Evening star., 1939-02-25
Link al Orlando
Apt 10 Become
Base School
Rocks Given Fastest
Drill to Date on
New Tinker Field
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Star Staf Correspondent.

ORLANDO, Fla, Feb. 25.-With
little fanfare and less trumpeting,
Clark Griffith is building up to the
far-fung Yankee baseball empire
while, at the same time, he publicly
lampoons the three-time champions
of the world
The Old Fox. who for years has
ridiculed the Bronx Bombers, ap-
parentiy isn't going to try to talk
them out of future pennants. In
the wake Of his newest deal, which
was the purchase Of the Orlando
Senators of the Florida State
League, the 69-year-old president of
the Nationals seems bent on pat
terning a farm system" along
Yankee lines.
The Mats today have a minor
league setup for which no apologies
are needed. The only missing link
seems to be at least working agree
ment with a class AA team-an In
ternational, Texas, Pacific Coast or
American Association entry. Once
that is obtained, the 69-year-old
boss of the Washington firm, who
for years looked upon the so-called
chain store system as neW-fangled
contraption, will be ready to groom
and develop players from the time
they leave the lots.
Orlando Eyed as School Spot.
The purchase of the Orlando club
was not as important as it was
significant. The Florida State is
class D circuit. Orlandos players
cannot hope to be ready for the
jump to the majors. But the new
club will serve as vital cog in the
progressive Washington machine
and it may be the means of tying
UP this central Florida city with the
Nationals for a number of years.
Griffth's acquisition of the con-
trolling stock-he bought 81 per cent
of the club from F. M. Coffey of
Washington, who will remain as
partner-is believed to be two
fold in purpose. In the first place
Griffith apparently is trying to get
away from working agreements with
minor league teams, if possible, and
aiming for completely controlled
farms; secondly. he seems to be
cunning for domination of Orlando
baseball.
For more than a year Griffith has
harbored the idea of moving his
free st. Augustine (Fla.) school"
to Orlando. He met with stern op-
position from Joe Strip, former
major league inielder who this year
taught more than $50 boys. who
paid $50 apiece for a course in
Strip Tech.
Now Needs a big" Team.
The natives, particularly the jun
ior Chamber of Commerce, to hear
talk, were reported to favor Strip
because the former Dodger is
local man. But now that Griffith
has made a sizable investment it
is believed that Orlandoans will
think more highly of the Washing
ton president and regard anew his
plans to make the city his winter
headquarters.
The Mats now own outright or
work with at least half a dozen
| teams. Charlotte, entered in the
Class B Piedmont League, is the
fastest Washington owned club
Springfield of the Eastern League,
owned by Scout Joe Cambria, also
works with Griffith.
The other teams in the Washing
ton chain are in smaller minor
leagues. Owned outright by the
Mats are Shelby of the North Caro-
lima State League and Orlando.
Operated by Cambria, but also work
ing with Griffith are the Greenville
team of the Sally League and Sails
bury Of the Eastern Shore.
Griffith is known to be interested
in acquiring one more minor league
connection-a class AA one. A year
or SO ago it was reported that he
was interested in buying into the
Buffalo Bisons of the International
League, but the proposition got cold.
Not until he acquires faster club
will his chain system match or rival
that of the Yankees. who own the
Newark Bears and Kansas City
Blues. as well as some smaller teams.
But it appears the Old Fox, in the
twilight of a long and gallant career,
is trying.
Mats Move to Tinker Field.
A hard tWo-hour workout, best
put through yet by the Nat rockies
in camp, marked the moving from
Little Exposition Park to Tinker
Field yesterday. Because the field
was not quite ready for action, after
having been torn apart and put to-
gether again following the exodus OF
Strips school, practice was hello
off until the afternoon.
Starting today, however, Manager
Bucky Harris was to fall back to the
old morning schedule. Griffith is
inclined to think that afternoon Is
the best time for practice, but Harris
likes two hours of morning, and
Bucky, as usual, is given pretty much
of free hand in running the show.
The mystery of what has hap
pened to Alexandra Cassaque. Cuban
rookie No. 4 and a right-handed
pitching prospect, still was unsolved
this morning. 1t has been reported
that Alexandra is being detained by
immigration officials at Tampa,
where he got off the boat from
Cuba, but nobody officially connect
ed with the club seems to be sure,
| which is nothing new.