Evening star., 1943-03-15
Priddy, Vernon
Still Unsigned
By Griffnen
Yankees With Four
Have Largest Lot
Of Baking Men
BY HAROLD CLAASSEN,

Associated Press Sports Writer,
NEW YORK, March 15.-Major
league baseball officially opens its
spring training season today with at
least II members of its sparse roster
classified as holdouts.
The New York Yankees who, until
last falls World Series, made it a
practice to be out in front in virtu-
ally all departments set the pace
here, too. with four unsigned bat
terymen even though Pitcher Ernie
Bonham said on the West Coast
that the terms offered were agree
able. He didn't initial the contract,
however.
Ten Of the is American and Ma
tlonal League Clubs start their sea-
sonal grind today with the Yankees
shedding their excess poundage at
Asbury Park. N. J. A player auto
matically becomes holdout when
his clubs begins its drills and his
name isn't on a pact.
Catcher Bill Dickey and Pitchers
Alley Donald and Spud Chandler
are on the outside along with Bon
ham.
The Yankees conouerors in the
last World Series, the St. Louis
Cardinals, unpack their bags in
Cairo. Ill. with only Harry Walker.
reserve outfielder, unsigned. Walker,
now a policeman. has hinted that If
the Cards don't meet his terms he
will STAY out for the duration.
Dodgers Have Three Bakers.
Walkers brother, Dixie of the
Brooklyn Dodgers. also has init
mated that he may not play this
summer. He is recreation di-
rector for a Long Island defense
plant. In addition, the Dodgers have
three full-f1edged holdoutS in Pitch
ers Rube Melton and Buck Newsom
and Catcher Mickey Owen.
The Brooklyn club is getting in
shape at Bear Mountain, N. Y, half
way between New York City and
the United States Military Academy.
The st. Louis Browns, drilling at
Cape Girardeau, Mo, have no hold
outs, while the Cleveland Indians,
starting their conditioning on the
campus Of Purdue University, have
only jeff Heath, outfielder, outside
the fold. However, another contract
with revised figures Is en- route to his
home.
The New York Giants, working
out on what once was the private
golf course of John D. Rockefeller at
Lakewood. N. j., were unable to sign
Veteran Dick Bartell before the
practices got under way. In addi-
ton, First Baseman JohnnyhIize and
Catcher Hank Danning remained at
their homes awaiting induction
orders.
Priddy Ignores Raise.
Jerry Priddy and Mickey Vernon,
third baseman and first sacker, are
squabbling over their salaries with
Washington's Nationals starting to
work out at College Park, Md.
Owner Clark Griffith said that
Priddy had refused a pact giving
him a $4,000 boost over what he
got last year as a Yankee.
Catcher Dixie Parsons Is at odds
with Detroit Tigers. who begin train
ing at Evansville, Ind, and Gerald
Walker, an outf1elder, objects to the
cut given his pay by the Cincinnati
Reds. Walker told the Reds at
Indiana University that ''he would
rather play for his salary cut than
for the salary offered"
The Phils, whose new owner is
pitching their training camp at
Hershey, Pa. have two definite
holdouts in Pitcher Johnny Allen
and First Baseman Eddie Murphy
and have no word from Ed Levy.
another first sacker.
Virtually all the six remaining
clubs who haven't started work list
some dissatisfied players, but they
cannot be termed holdouts until
they fail to report to the camps
centered east of the Mississippi and
north of the Potomac Ohio Rivers
this year to conserve travelling IA
cillties.