Evening star., 1940-01-08
Baseball Greats
Rush 10 Accept
Clubs Offers
Trend Seen Definite
As Reds Sign ID
With No Fuss
BY JUDSON BAILEY,


NEW YORK. Jan. 8.-Like a siren
of spring, Dizzv Deans sonic hold
out squaWk over the weekend
aroused slumbering baseball fans to
the fact that contract time is here
again.
In the next week or two the docu-
ments with the dotted lines will have
been mailed to just about every
eligible major Lacquer, but the chant
of "Ole Diz" isn't likely to get much
of a chorus.
For one thing lot of PLAYERS, in
cluding several perennial members
of the beef" trust, already are
signed.
Championship clubs popularity are
supposed to face the most trouble
rounding their players into line, but
the Cincinnati Reds at this early
date have IA under contract for
1910 and the New York Yankees.
who won't put their papers into the
mail till next week aren't expecting
much fuss. That world series bonus
every year seems to keep the Bronx
Bombers happy.
Werber Wastes No Time.
/ The first of the Reds to sign up
was Third Baseman Bill Werber,
who has a pretty practical opinion
of his own value. and one If the
/ first was Paul Derringer. the big
pitcher. who used to be quarrelsome
about his figures.
| Pitcher Bucky Walters, the Ma
tional Leagues most valuable play
er. and First BaSeman Frank Nc
Cormick slapped their names on
! two-year contracts without the
slightest hesitation.
Paul Waner, the Pittsburgh Pi-
rates persistent holdout. jumped to
terms last November after confer
( ring briefly in New York with PreSi-
dent William E. BensWanger and
! his new manager, Frank Frisch
This action wasn't because Waner
had no talking point for he batted
1928 last year and ranked fourth in
| the National League.
1 The Cleveland Indians have Bob
/ Feller, Mel Harder and JEFF Heath
signed and Sealed-and they were
about the only three that might have
been expected to give the Tribe
trouble Feller was reported to
have been given s25,OOo Whatever
it was caused President Alva Bradley
to remark he didn't know whether
eve signed Feller or he signed US"
Red Sox Bag Big Ones.
The Boston Red Sox gave Joe
/ Cronin another five-year player
manager contract last September
and followed up this coup by signing
Ted Williams. Jimmy Foxx. Bob
Doerr and Jim Tabor. four better
than fair faces. for the 1910 cam
paign.
The Detroit Tigers already have
Charley Gehringer and the New
York Giants Carl Hubbell as bell
wethers for their flocks The Chi
cago Cubs have most of their stars
and other clubs have numerous
lesser known players in line.
If trouble comes, as some little is
sure to- the storm centers may be
these:
Red Rolfe. third base star of the
Yankees, who is looking for raise,
but big! He staged a futile hold
out last year finally signed at the
clubs terms and then had the best
year of his career.
Dolph Camilli of the Brooklyn
Dodgers, who was offered 1000
boost to sign at the end of the
season and refused Now President
Larry MacPhail says the larruping
Latin will have to take the same as
in 1899.
Medwick Apt to Balk.
Doc Cramer and Joe Vosmik of
the Red Sox. whose pay Boston
might try to trim to make them
more attractive in deal for pitch
ing or catching strength.
Hank Leiber, who wants to get
into the upper brackets with the
Cubs.
Joe MedWick of the Cardinals, who
took a $4,000 cut to $4,000 after a
lot of wrangling last spring and
wants to get it back with interest.
Hank Greenberg of Detroit, who
thinks he had a good season in 1889
even if the management doesn't.