Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-24
Aims 10 Return
To Orlando if
Given 0kay
Chattanooga Another
Spot Thot Might Do;
May Go Indoors
BY BURTON HAWKINS.

President Clark Griffith of the
Mats today admitted the Washing
ton baseball team probably will es-
tablish spring training headquarters
at Charlotte. N. c., but that Chat
tanooga, Tenn, and Orlando, Fla,
still are being considered. His final
decision, he said, will hinge or the
recommendation Of Joseph East
man, director of the Office of De-
Tense Transportation.
Il talked to Mr. Eastman recently"
said Griffith, who only two DAYS
ago said the Mats definitely would
train at Orlando, land he said then
that he had nothing new to offer
at that time-that he would know
more about the transportation situ-
alton in regard to baseball after
the first of the year.
I'm going to be guided entirely
by his recommendations. If Mr.,
Eastman feels it will not harm the
war effort for us to return to Or
lando, then we'll go back there.
Right now, though, it looks as If
all major league clubs will pull out
Of Florida.
NoOga Has Its Points.
We've been studying the situation
In Chattanooga" continued Griffith.
and it has its good points. Char
lotte might be preferable, however,
because we probably will be able to
book more exhibition games In
North Carolina than in Tennessee.
IF we go to Charlotte or Chat
tanooga We'll have to revise our en-
tire exhibition schedule. 1 guess
Wen have to even if we remain at
Orlando because some of the teams
we were going to play are pulling
out Of Florida. I'm waiting to hear
from Mr.. Eastman before doing
anything definite, but I'd say Char
lotte has the inside track. What
ever he says will be all right with
me-the war effort comes first"
Charlotte would represent the
most northerly training camp of the
Mats since those horse and buggy
days when they trained at Char
lotteSville, Va. For several wears
Washington has been training at
Orlando, but in other years trained
at Biloxi, Miss; Tampa, Fla, and
Augusta, Ga.
Preference Is Logical.
Griffth's preference for Charlotte
is logical, since he owns that city's
franchise in the Piedmont League.
Griffith Park, a new stadium seating
1000, would be available to the Mats
and hotel accommodation have
been assured
If we train at Charlotte we
won't go to camp as early as usual"
Informed Griffith. THE weather
won't be as good as in Florida, but,
myabe We can do some of our work
indoors until it warns up"
Calvin Griffith, adopted son of
the Mats boss, currently is in Char
lotte inspecting the playing field
and making necessary arrange
ments.
Likely to eliminate CHATTANOOGA is
the fact no other major league teams
will be in that vicinity. The Mats
also have a farm team at Chat
tanooga and the weather possibly
would be more suitable for training,
but the problem of arranging an ex-
hibition schedule probably Will rule
against that site.
Griffith reconsidered plans for
Florida trip when the New York
Yankees. New York Giants, st. Louis
Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers
rapidly abandoned Florida bases in
favor of training camps closer to
home. The Chicago White Sox, Chi
cago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and
st. Louis Browns have abandoned
California and the Philadelphia Ath-
letics have shifted from the West
Coast to Savannah, Ga.