Evening star., 1942-03-08
All Offers 10 HoIdout
Withdrawn, Salary
Cut Threatened
Dutch to Train at Own
Expense if He Reports;
Apt to Go on Block
BY BURTON HAWKINS,
Star Staff Correspondent.

ORLANDO, Fla, Mar. 7.-Irked
by what he terms the inconsistent
and unreasonable demands of hold
out Dutch Leonard, President Clark
Griffith tonight withdrew all offers
made to Washington's leading pitch
er and intimated that if the portly
knuckle- ball specialist now signs it
will be at reduced salary.
Asked If he would trade Leonard
If he persisted in refusing to sign
his 1912 contract, Griffith fumed,
under no circumstances will I con-
slider trading a holdout player-un-
less, of course, I'm offered some
thing just can't turn down"
Considerably irritated over Leon
ards attitude, Griffith summoned
reporters and issued formal state
ment to the effect that he had Of
fered Dutch salary Of $4,000, that
the bald right-hander was
holding out for a bonus and that
he now is suspended and will not
be placed on the Mats payroll! until
pronounced in condition by Wash
ington bosses.
Griffith Issues Ultimatum.
Queried as to Leonard's status if
the pitcher remains unsigned, Grif-
fifth said, Hes starting to pay the
penalty as of this moment; the
sooner he signs the less his salary
will be sliced"
Grifith had ISSUED 48-hour ulti-
matum to Leonard to come to terms,
and when the deadline expired to-
night he handed reporters type
written statements of his standing
in the matter. The statement read:
IT deeply regret my inability to
come to terms with Pitcher Dutch
Leonard. tried in every manner to
explain to him the present emer-
gency conditions. I even permitted
negotiations to carry on with him
until today, which is two weeks
past his reporting time.
"I have offered Leonard more
money than he received last year
in fact of a general policy in base
ball to cut substantially all high
salaried players. Leonard is IN the
higher brackets. He was offered
$4,000, and I call this a real salary
under any circumstances, let alone
under the present emergency con-
ditions.
Leonard Held Unreasonable.
Leonard either does not under
stand or is deaf to the trying times
which are confronting all lines OF
sports and business. Furthermore,
he is inconsistent in his demands
one day asking for bonus OF $4,000
and the next bonus based on the
Washington club having an attend
ance of 325 900 people in 1912. Well,
Washington would starve to death
on such an attendance.
consequently, the unreasonable
demands made by Leonard have
compelled me to withdraw all offers
made him and allow his case to
be governed by the major league
rule which provides that a player
refusing to report for spring train
ing must train at his own expense
and not be placed on the payroll
of the club until he is pronounced
by the management of the club to
be in condition to play his normal
standard of baseball.
CLARK GRIFFITH.
president"
Rivals After Nat Pitcher.
Griffith alraedy has been ap-
preached by several clubs in regard
to trading Leonard. Chief among
these has been Detroit, which has
requested Griffith to take his pick
of Pitcher Buck Newsom or First
Baseman Rudy York but Griffith
states Leonard won't be exchanged
for either of them alone.
Business Manager Jack Zeller of
the Tigers nevertheless will arrive
here on Monday for a conference
with Griffith and Manager Joe Nc
Carthy of the New York Yankees
and If Griffith is tempted Leonard
may be traded.
Winner of 18 games last season,
Leonard has remained at his Auburn
QllO home and repeatedly sent neg
ative kilograms to Griffith. The
Mats launch a lengthy list of ex-
hibition games here Monday and
it is no pleasant item to Griffith
that the most prominent member Of
his team Is missing.