Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-26

Troll THE srocK-PREsIDENr YoUNa's VIEWS
OF THE srTUArIoN-A BRIGHT FUTURE FOB
BASE BALL IN WASHINGTON.
President N. E. Young, of the National base
ball league, returned to the city on Saturday
from the meeting Of the directors of the league
in New York. A STAR reporter asked him this
morning if he thought that Ward would come
to Washington.
EYES," was the reply, ~ believe that Ward
will be here next year. OF course the deal is
not yet consummated, but do not think that
there is any doubt about it. The $4,000 Mr..
Hewitt offers is big price, and think that
it will be accepted. If finally brought about
this will be the biggest baseball deal on record
and will do great deal Of good
70 the washington club; In the first place, it
will show that the men here have lots of pluck
and II there is quality that takes with the
baseball public it is pluck. 1t will be an indi-
cation that Washington means not only to stay
In the ring, but to do all that can be done to
get together winning team. Then the gain
OF such man as Ward will be an untold bene-
MT. He is a ball player, manager, and cap
tain combined, and he will inspire confidence
into ball team that will make them do their
best to win. Ward will no doubt have full con-
troll OF the club, fact that will increase his
effectiveness to great extent. In New York
he has been rather hampered by others, SO
that he has not had a chance to do all that he
could. If it should happen, as is not unlikely,
that he should not get winning team here
next season, he will at least give the people a
promise of one in the near future"
1T is stated that Mr.. Day stipulates as a con-
dition to the deal that Mr.. Hewitt shall pur-
chase all OF the stock now in the hands of the
other Washington stockholders. What would
be Mr.. Days object in that?' asked the re-
porter.
''Mr. Day is working for the interests of
base ball generally, whereby the New York in
terests will be advanced. He knows that a few
small holders of stock in club can interfere
greatly with the progress of team, and it is
undoubtedly plan of his to get the Washing
ton stock concentrated in the hands of one man
who can do as he pleases with his club"
PERHAPS THERE ARE TWO MEN.
This stipulation of Mr.. Days that President
Hewitt must secure entire control of the WASH
ington club stock before he can have Ward is open
to still another Interpretation than that given
by MIR. Young. and that is that MIR. John B. Day
is more interested in the Washington club than
he is in base ball generally. The sale of Ward
the price paid and the stipulations, give
grounds at least for a suspicion that an
arrangement has been. or will be entered into,
by which Day and Hewitt will have control of
the Washington club next year. Twelve thou
sand dollars is a big sum- and Washington base
ballists are asking themselves to-day why it
euoulu NOT Dc represented Dy so much STOCK IN
the Washington club. Mr.. Day knows John
Ward thoroughly. He knows he can't keep
him in New York, and he knows better than
anybody else what chances of success Ward
would have as sole manager of team. 1t is
not improbable that he may want to still have
an interest in Ward and be willing to take his
$4,000, or part of it, in stock in that club.
IF THIS sURMIsE is CORRECT
base ball in Washington could not have a
brighter outlook. With John Ward as man
ager-captain and shortstop to handle the men.
and John B. Day, one of the most powerful of
the league magnates, to help build the club
up. instead of cutting its throat the Senator'S
will have chance of becoming winning
team. 1t has long been known that Mr. Hewitt
was anxious to have moneyed man associated
with him, and this may prove the solution of
the whole difficulty. 1t will require probably
$4,000 or $1,000 to purchase amicably the
interests of the other stockholders, On the
other side, however, the club is indebted to
the Hewitt estate $4,000 to $4,000, and this
fact might be used to freeze out the smaller
stockholders with little or nothing as their share
Such proceeding as the latter would doubt
less lead to trouble if not litigation, for it is
claimed that the prospective profit in Capital
park. as real estate venture, and the value of
the Washington players reserved, in open mar
ket, would more than Offset the indebtedness
to the Hewitt estate. IT, therefore, the inter-
nal troubles which have threatened the club
can be avoided, and the personal interest and
financial backing of John B. Day secured, base
hall 10