The Washington times., 1937-01-08
Myer-GosIin
0pposites
Clutch
By KIRK MILLER
Times Sports Editor

$@4VS& HV&A4449 0U@ ~~N~~SA
in baseball for more
years than a few, I am
convinced the element
which holds the imag-
ination Of the public is
that there is nothing
cut-and- dried about it.
Each inning is a new one
with unlimited potentialltles.
Each game is the same way
as is each season.
History seldom repeats in base
ball; on the other hand the sue
ceeding years often bring striking
contrasts. That is one of the rea-
sons the sport retains its grip on
the masses. Heaven stay the hour
when baseball becomes routine
which, of course, the magnaCeS
will never permit it to.
Myer Vs. GOsLin
Which brings me to the point
where I probably should have
commenced anyway, it being that
Buddy Myer and Goose Goslin
differ so in their salary reactions
after disastrous years at the bat.
was pondering this week the
Supine fashion in which Buddy
,Myer marched into his majesty
Clark Griffith's office and penned
his name to his 1887 contract
without a blow being struck or
even an epithet hurled.
J In my all-too-fickle memory I
was also recalling seven years ago
when Goose GoSlin, who, like
Myer, had once led the American
League in hitting and then I'M
niersed himself in severe slump
1leld out and proceeded to wrestle
and phenagel with the Washing
On club the succeeding weeks be-
fore coming to terms.
You will say that the circum.
stances were not identical and I
will reply, as stated in the very
beginning, that they never are.
. No RepeaterS
Yet the circumstances are ap-
proximate, and that is about as
near as you ever get to duplicates
in baseball. The game just doesn't
seem to repeat, does It?
But definitely two Washington
players had league-leading years
followed by a lean year each, and
Just as definitely they chose oppo-
site attitudes in which to approach
their ensuing contract, which
might, and in the case Of Goslin
did, mean the prolonging Of a
career, or which, in the case OF
Myer, may mean an inferiority,
Washed-up complex.
Certainly, Buddy's slice in salary
isn't going to add to his customary
starch nor bolster his sense Of
Wellbeing or aplomb.
Goslin, with a .288 hitting year
In 1929, following his .370 league
leading 1929 season, gave himself
no such mental licking as did
Myer by admitting without q Strug-
gle his value had diminished when
he had the worst season Of his
career right on top Of his best.
Regardless Of the merits Of
either case, and they're not en-
tirely diSsimilar, I have been in
trigued by their opposite disposalS.
TUO Opposite Deans
Paul. the younger and dumber,
and Of course, nothing like the
pitcher that is Jerome the dizzier
Dean, faces his 1887 contract with
somewhat Of Myers attitude.
1--WE got no kick coming. I'll
sign any contract they send me
and consider myself lucky" says
Paul. .>
That young man will not go far
because in this day and age it is
suicidal from a business stand.
point, to be so self-effacing.
Brother Jerome, or Dizzy, said,
even without being asked and long
before football had moved off the
sports pages:
'The Cards can keep me or
sell me. II they keep me they
win Ne pennant; If they sell me,
the club that buys me wins it,"
Which attitude do you like bet
ter?
Jerome's or Paul's?
GoSlin's Or Myers? D..