Evening star., 1945-12-13
MacP PhaiI Is Defeated,
Prexy Of Mats Fails
To Get Shortstop
JOHN b. KELLER,
Star staff Correspondent.


/ JOHN B. KELLER,
i Star staff Correspondent. :
CHICAGO, Dec. 13.-Washington
will get its fill of night baseball
again next summer, thanks to a tie
breaking vote cast by Commissioner
Happy" Chandler as the major
leagues wound up their winter ses-
sions yesterday In Chicago and
there's another feather In the gray
fedora Clark Grifith wears.
The Mats president, with substan-
tial support Of the two st. Louis
clubs, crashed through opposition
that had stood arm up to the last
hour Of the big leagues three-day
convention.
Although the leagues new night
game regulations place no limit on
play under the lights other than
stating there shall be none on a SUM-
day or a holiday, the Mats after-dark
schedule in Grindth Stadium In 1916
viii be restricted to 80 engagements.
And none Of these will be staged on
. Saturday night.
That schedule could be curtailed
for the night game regulations
adopted leave the matter Of playing
under lights to the manager of the
visiting ball club. No series Is sup
posed 10 end with night game, but
there probably will be no difhculties
caused by baking visiting managers.
Night schedules as drawn by the
Washington club viii be submitted
to other clubs in the American
League for full approval before
adoption.
MacPhail Fights Night Play.
Oddly, the big tight Grifnth had
to continue Washington as an after
dark baseball town came in his own
league. The National League was
agreeable to unlimited scheduling of
night games from the start of the
winter sessions last Monday. In the
American League, however, . fac
ton led by Col. Larry MacPhail,
president of New York's Yankees,
fought Grifnth's plan bitterly from
the time 1t was presented.
And the MacPhail faction did not
yield yesterday in the final voting.
The man who introduced night
baseball into the majors when with
the Cincinnati Reds. later carried 1t
to the home Of the Brooklyn Dodgers
and only recently ordered a $3.50 900
installation Of lights in Yankee Sta
dium In New York stubbornly refused
to consider more than seven night
games . season on any clubs home
schedule.
So determined was MacPhails ef-
fort to block Grif1th's proposition
that he won enough votes to turn
the American League against one of
its three top crowd-drawing cities
for the last season. But the Ma
tional League strung along with the
Grifnth proposition and thus put 1t
up to Chandler to decide.
Chandler Likes Night Baseball.
The commissioner who is said to
have developed a fondness for the
after-dark play after seeing some Of
it in Grimth Stadium the past sea-
son while he still was a Senator rs
well as titular head OF organized
baseball, never hesitated in voting
in favor Of unlimited night play.
The leagues differed on the twi-
light-night double-header question.
In the American League there will
be none unless 1t becomes necessary
to dispose of postponed games.
The National League absolutely pro-
hibits them.
Other than winning his night
baseball argument, Grimth did
nothing more ut the winter conclave
than pave the way for possible
deal. In several parleys with Roger
Peckinpaugh, general manager Of
Cleveland's Indians; Eddie Collins,
who holds q similar job with Bos-
tons Red Sox, the Mats president
was unable to reach an agreement
respecting swap. But Peck ap-
peared ready to resume negotiations
later.
So 1t may be that Jen Heath. who
hits the long ball the Mats well
could use, will be seen in the Wash
ington clubs outfield next year while
George Case, the Mats speed demon,
will be wearing a Cleveland uniform.
And the Mats have not given up
the hunt for a socking shortstop.
They may have to look much farther
than they had expected to land one.