Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-02-03
Arc Play Battle
Apt 70 Be Put
Up 10 Lands
League Rivals Back
Mats Plan, but N. L.
Is Against 1t
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Star Staff Correspondent.

NEW YORK, Feb. 3.-Clark Crit
fith's battle to convince all of
major league baseball that WASH
ington no longer is a town of an
nual leaves and Government work
ers who may roll down their desks
at any given hour was half won
today. But before the Old Fox OF
baseball was the problem of getting
his idea to emphasize night games
officially sanctioned.
Pleading that Washington has
100000 Government workers with
IS 900 more on the way, Griffith yes
terday sold his American League
colleagues in the club-owning bust
ness that the District is entitled at
least to % home games under the
100000 lighting system he had
constructed last year.
president Roosevelt said he
would like to see more night games
to accommodate the civilian work.
erS who must be on the job in the
daytime" he told his seven COL
leagues in the American League
meeting. TITS a cinch both leagues
will agree to double the present
number of games allowed, which is
seven for each club. In cities like
st. Louis, where two teams play at
night. this will mean a total of %
games. Therefore. because we have
an unusual problem in Washing
ton, I'm a-asking for % games, too
District Is Called Different.
Griffith won over his fellow
American Leaguers and Immediately
invaded the National League meet
ing, where he spoke for IS minutes
on the same topic. They were
warming up" he related today as
the war meeting went into, its
second day, but I don't know if
they'll vote unanimously for my
idea. I expect it will be up to Judge
Lands to cast the deciding vote"
The last time Commissioner Lam
dis cast a deciding vote it was
against Griffith. This was back in
December, at the relSIIar winter
meeting Of the big II .At that
time Griffith asked >Asos ainimum
of IA night games. u the ap-
proval of the Al / League
owners, but the Matt league dis
agreed and Land HE big
vote. 1t was a Encouraging black
ball.
Using President Roosevelt's carry
on" letter to Lands as an express
sion of important sentiment, Griffith
renewed his argument yesterday and
was prepared today to battle again.
There is no town in the country
like Washington" he said. Unless
We play at night, lots of people never
will get a chance to see baseball.
I'm not bucking any other big league
team, like in ST. Louis, Philadelphia,
New York, Chicago and other places
where they have two teams. I want
twice as many games for my team
as will be allowed any other club,
but only as many as will be allowed
some cities that have couple of
teams playing at night"
Griff Changes His Plea.
This is the stand Griffith took
into today's final and joint meeting
and it was the plea that he was to
put before Lands for the second
time in two months.
Originally Griffith wanted 81
night games at his ball park in
1912. Except for Saturdays, Sun
days and holidays he wanted to
start night ball late in May and
continue until September 4, when
the Mats finish their home playing
He wanted nothing but artificial
lighting to cover the sins of his war
riors.
Il changed my plea" he explained
when I felt that the maximum in
other cities would be IA home games
at night instead of seven. In two
team cities this would mean %
games I'm not asking for a single
thing other than the same amount
of night games as any other city
possibly could have"