Evening star., 1954-01-13
Batting Leader !
|JoIfed as Club
Offers 81 Pay
Yost Denied Roise;
Outfielder DecIures
New Slush Is Unfair
By Burton Howkins

turned his unsigned contract to
the front office and expressed
shock at the raise offered him.
Contacted at his Swarthmore,
Pa. Nome today, the veteran
first baseman. who edged Cleve-
lands AL Rosen for the Ameri-
can League batting crown last
season with q 1897 average. to
win his second championship,
said he was very disappointed
in his contract.
Asked If he and the Senators
are far apart. Mickey said. Man
and how. I think the contract
they sent me was ridiculous"
Vernon indicated the Senators
offered to boost his salary $2,50O
to $4,000. That was the same
salary he made with Washington
in 1851 after reaching a peak of
$24, 900 when he played with
Cleveland and Washington in
1850. His salary subsequently
was reported trimmed to $l8, 500.
Second Slash for Coan.
Outfielder Gil Coan, whose sal
ary was cut $4,000 last year, is
baking at an additional $500
trimming and has fired his 1854
contract back to the Senators. he
said when reached at his Bre-
ward. N. c., farm.
Eddie Yost, 27-year-old third
baseman. expressed dissatisfac-
ton with his contract. Yost,
reached at a priests home in
Strassburg. Pa. said the Sem
ators offered him the same con-
tract as last year. when he was
Washington's highest paid player
at $4,000.
Yost, who lifted his batting
average 80 points to .272 last
season. said: II think I deserve
a raise" Eddie added he would
attend the Home Plate Club ban
quet here with Vernon Saturday
night and plans to talk with club
officials. "I don't think We'll
have too much trouble getting
together" he added.
Yost has not returned his
contract pending discussions
with his bosses. but Vernon sent
mis- back without bothering
to register his objections. Caan
said he had written Clark Grif-
nth, the Senator's president.
"He's Always Disappointed"
Griffith said he hadn't re-
ceived Vernon's contract, but
said. Hes always disappointed.
I offered him a nice raise"
The 35-year-old first baseman
had his best year last season.
In addition to leading the league
in batting for the second time
he also topped the league in
doubles. smashed IL triples, Is
home runs and batted across IFS
runs. In 1916. when he led the
league with a 1853 mark, Mickey
batted in IS runs.
= Coan. expected to battle Angel
Scull for the Senators right
field job. batted only .196 last
season after suffering a broken
ankle on the trip north after
spring training. The proposed
cut would reduce Coan's salary
to $4,000, and Gil said, II don't
think it's fair"
No Threat to Quit.
Gil said his letter to Griffith
contained no threat to quit, but
he had said before receiving his
contract that he would contem-
plate such a move if the club
reduced his salary. Pitcher Wal
ter Masterson, offered a $500
cut, has quit baseball to devote
full time to his job with a Maine
shoe firm.
What with the expense of
maintaining two places of living,
plus travel that keeps me away
from my family, there's not
much point in playing ball unless
I can make little money out
OF it," Coan said. And I'm Just
about breaking even as it is.'
Gil operates a 100-acre farm at
Brevard during the winter.
Il thought was headed for a
great season last year." Coan said,
but that broken ankle wrecked
me-" Gil was the Senator's lead
ing hitter in exhibition games
but was injured when he crashed
into the leftf1eld fence at Char
lotte, N. c.. Easter Sunday. He
didn't pinch-hit until May II
and didn't crash Washington's
starting lineup until July S.
I've been working hard on my
farm" Coan said. land I'm down
to 172 pounds. That's the light
est I've been since 1941. I'm
looking forward to shifting to
rightf1eld. I didn't play any
where else in the minors"
Despite hitting 1903 with the
Senators in 1850 and again in
1851. Coa1 never has fulfilled the
promise he displayed when he was
named the outstanding player in
the minor leagues while batting
.372 with Chattanooga in l945.
Coan's average dipped to .2O5 in
1852 and dropped q few more
points last season.