Evening star., 1933-01-29
MATS FALL IN LINE
AT 8-A-WEEK RATE
Rice Sixteenth to Accept
Terms-Youngsters Are
Slow to Report.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.


~ ONE big league clubs are
finding it difficult to make
~ their players like terms Of
fered for the year of the
great slump, but Washington is
not among them Since contracts
were forwarded the Nationals, the
boys who work for Clark Griffith
have been falling into line at the
healthy rate of eight per week.
That figure was maintained with the
signing yesterday of Sam Rice. The
veteran outflelder breezed into club
headquarters. seized a pen and in a
jiffy became the sixteenth of the Ma
tionals to be mustered for the 1888
campaign.
With "a players on the roster, the
corraling of 16 after contracts are out
two weeks may not appear any great
feat. However, 1t is significant that of
the 16 signed, IA are of the lot prac-
tically certain to be around after the
May Is pruning reduces the Washing
ton strength to % players. the maxi
mum then permitted by base ball law
AS a matter of fact. only five key"
players still have to sign. They are
Monte Weaver and Earl Whitehill,
pitchers: Luke SeWell, catcher; Joe
Kuhel infielder, and Heinie Manush,
outfielder
Get this quintet in line with the
other regulars already enlisted and the
Nationals with no other aid would be
sturdy enough to put up grand fight.
A L CRoWDER, who won more games
"A than any other pitcher in the
American League last year, and
Walter Stewart, the sterling southpaw
procured in the big deal with the
Browns, have come to terms. So has
Tommy Thomas and with a nicely re-
paired flinging wing too. Tommy was
pretty good last season when the arm
was ailing. Now that it is in good
TRIM he ought to be far better. And
Bud Thomas and Ed Linke, the young
sterS expected to shine on the hill this
year. are r'arin' to go. Add to that
ton Of 1882, and Whitehill, the SPAR
king southpaw lifted from the Tigers,
and the Nationals would have a right
sweet curving corps.
To handle the pitching the club now
has only Cliff Bolton regularly en-
rolled. Bolton, though. is expected to
do the second-String receiving for the
Nationals Once SeWell. the stocky
backstop who changed allegiance when
a deal was made with the Indians,
GENES to terms the Washington outfit
will be we'll fortified behind the bath.
Only Kuhel of the regular infield has
failed to accept his contract Buddy
Myer and Ossie Bluege are on the line
and OF course ice Cronin, manager as
well as shortstop, was mustered in last
october. And the Nationals have in
Johnny Kerr an infielder for emergency
use under contract.
With Rice signing yesterday only
Heinie ManuSh of the outfield squad
of five the Nationals will carry remains
off the roll. Dave Harris was among
the early birds and Goose Gcslin and
Fred Schultz lost little time getting in.
So far as the big boys are concerned,
Griffith is doing very well at getting
his club in order.
OF the lesser lights expected to be
~ with the squad after the May Is
cut comes, there are four still un-
signed. They are Bill McAfee, young
pitcher bought from the Braves last sea-
son; Jack Russell, the hurler shifted
from the Tribe in a barter; Moe Berg,
hold-over catcher, and Cecil Travis, in
fielder purchased from Chattanooga.
Perhaps Travis should not be regarded
a lesser light. President Griffith has
had much to say in praise of this boy
from the Lookouts and even has in
timated the youngster may make great
bid to grab the third base job from the
veteran Bluege. Travis will need plenty
to do that. though. Bluege isn't to be
counted out yet.
Odd that Of the 18 Nationals vet
to come to terms are mostly youngsters
not even slated to see the training camp
at Biloxi in the Spring. Holding out
couldn't help them to any appreciable
extent. Even though one should manage
to wheedle better terms out of the club,
the pay clause in his contract wouldn't
hold good were he shunted to minor
outfit.
At their December meetings, the major
moguls revised their agreement with the
minors to the extent that player under
contract dropped from big time stand
ing could be subject to a reduction in
salary. What price holding out?
WHEN Rice, the old Man O. War, got
w down on the line yesterday at
Prexy Griffith's Office, he did so for
his nineteenth term as National.
With Joe Judge gone to Brooklyn, Sam
is the sole Washington player who has
been with the club since the days when
Griffith cracked the managerial whip.
He came here from the Petersburg
club of the old Virginia League late in
the 1915 season. bought for $500. Rice
was supposed to be a pitcher in those
days. but he proved such sturdy hitter
the then Manager Griffith shifted the
player to the outfield. Sam carried on
in great style with the teams piloted by
Griffith. George Mcbride, Clyde Milan,
DOME Bush and Bucky Harris. Not un-
til after Walter johnson assumed the
Washington management did Rice begin
to fade as a fielder. The past two sea-
sons he was employed only in emer-
gencies
Rice, though, has maintained great
hitting stride and though he will be Al
years old next month his underplnnlng
still is sound enough to permit him TO
match speed with many much younger.
Manager Cronin ought to find old Man
O. War pretty useful this year.
CRIFFITH reduced his Washington
" squad to "a late yesterday by ship
ping three players to the Chat
tanooga farm. Those eliminated are
Bruce Connatser. first-baseman, who
came along with Russell from Cleveland
In exchange for Harley Boss; Bill An
drus. outfielder. recalled from the Look
outs at the end of the last season, and
Tank Horton, catcher, picked up in
the Midwest last Summer. All go
under option: Connatser being subject
to recall on 24-hours notice. The Ma
tionals must keep a taut string on Con-
natser for he is all they have in sight
should Kuhel 60 wrong at the initial
sack.