Evening star., 1942-03-02
Yanks With Six
Aces Unsigned
In Worst Fix
Di Mag, Keller, Gordon
Among Bakers; Four
Clubs All Lined Up
BY AUSTIN BEALMEAR,
Associated Press Sports Writer.


NEW YORK, March 2.-Baseball's
grapefruit season-the period Of
dress rehearsal that gets the players
in shape, the managers in print, and
the fans in a dither-is here again,
but this one previews a major
league campaign designed to boost
both morale and finances of a Ma
ton at war.
But even the war has failed to
spare club owners the headaches
caused by the perennial strikers
known to the trade as holdouts.
In that department, from the
standpoint of money involved, the
World Champion New York Yankees
again top both leagues. With six
regulars still unwilling to accept
the clubs terms, the Yankee work.
outs at st. Petersburg, Fla, have
resembled a school for rockies the
past week
Di Mag Insists on $4,000 Pay.
Joe Di Maggie, most valuable
player in the American League last
season, wants $4,000 to play CEN
terfeld this year and quietly Is
waiting out President Ed Barrow.
Other Yanks whose signatures are
needed on the dotted line are Pitcher
Red Rufing, Catcher Bill Dickey,
Outfelder Charley Keller and In
flelders Joe Gordon and Red Rolfe.
The Detroit Tigers, launching an
economy campaign, still haven't
convinced nine members of their
squad that the figures mentioned in
their 1912 contract are adequate. The
group includes Pitchers Paul Trout,
Buck NeWsom, Luther Thomas and
John Corsica, Catcher Bill Sullivan,
First Baseman Rudy York and Out
flelderS Rip Radcliff, Barney Nc
Cosky and Dick Wakefield.
The Brooklyn Dodgers have
rounded up everybody except Whit
low Wyatt, who pitched them to %
victories last year. Wyatt worked
for s11 500 in 1941 and wants $4,000
this year, threatening to pitch hay
on his farm if he doesn't get it.
Trouble Looms for Wyatt.
President Larry MacPhail, who
knows $4,000 isn't hay. threatens to
let Whit do his pitching on the
farm.
A similar attitude has been taken
by Connie Mack of the Philadelphia
Athletics in the case of First Base
man Dick Siebert, who was offered
contract and told to take it or
leave it." Up to now, Dick has left
it. as has Outfielder Bob johnson,
~,
from reported s17,500 in 1941.
Pitcher Dutch Leonard and In
fielder Jimmy Pofahl haven't come
to terms with Washington, although
Leonard's case is the only one caus-
ing Clark Griffith much concern.
Everybody on the Pittsburgh Pirate
roster is happy except Outfielder
Vince Di Maggie and Pitcher Bob
Klinger. The st. Louis Cardinals
have an unsigned trio in Frank
Crespi. Eddie Lake and Woody Eng
ish, all infielders.
Foxx Still Is Unsigned.
The Boston Red Sox, pleasantly
surprised by Ted Williams draft
reclaSsification to ga, still need to
sign Jimmy Foxx.
Shortstop Bill Jurges IS the New
York Giants only holdout among
the regulars and If he hears of the
way Dick Barten Is performing at
Miami he may bob up with loaded
fountain pen.
JEFF Heath hasn't signed his Cleve-
land contract, but the Indians are
happy over Roy Weatherly's early
signing.
The Chicago White Sox, St Louis
Browns, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago
Cubs, Boston Braves and Philadel-
phia Phils have no holdout troubles
to speak of, although Billy Myers
of the Cubs is threatening to quit
baseball and Ernie lombard Is
baking at catching for the Braves
for half the salary he earned with
the Reds.
The Dodgers and Giants opened
the grapefruit circuit with a week
end series at Havana, swept by the
Dodgers, 6-3. Saturday and 80 in
II innings yesterday, and the Ath-
letics followed with a I'LL victory
over Seattle of the Pacific Coast
League at Anaheim, Calf, yester-
day.