Evening star., 1941-02-22
Strictly Hands
Off |sPoIicy
OF MoguIs
Greenberg, Arnovich
Cases Put Emphasis
On Owners Stands
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

NEW YORK, Feb. 22-Baseball
still is dead set against asking favors
from the Army draft.
A report that Hank Greenberg Of
the Detroit Tigers was seeking oc-
cupational deferment has been de-
clared unfounded, and executives of
Detroit and other clubs in the big
leagues reiterated today their
policy of letting the axe Of selective
service fall where it may.
Connie Mack, the patrician pilot
OF the Philadelphia Athletics, ex-
emplif1ed the attitude of the major
league magnates when he told the
Associated Press:
Under no circumstances would
we ask for a deferment. If we lose
man we loose him, that's all"
Jack Zeler, general manager Of
the Tigers. said he had been in
structed long ago by President
Walter o. Briggs that the Detroit
Club was to "let the draft problem
take its course without any sug-
! gestion from us"
To Take Their Chances.
Harry Grabiner. executive vice
president of the Chicago White Sox,
asserted, I'VE absolutely will not ask
for deferment in any case. We
believe baseball should go along and
accept conditions as they present
themselves. The fact is one of our
young rockies, pitcher Eugene
Stack, was the first player to be
called. He's in an Army camp now.
The White SoX Will take their
chances and We believe the rest
Of the clubs should do the same"
Ed Barrow, president Of the New
York Yankees, said every club has
a right to decide for itself. but the
Yankees will take their medicine
when they have to-"
Typical Of sentiment in the Ma
| tional League was the comment of
Warren Giles, general manager of
the World Champion Cincinnati
Reds:
Our whole attitude is hands of
the draft. 1t looks as if none Of the
! players on our club will be called
soon, but basebau's general policy
| is that ball player should be
treated like anybody else"
Gerry Nugent, president Of the
Phillies, declared. Il absolutely will
not ask deferment for any of our
players who may be drafted. I be-
! lieve it is their duty to serve If
called and the boys feel the same
way" The Phils are in some danger
Of losing Pitchers Hugh Mulcahy
and Roy Bruner.
Jim Gallagher, general manager
of the Chicago Cubs. said. "I
wouldn't thing baseball or any other
industry has a right to interfere
| with operation Of the National De-
fense Act I do believe, however,
that baseball is very important to
public morale. Some Gay the Presi-
dent may decide to place the
theater, movies and baseball In a
special classification for their i'm
pOrtance in this respect"
The reaction of other officials was
IN a similar VEN.
The Arnovich Case.
The furore over the Greenberg
report also conceded with a protest
| from Morrie Arnovich. outfielder
of the New York Giants. that his
baseball career had nothing to do
with his being reclassified because
Of dental deficiencies.
Arnovich asked for deferment on
his own initiative some time ago
and was refused. Then Horace
Stoneham, president of the Giants.
suggested he enlist so his years
service wouldn't break up two sea-
sons and the outfielder said in Mi
ami that it was during the physical
/ examination preparatory to enlist
ing that the doctors turned him
( down because Of his teeth.
Il have been wearing partial up
per and lower dental plates for the
last IS years as the result Of losing
/ several teeth in basket ball." he