Evening star., 1941-03-07
Salary Increase
ToS35,OO0Ge
Joe in Ranks
Reds Lombard, Cards
Podeett, Whitehead
Of Giants Sign
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

AsSoclaIeo PresS sports writer.
NEW YORK, March THE hold
out mist that shrouded the start
of baseball's spring training has
lifted like fog melting under a
bright sun.
The evaporation that has been
going on quietly but steadily for
several days swooped up Joe Di
Maggie of the New York Yankees
Ernie lombard of the Cincinnati
Reds, Don Padgett of the St. Louis
Cardinals and Burgess Whitehead
OF the New York Giants yester-
day.
That's lot of high priced talent
to bring to terms in one day and
virtually denuded the ranks OF the
holdouts.
Di Maggie, especially, had been
expected to make determined
stand for big boost in salary
but was believed to have COM
promised at S35,00O raise Of
$500 and half of the increase
he had sought.
Even so, this was sufficient to
keep him the second highest paid
player in baseball and maintain
his record of not having reported
to camp on time since he Joined
the Bombers as an $500 outfield
hand in 1886. He planned to leave
his San Francisco home today and
arrive in Florida Monday or Tues
day.
Greenberg Not Holdout.
Hank Greenberg of the Detroit
Tigers, reputed the top-salaried star
Of the major leagues, is one of the
half dozen important players who
hasn't yet signed. However, he is
not considered a holdout.
He received $4,000 or $4,000
from the American League cham
pions last year in addition to bo-
muses. and his cut in the World
Series. He arrived home from
Hawaiian vacation a few days ago
to find a contract that will pro-
vide raise of two or three thousand
dollars.
He says he will sign when he goes
to the Tigers camp this week end.
1t may be that he wants to talk over
some adjustment of his contract to
meet his expected draft into the
Army in June.
OF the grade-A holdouts left,
Johnny Mize of the st. Louis Car
dlnals is the kingpin. The slugging
first baseman is understood to be
asking s17.500, which would put him
up in the salary bracket left vacant
when the club traded Joe Medwick
to Brooklyn last year.
Cubs Battle Leiber, Lee.
The Chicago Cubs are carrying on
a bitter battle With Outfielder Hank
Leiber, a chronic late signer, and
with Pitcher Bill Lee, who was paid
s21 900 in 1899 and $4,000 last year,
but was reported cut to $4,000 this
spring.
Roy Weatherly, feet centerfelder
of the Cleveland Indians, has
little different plant. He and his
club have agreed on the amount of
his salary, but he wants a two-year
contract and President Alva Bradley
says he isn't giving any.
With the exception of a few scat
tered rockies or secondary perform
ers, every other club in the big
leagues has satisfied its squad.
lombard settled for about $4,000
in a telephone talk last night with
Warren Giles, general manager of
the world champions 1t was under
stood the agreement included the
promise Of bonus if the big back
stop hit over 800 this year. He was
to leave Oakland, Calf, today for
camp.
Bosix Tanned Williams.
Earlier this week the Boston Red
Sox apparently tanned the turbulent
Ted Williams. who agreed to $18,500
and was to bring his signed contract
to camp Wednesday. Up until today
he still hadn't arrived, however.
Harry Danning of the New York
Giants, outstanding catcher of last
season, signed for $4,000 and the
promise of a bonus Wednesday and
Immediately was converted into an
outf1elder.