals' boss views his deal.
Reynolds Is q natural hitter-and
yaght-hander too-and he can 60 and
get EN- In the field with the best of
them. It has been said he is a player
Of the brittle type, one easily inca
pacitated by injury, but don't think
so. I think the way he tried to play
for the White Sox was mainly respon-
sinie for keeping him out of action so
often," Grifnth commended.
You know, they had Carl slam bang
ing his way around the bases, evidently
intending 10 nave him intimidate op-
posing tnf1elders. That's old-style base
sxil and doesn't get base runner very
far these days" said the president.
The modern nelder knows how TO pro-
Gset himself and still get his man. SO
base runner rather than the fielder suf-
fega the injury.
Reynolds style of base running will |
be changed when he joins US. He has
enough natural speed to run the bases |
without reaorting TO rough tactics. |
When he stops crashing into fielders |
he'll stop getting hurt |
anc ssep himself in the game more"
M quite pleased with the American
Il Leagues action In returning to |
the tvo-umpire system" the
Washington chief remarked. For sew !
eTal years l had contended that three /
nmpires were too many for a game,
II they were not getting in each others /
way they were passing the buck to the |
other fellow. The three-umpire sys-
ten simply made poor and lazy UNI
pires out Of good ones.
X believe under the two-umpire sys-
TEN the games will be better handled |
and run faster. OF course, it means !
the ousting OF two ofncisk now on the |
STAN. That's unfortunate, but at that /
some OF them were slated for oustinR |
because they had not proved particularly |
sf1cient," Griffith revealed.
Under the new order the American |
League will have 10 umpires, eight for |
active duty in the four daily engage
ments and two in reserve for emer- /
geneies. When the Eastern and West
era teams are playing among them |
selves . reserve umpire will be sta /
toned In each section ready to fill in |
whenever regular of1icial becomes Ill /
or is injured"
SsVITHAT about the base ball? Had
Wv the American League any kick /
on the heavier recovered National |
League base ball7" These questions
brought q laugh from Grifath. Moth |
ing 10 IT," he answered. why, the
base ball we adopted last season is
aasout as fine as may be had Our
pitchers certainly liked 1t, and we had
plenty Of hsshy hitting, too.
AS matter OF fact, the American |
League ball probably was better than
the National League ball, for Tom
Shibe, who besides being president OF
the Athletics owns the factory that
makes the balls for both leagues. told .
the Chicago gathering that 1t was vir-
tuAhy impossible TO make a standard
cover for the National League sphere
II seems that the thicker leather is
more difncult to grade and as a result
covers OF widely varying quality must
be used"
TUTTNG the club player limit after
N June IS from IS to % causes Grit
nth no worry. We have rarely
carried more than % or % players
after June IS anyway" he declared.
The move NAV aid the weaker clubs.
too, for they'll be able to pick up
other clubs bench warmers that may
be better than some OF their regulars"
BOUT FOR BARRY