Show HOLDOUT RECORDS I I Will BE BROKEN I IF F Fewer ewer Contra Contracts ts Already Alread- Signed Than in Previous Pre Pre- Years Year By Jack International News Service Sports Editor NEW YORK Dec Dee 22 Holdouts 2 Holdouts among among major leagues promise to break all records records rec roe during the next three months according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to a prominent baseball man here today S It is said that there are fewer lewer holdover contracts in the possession of players now than for the past five rive or six years ears and antI with so many contracts expired the club owners must sign a greater number of men for 1918 than Is usually the case With retrenchment the byword among the club owners it is a certainty that contracts for 1918 are going to call for less Jess money than they did lid last season and it is just a as certain that the players are going to balk In some cases eases the players ers are already making big demands The rhe case of Roger Hornsby of the Cardinals Is one ono of the thc most interesting Hornsby has informed Branch Rickey that he will not play ball next season unless he receives for fOI his Ills services Hornsby is bound to be bo a holdout for the St. St Louis club is not going goto go go- ing to fork over a contract to Hornsb Hornsby Just because he Is demanding it Take Rickey's word for that In other cases players will hold out because of cuts in salary or because they have hav not received raises The magnates as usual will trim salaries In some borne instances and add a few hundred dollars somewhere else But all in all the total Inthe in inthe inthe the major leagues is to be reduced notably nota bly and in reducing it the magnates are going to have ha-e their troubles An example of how few players are under under under un un- der contract in lii the big big- leagues is furni furnished furnished fur- fur ni hed by hy the three clubs located in greater New York Only eight pla players ers of the Giants Dodgers and Yankees are said to have holdover contracts Of this number number num nuni- ber her five are arc members of the Yankee two vo are Dod Dodgers ers and the one remaining Is Charles Herzog of the tho hams Hat ns Shawkey Baker Gedeon and are safe in the Yankee fold and Daubert and Coombs arc the only Dodgers with contracts |