Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-04
WIN, LOSE OR
GNAV By FRANCIS srANN
Some Reasons for Money Back

JOHNNY MoRRISsEY GLUNLY regarded the big and
by familiar box from the post office and shrugged "A
few thousand be returned eh By?" he asked Bust
Manager Billy Robertson looking at the tightly packed
letters
Man and boy, Johnny Morrissey has been handling tick
cts for the Washington Baseball Club for S6 and the
Al-star Game coming at Griffith Stadium the first time
he has been reasonably certain that he could have sold 1885,
900 tickets-if he'd had 'em.
Baseball is not dead in the Capital 1t develops. All the
fans want apparently is for their money In the abb
of World Series contender for TO- these many years.
the A-Star Game will suffice Trouble u.s. the game is being
held in the smallest of parks.
Even old timer like Morrissey astonished-ndeed
continues to be-by the interest in next months classic
hours after started accepting reservations
he said wed sold out"
"Twenty-one hours" Robertson corrected
II guess you're right" Morrissey conceded But the
mails still coming in"
THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE notable attractions at Griffith
Stadium during Morrisseys long regime exclusive of opening
blessed by the White House. "Ths beats EN- all
point of popular demand guess" Johnny admitted But
1t rugged in 1924 when first pennant and
played the Giants in the World Series.
For that matter, it rugged in rs, too when we
played the Pirates But not like now"
This not easy ball park to handle cketwise when
the demand exceptionally heavy No other city, for in
stance has than 500 members of Congress throwing
apiece The White House? No great problem Morssey
I'm FDRs years there few problems he disclosed,
but Mr. Eisenhower doesn't ask for much We give the White
House % tickets free of charge and normally another Is
80 purchased for Secret Service people and FORTH
$3.50
NEVER BEFORE, NOR SINCE, has there been as much
unduted enthusiasm for baseball in "a After ALL WASH
ingon fans waited many years before getting win
when the Series with the Giants went to games
Johnny remembers we'd had to stay all night selling
tickets Oddly the seventh game chat Thinning 4-3 hrler
drew the smallest of the home crowds-3l667.
Another oddly is that ball park had seating
capacity in those days than now"
Billy Robertson who doesn't go that far back, raised
questioning brow.
days 1900 out there each measured
only is inches We didn't have nearly many aisles and
people just walked top of the bencheor top Of each
other And they willing to stand too Now we've got
spaces IS inches wide But I'll say thing-peope
better natured in those days They didn't complain"
THE SENATORS CHOSE poor year to win their final
pennanl93 The banks had been closing that spring and
the customers had the shorts I'VE had to sell tickets sngy
instead of by blocks Morrissey saying Even So don't
recall that we had selout
Il don't know what it cost the late Mr. Griffith to have
his club win the '33 pennant but know he lost money
Billy Robertson rose and went upstairs to the files When
he returned he had the attendance figures for SO and
puzzled expression he read them aoud2527 for the first
in Washington 262 for the second and 854 for the
nnal
Don't forget" Morrssey reminded "our park larger
in 33 We did fill the seats but still we'd have had
than well get for this AStar Game Time eliminate the
working press we'll Just clear 20 900 spectators"
Clark Griffith didn't make lot Of mistakes but he erred
In 49, turned out when in expectation of bigger crowds
he shortened his efcener fences At that the Senators
might have drawn better except that in New York where the
Series opened AL Crowder Walter Stewart beaten
81 RECALL THAT COMING down to Washington on the
train Earl Wheh promised to beat the Giants Morrissey
said And he did, too making 1t 2- in But when
Monte Weaver got beat in the fourth the fans
hope Then Mel Oft hit that homer into the tempo
seats in ecenter-a ball that Fred Schultz would have
caught otherwise-and that tore it,"
Billy Robertson who had continued to thumb the record
book audby noted that in "a the Series crowds
SOOO-l0OOO more than in 49, Bigger park better Series
Morrssey shrugged Not to mention that people had
money.
Even in 1887, when held first All-Star Game,
there wasn't as much money now he added Back 81
I'd guess we could have filled 6500Oseat stadium. Now
what did guess . l25O002"
The way 1t adds up" commented a listener who had
been obsevan of the waning attendance the
regular games Grih Stadium too small for the AStar
Game and too big for all of the Others Rubber should
made Of"