The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1933-12-15
NEW BALANCE
GIVEN CLUBS,
IS VIEW
BY GARRETT WATERS

BY GAkNETV WATERS
Members of the hot-stove
league asked for it and they got
it. Baseball moguls had oppor-
tunitieS presented them and they
capitalized in every way, shape
and form. The game in general
underwent an upheaval which, in
the end. will probably be the
best thing that ever happend to
it.
Ladies and gentlemen. we mean
the annual big league baseball
meetings which today are closed
chapters until the coming of an
other December when probably
new developments will be sprung
on an interested public.
Yes, the baseball meetings.
which had three Of the most
sensational days in the history
Of the game. AS realized by now,
trades, trades and more trades
featured the milling around Of
club owners although several in~
portant topics were discussed.
settled and what-have-you in
the interim.
Easily the headliner in the
player-trading was the shifting Of
the five Philadelphia stars, Lefty
Grove, Rube Walberg. Max
Bishop, Mickey Cochrane and
George Earnshaw to the Boston,
Detroit and Chicago clubs re-
spectively.
General Shock
Even though rumors ran the
countryside for several weeks be-
fore official announcement came,
Connie Mack's gesture of break.
ing up his ball club shocked the
baseball world generally when he
calmly told newspaper men Of
his necessary program" on Tues.
day.
A brave thing to pull off, base.
ball men said, but something that
couldn't be helped, particularly
when q club was as much in the
red as the Philadelphia club was
reported to be.
Out of the general confusion
comes this thought today. The
American League race will be one
Of extreme interest in 1884 as
every club is strengthened to the
extent where no particular Sec
ton of the circuit will be marked
with a weak spot.
Especially will this be true Of
the "far East" where the Boston
Red Sox hail. A chronic cellar
club for the past decade, the
Sox will be decided threat in
1884 threat that will cause
plenty Of unrest among former
contenders, such as the Wash-
ington Griffmen, New York
Yankees, Philadelphia AS, and
Cleveland Indians.
Then in the West, the Chicago
White Sox will offer more oppoSi.
sition than in past season, par.
ticularly if George Earnshaw
gives the teams pitching staff
that balance that has been lack"
ing for the past five or six years.
Fears Boston Sox
Clark Griffith, president Of our
own Washington Griffmen, thinks
the Boston Red Sox will be the
club to fear most. Before he left
for the Chicago meetings, he
voiced the opinion that the Sox
would be q decided contender, if
not the next pennant winner If
they corralled all the stars fig
ured by the many reports which
had been going the rounds. The
Sox acquired these stars and now
Mr.. Griffith's opinions can be
borne out-for the present at
least.
Mr.. Griffith said that the base
ball populace shouldn't forget the
strength of the Griffmen for 1884,
however. First. because the Griff.
men proved they had plenty OF
fighting qualities lase year and
secondly, because the team should
travel at even a greater speed to
show the world that they will
down any new obstacles that
might push themselves in the
way.