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Show BASEBALL THUS ME IEII8 SHAPED Manager Griffith of the Highlanders High-landers Is Allowed Full Sway. Tribune Speclai Sporting Sen-Ice. NEW YORK, Dec. 28. In selling the rolea.se of Catcher Ira Thomas to the Detroit club, Manager Griffith of the New York Americans indicates his confidence con-fidence iu Kleinow. Blair and Rickey to take good care of the work behind the bat ne:it season. Thomas played good ball whilo a member of tho local team, but Griffith came to tho conclusion conclu-sion last season that the big backstop was not fast enough. The fact that young Blair, who was secured from the Tri-Stalc league', showed up romarkabh' well, further convinced the Now York manager that he could get along in future fu-ture without Thomas's services. Rickey who was received from St. Louis in exchange ex-change for Joe Ycnger last winter, had a lame arm a greater part of the season, sea-son, but he has since recovered completely com-pletely and will be used regularly behind be-hind tho bat in 190S. Kleinow, ono of the best catchers in tho profession when he buckles down to the job in dead earnest, hns promised that ho will show a big improvement in future. As long as Jimm,y Williams remained a member of tho New York Americans Kleinow, who was his steady companion, compan-ion, did not come up to tho mark. But , with Williams tradod to St. Louis, it is bcliovcd that Kleinow will bo free from influences thnt kept him' from do-ing do-ing his best in d;i3s gone b3'. Griffith, it is thought, has succeedod in weeding out much of tho material which proved an obstacle to the New York team's success last year. Ho has acted on his own responsibility, for tho owner of the club has not interfered with tho various deals in anv way. That means that it is up to Griffith to give local fans winning ball at American League park next season or shoulder ! tho blame for another failure When President Farrell of the New York Americans returned from tho American '. league meeting at Chicago, he said thero was no friction and that he was well satisfied with the proceedings. While Mr. Farroll doclinod to discuss the mnttor, it is uudorstood that because be-cause of Manager Joo Cantillion's open hostility to President Johnson, tho Washington club was dropped from tire league's board of directors. President Johnson, b3' tho way, will probably transfer his headquarters' to this citv beforo the schedule .mootiug to be held here in Fobrunr3 |