Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-11
THE BASEBALL
BEA T
BY BURTON HAWKINS
This Is a Hero?
BY BURTON HAWKINS


depict Cal Griffith sort of 1858 version Of Sir Gaahad
because he didn't ask to the Senator'S franchise to
Minneapolis at Mondays American League meeting in
Chicago Sorry but Grths words in that meeting speak
louder than his actions, and the words are available.
Bill Furlong of the Chicago Daily News somehow got
word hyword inside meeting story. The por-
ton Of that Washington directly isn't pretty
reading Bear in mind that this before Minneapolis
officials surprised Griffith by withdrawing their offer.
After Griffith had read Furlongs story he asked
by this writer If he wished to deny any part of it. His
reply was: 4 ddnt want to deny anything because
didn't say anything detrimental about anybody"
Here is Furlong's report:
"Te discussion then shifted to the Washington SEN
aors and their proposed move to Minneapolis The ques-
ton was where the greatest opportunity lies.
Several times his colleagues asked him: You feel the
potentialin washington will never be very create
Eyes, said Griffith
"sNot even with good teamT
Griffith hedged slightly but agreed.
MOREOVER HE INDICATED that the plans of Con-
greSs to build stadium for the Senators in WASH
ington were not completely to his liking
The new stadium, he said, would be built near the
Maryland State line on land owned by the United States
Department of the Interior His clientele he said
from across the District Columbia near the Virginia
State line. s5
I'M addition, the Grifiths would lose rental from the
Washington Redskins pro football tea-who now play in
Grifth Stadium it shifted to the stadium SO
he was not very ecstatic about Congress plan to build
the stadium.
What would Congress do if it built the new stadium
and the Senators didn't go in it?
Griffith felt that if the Washington Baseball Club
didn't agree to use the stadium, the stadium wouldn't
be built
THE QUESTION BECAME not whether Washington
would move but when
Let's remain in Washington through 1885,, said one
OF the owners then review the whole subject next summer
But another man objected. You're going to have to
DO something by October, he said If claim on terri
tory isn't made in October then all territories are closed
Tor another year. the American League doesn't move
into Minneapolis this year. the National League may try
to beat 1t out in another year or two
It's in the contract they'll guarantee us a million
people every for three years. said Griffith But
lawyer told me should have them put the money in escrow
in case we don't draw million"
GRIFFITH REVEALED two points in his tactics:
a. He is bound by resolution of Washington's board
OF directors not to negotiate with any city for new site
The resolution passed shortly after the ASar game
"I want to break the damn thing, said Grfith Of the
resolution.
HE insisted that he'd lived up to it so farbut it was
largely matter of hair-splitting
"An the negotiations with Minneapolis were before
the AStar game he said Sure since then they call you
up and tell you what's happening in Minneapolis but
haven't approached them
"2 He is being sued by two stockholders in the SEN
atorS. One of them is H. Gabriel Murphy who contends
that the laws of the District of Columbia require Grth
to do business in Washington
We're going to proceed with the Murphy lawsuit,
said Grinith to get an Interpretation of the law
THEN WILL HARRIDGE, president of the American
League sad We're not going to be able to do anything
this year.
"Thel problem then was what to tell the newspaper
men in the corridor Said Harrdge to Griffith you made
statement today Then, moment later he said: You'll
stick by that statement"