The Washington times., 1936-12-11
Griff Is Back
With Deals
Pending
BY FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL

President Clark C, Griffith re-
turned from the major league
meetings in New York, a deal
with the Detroit Tigers still pend.
ing, and other trades in mind.
Griff is ready to execute when his
friendly rivals get around to do
ing business. Griff wants to add
power to his battery forces, and II
Buck NeWsom has to be used IN
one trade or another, there will
be little time wasted when the
right men are named.
Trades can be made in day,
but very often they require time.
Club owners have way Of look
ing around, figuring out all angles
before they give up property that
might be Of too much value to
rival.
Griffith approves Of Judge
Lands decision in the Feller case.
He contended right along that the
Cleveland club was within its
rights in making the deal as it
was made. In fact, Griff inti-
mated that under stress Of cir
cumStanceS, he might recommend
a promising young pitcher to
Chattanooga, and then snatch the
kid right away from the Lookouts.
"The Indians signed up Feller
in a regular and legal manner &C.
cording to baseball rules and the
law of the game" Griff said in
discussing the case on the way
home. "If a major league club
can't sign players off the sand
lots, they won't have enough play
ers.to man the big league clubs.
Haven't got enough good ball play
ers as it is"
Minors Rule Sand Lots
It might be offered in refutation
to this statement that the rule
giving minor leagues the rights to
sand lot players is clearly written
in the major-minor agreement.
But here was q great young
pitcher, and there was q rule. 1t
was natural that the ball clubs
took the player and let the rules
take care of themselves.
Griffith is hot on the trail Of a
good catcher. If he can't get
Rollie Hemsley, then he will take
the next best available man. But
he feels that he must have a big,
strong receiver to do the brunt OF
the catching. Miles Is a good
ball player, but he is not rugged.
Frank Hogan will be released be-
fore spring unless he reports on his
battle with excess poundage. Ho-
gan was instructed to take off 35
pounds and weigh in for spring
training at 230 pounds. This Is en-
tirely reasonable, and Hogan &C
cepted the order. So far he has not
reported.
Hogan Must Reduce Weight
Hogan won't do as he is," Grit
fifth said. HE is 50 fat that he has
to throw with a side arm motion,
and good base runners would steal
his mask off him before Decora-
ton Day. If Hogan can come down
to the right poundage. he will be
all right.
"The pitchers love to pitch to
Hogan" Griff said. HE Is the
best catcher we have on the roster,
but the weight will kill him. He
just has to melt off those 80 excess
pounds.
PUT Hogan at the bat and you
have a possible home run hitter.
He is able to drive the ball over
any fence in the league, and he has
done it often enough to convince
all hands on this score"
Chapman Sends Regards
Ben Chapman is on his way
home to Montgomery, Ala. Chap
pie was here, as you know for the
banquet Of the Touchdown Club.
I'D like to stay here for a
while" Chappie said, before start
ing Southwark, "but we are in the
first stages Of our Christmas bust
ness, and we have to take care of
that right now. You can tell the
Washington fans that I wish them
all the joys of the holidays, and
I'll be hitting 1886 for them again
next season."