Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-28
LOCAL ENTRLLIGENGa.
ALV0RD EXPLAINS.
His Reasons for Breaking His Contract
With the Sacramento Nina

With the Sacramento Nine.
The Sporting Nesos of st. Louis, Missouri in its
issue of February Esd, contains a card from W.
c. Alyord, who recently violated his contract
with the base ball nine of this city. The Ne,cs
says:
The action of Dooms, Quest and Alvord in
jumping their contracts with the Sacramento
Club, is still the chief topic among the profess
sional players of st. Louis and the West. Alvord,
who has signed to play with Toledo, arrived
here from Sacramento last Tuesday morning
and soon after his arrival he called at the office
of the sporting Nescs aud handed in this written
statement, the only one he has made SO far We
publish it verbatim;
ST. LOUIS, February 81. 1885,
Editor Sporting Necs: My recent action in
leaving the Sacramento Club having been
sharply criticised by the Sporting Nelgs and other
newspapers l would ask space in your columns
III which TO give my full reasons for leaving the
Sacramento Club in the manner in which did.
That have erred admit, but that there were
extennating circumstances leading up to my
action think you will admit with the full facts
in view. have not word to say against the
officials of the Sacramento Club. Nor do
blame them for their proceedings against me.
went to Sacramento to stay and would gladly
have remaioed there but that learned from
what deemed the best authority that the Cali
fornia League was about to become party to
the national agreement, a move which would
have thrown me out of employment and dis
barred me from playing with any ouher profes-
sional club in America.
AS soon as l learned this much thought of
nothing but saving my family. Ihad two offers
one from the Des Moines and one from the
Toledo Club. They were both tempting in that
they offered me larger salary than had ever
received before. i was thus placed between
two fires-a chance of being thrown out of en-
ployment on the one, and chance of steady
work at a good salary on the other. Fearing
that If l let the Sacramento people know that
was going to leave them they would talk me
out of the idea and that later i would suffer for
remaining there, got. my property together
and left without notifying my nearest friends of
my intentions. ! was arrested and brought
back to Sacramento, but as soon as explained
my position the proceedings were dropped. ALI
along | had intended TO pay every dollar l
owed in Sacramento. but did not intend to do
that until was safely away from there. For
players who are at liberty to sign where they
please. know of no better field than California.
The climate out there is glorious one and the
clubs are all well fixed financially. The Sac
ramento Club paid the best of salaries TO its
played ball for them until doomsday, but
feared they would make the club party to the
national agreement and knock the pins from
in under me- The Sporting Nelos, being read all
over California, l beg of you to publish this
statement, the only one | have made or will
make. Yours truly, W. Z. ALvoRD,
Late third baseman, Sacramento Club.
The Sporting Neics by way of comment, adds
"Alvord was given to understand that the Cali
fornia League was about to become party TO
the national agreement, an event which would
have thrown him out of employment, and he
left that organization simply 10 save himself.
Up 10 this time Alvord's record has been with
out blemish. He has been employed respect
lively on the ST. Louis Reserves st. Louis Ma
rooms and Des Moines clubs, and while with
those mutations be has always played great
ball. Third base is his home position, and he
has always covered it in great style He is one
of the best feiders and tDrowers in America, a
medium base runner and very fair batsman.
He will cover third base for the Toledo Club
this year