The Washington times., 1936-03-14
BOnuSnea
DrQwSFIre
From GriH
BY FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL

ORLANDO, Fla, March a.
The forces of organized baseball
are aligned in solid front this
morning against President Walter
Briggs, of the Detroit Tigers,
quoted as saying that he would
give the Bengal Biffers a bonus
of months salary if they won
the American League pennant this
year. d
President Will Harridee, of the
American League, was in confer
ence with Mr.. Briggs by long
distance telephone last night.
Mr.. Briggs is in Miami Beach
Although Harridge refused to dis.
cuSs his talk with the Tiger chief
tain, it is assumed that he quoted
the rules and regulations of the
American League, which set forth
clearly that no bonus of the ma
ture proposed by Mr.. Briggs would
be permitted.
Commissioner Kenesaw Noun
tain Lands is expected mere today,
and it is likely that President Har-
ridge and the baseball czar will
hold conference on the matter.
President Clark C. Griffith of the
Washington baseball club, will take
up the matter with Lands. Thomas
A. Yawkey of the Red Sox, will at
tend the meeting.
Precedents Pro and Con
There is a precedent already es
tabliShed in the matter Of cluD,
owners turning over to his players
the clubs share of world series
profits. In 1908, Barney Dreyfuss,
Pittsburgh owner, gave his share
to the Pirates after they had lost to
the Boston Red Sox.
On the other hand, there is d
precedent prohibiting club owners
offering a bonus to a team for,
winning the pennant. Two years
ago Thomas A. YaWkey, president,
of the Boston Red SoX offered
rewards based upon the position
in which the club finished. He
set certain sum if the Red SoX
finished fourth, and graduated
it upwards until it became some,
thing of a grand prize is they
won the pennant.
At the time Judge Lands
cracked down on Yawkey and
told him that he could offer re-
wards to stimulate his players
in their fight for fourth, third
or second. But bonus for win
ming the pennant definitely W" G
banned.
Might Cause Trouble
It was the contention of JUG
Lands at the time that offeril
such rewards for winning tn
pennant, might under certain Gil
cumstanceS, lead to practice!
detrimental to the best interest
of baseball.
President Clark Griffith this
morning stated his position clear
ly on the matter. He said that
he never would countenance any
such things. Griffith pointed
out that while he had full faith
in the integrity of baseball and
all baseball players, the practice
of giving a bonus to a team for
winning a pennant might lead to
trouble.
"The amount of money in
vOIved in the proposed Briggs
bonus is large enough to lead .,
to trouble" Griffith said.
with % high-salaried men on
the pay roll, upwards of $780,
900 would be at stake.
This creates bad influence
on players working for clubs
which have not the financial
strength of the Tigers. If the
Browns or my club were in the
fight, and they realized that
these other fellows were getting
all that money if they won,
dissatisfaction might develop.
There might be some fellow
who would be weak on some
club some time. You can't tell
me. We think these things
never will happen, but they
might. Another thing, If a club
playing for a big bonus were
playing a team that was going
nowhere, all kinds of criticism
might arise and questioning fin
gers pointed at the team that
lost, especially if the weak
team that figured to lose, lost.
"The matter of players con-
tract is a different thing" Grit
fifth said. I'VE give a bonus to
pitchers. NewsOm will get a
bonus based upon a certain num-
ber of victories. So will Apple
ton. But the amount Of money
involved is not great. The
chance of cOlluSiOn is negligible.
BRIGGS NEW IN GAME
"Mr. Briggs is new in baseball"
Griffith said. "He succeeded
one of the ableSt men in the
game, the late Frank J. Navin.
Mr.. n win never would have
made such an offer. He was too
we'll verSed in baseball lore and
law to do any such thing.
Mickey COchrane never has
attended the American league
councils. Mickey is a player and
a great player. He has the
player enthusiasm. But he must
learn the law of baseball; must
learn the code that governs the
game"