Evening star., 1950-08-05
Tigers Yanks Defend Griffith in Pofeeng Charge by LANCER
Pennant Contenders
Asked for Split Bills
Here 10 Rest Teams

Charges by Senator LANCER.
Republican of North Dakota, that
Clark Griffith, president of the
Mats. was attempting to profiteer
by setting up two split double
headers, were denied today by the
ball teams involved.
Senator LANCER, in a speech on
the Senate floor yesterday brand
ed Clark Griffith as a disgrace
to American sports" because Of
the split double-headers sched-
uled for later this month.
In a split double-header one
game is played in the afternoon
and the other at night with sep
arate admission charged for each
game instead of the customary
ltwo-games-for -one-price which
generally prevails on double
header days.
The split double bills will be
played with the Yanks on August
Is and the Tigers on August 90.
Both those teams now are in the
thick Of the pennant race.
Griff Denies Charge.
Griffith promptly denied the
profiteering charge and said that
the two split double headers, both
on Tuesdays, were set up at the
request of both the Tigers and
Yanks.
Griffith also said that # the
fans Of Washington don't like the
split double-headers, he would
have the games switched to day
time affairs.
Spokesman for both those teams
corroborated Grjfiths' statement.
In Detroit. Tiger spokesman.
reached by telephone. said:
"Griff is being accused un-
justly.
HE wanted to play a twilight
night double header, but we don't
want to play a double header in
Washington in August with the
team fighting for the pennant.
I'VE didn't want the team run
down and, consequently, we COM
promised with Griff. In exchange
for a split double-header, we
agreed to play five night games
in Washington next year llstead
OF four as we are doing this
season."
Yanks Say Same.
In Cleveland, Yankee Spokes-
man. also reached by telephone,
said substantially the same.
He declared that the Yankees
have policy against twilight
night double headers and re-
quested that Griffith set up the
split program in order to give
their players, who also are in the
pennant fight, as much rest as
possible between games.
The Yankee spokesman said
Senator Langer's bitter profiteer-
ing charge was absurd.
"The afternoon crowd on days
of split double-headers is general
Ily small" he said, "and the differ
ence in the total income from two
split games and a twilight-nig
double e-header will not be $780,"
Cites Aid to Wounded.
Griffith. in his reply to Senator
LANCER, said:
If he knew what I've done for
wounded soldiers, he wouldn't say
those things. And he can't call
me prof1teer. I'm lucky to make
ends meet in baseball these days"
The Dodgers, Red Sox and the
Cardinals have adopted the same
plan of charging dual admission
for double -headers.
Senator LANCER said that every
one has been Mortified" by rising
prices since the start of the Ko-
rean war, but that Griffith decided
it would be all right ito charge
double admission" to his ball park.
He called Griffith a millionaire
profiteer" who rose from Moth
ing under the protection of the
Nations laws and was trying to
make his last years as profitable
as possible"
Griffith said he had set aside
200 seats daily for servicemen in
two wars.
He also pointed to his work in
World War I when, he said, he
raised $150,000 to buy sports
equipment for members of the
armed forces.