Evening star., 1940-12-08
Griff Goes Huntinq
For Talent al Major
Sessions This Week
Old Fox Also to Fight
For More Night Games,
Retention of Lords
nzERANCIS e. STAN.

through the medium of trades and
purchases.
In addition, Griffith has some leg
islative duties to perform. He is 60
ing to fight, if necessary, for the
retention of Judge KenesaW Noun
tain Lands as commissioner OF base
ball. He also is going to battle for
vote of confidence in his 1889 rule
which prohibits the American League
pennant winner from trading or buy
ing, except through the waiver chan
mel. with other teams in the league.
And. finally, he is determined to in
crease the number of night games
permitted the average major league
team.
Hes Disappointed in Pofahl.
Grifith's most important mission
Is purchasing and trading. He ad-
mits that he needs Cd a shortstop
who can throw and hit. CD second
baseman who can move, and CD a
centerf1elder who can throw. Beyond
. this he isn't saying much, but some
things are fairly obvious.
Griffith was disappointed with
Jimmy Pofahl, the $4,000 rookie he
obtained from Minneapolis last year.
The youngster is fine fielder, a
= ~smart player and good hustler, but
at bat, and when it came to throw
ing, Pofahl failed to satisfy Griffith.
Jimmy Bloodworth and Buddy
Myer, who shared the second-base
post, were no balls of fire. Blood
worth is too slow afoot to suit
Griffith, who also looks askance at
Jimmy's strikeout mark and his in
ability to hit that No. 2 pitch. AS
for Myer, his age alone scares the
Old Fox. Buddy will be 81 before
the next campaign opens.
Outfield Needs Repairs.
The venerable pioneer OF the
American League also is dissatis-
fed with his outfeld. George Case,
an acceptable right fielder and a
crack base runner, played center
field for the Nationals last year,
but in that position he wasn't 100
per cent. Case, for all of his base
stealing talents and his ability to
get on the sacks, isn't the model
center fielder, chiefly because he
can't throw and can't prevent en-
elny runners from getting from first
to third base.
AS always, Griffith is not willing
to say what plans he has up his
sleeve. There have been rumors
that Gerald Walker will be placed
on the block when the meeting Of
ficially is opened in Chicago's Palm
er House next Tuesday Griffith de-
nies that he is dissatisfied with
Until we are assured of some
Walker.
body better" he says, walker is a
member of the Washington Club.
He isn't any bad ballplayer. You
can't just throw a fellow who can
hit like Walker on the block and
take anybody in exchange"
Lewis May Return to Infield.
The old gentleman indicated that
II he could find a crack center
fielder Che won't say who he would
exchange for that type of charac-
ter, he would shift Case back to
right, move Cecil Travis from third
base to short, and reinstall Buddy
Lewis at third. He also suggested
that if he came up with a shortstop
he would leave Travis at third and
Lewis in the outfield and try to get
a stronger throwing center fielder
than Case. In this case Walker
might we'll be the bait, although
lease is held as nothing sacred, de-
spite his base-running ability.
Some idea of Grifhths despera-
ton may be had from his signing the
other day of Danny MacFayden,
veteran right-hander who was re-
leased from the Pirates. MacFay-
den. "a, hardly figures to help the
Nationals and yet Griffith, with true
gambling instinct, took chance
on him as a free agent and ten
dered contract to the fellow who
broke into the majors IS years or
so ago.
Griffith repeatedly has four play
ers he will not trade. Three are
pitchers Dutch Leonard, Ken
Chase and Sid Hudson-and the
other is Travis. This does not mean,
however, that he is willing to stand
pat on his pitching staff. Griffith
still lacks a fourth starter and in
tends to land one somewhere.
Griffith VS.. Barrow Again.
Always firm booster of Lands,
the old gentleman is ready to fight
If other magnates still claim that
the commissioner is "confiscator." I"
Talk of this, however, has died out
since the last meeting.
Griffith also is ready to fight for
retention of his rule prohibiting
the pennant winner from trading,
buying or otherwise adding players
except via the farm systems or by
~the waiver route He isn't likely to
run into trouble on this score,
either, because the rule has been in
effect only one year, and it would
be too direct a slap at the Yankees,
winners in 1896, 1887, 1888 and
1899, If repealed.
On two other points Griffith has a
$3.50 chance 1t is believed that he
wants to increase the number Of
night games per team having lights.
Ed Barrow, president of the YAM
KEGS, is a spirited dissenter. Bar
row claims that seven games are
enough. On Griffth's side is Harry
Grabiner of the White Sox, who
made money last year while fooling
with lights for the first time.
Griffith Wants Dozen Games.
Il am not fighting night ball,
Barrow is quoted, because / realize
it may be good thing in certain
spots. But I am determined that ii
shall not go over the seven-game
limit. Soon there will be a general
revulsion of feeling against night
games. 1t has set in already in
the minor leagues. If Griffith hol-
lers for more than seven games fol
his new lighting plant will holler
him down.
The general understanding is that
Grifhth, along with Grabiner, will
ask for a dozen games under the