, 1890-11-30

W. l. hArrta heNleWs the situatton ana
Tells How the Problem Has Been
Ived-Plan and Prospects for the
Coming Season.
Copyright by American Press Assoctation.l
1t cannot be said that the Players league
Is exactly wiped out of existence, but it is
in process of liquidation aud will in a few
weeks no longer be a factor in baseball.
The baseball war is over and the crnnks
will be glad of it, although many of them
will sorrow over the demise of the Players
league, which they have supported loyalty
during the past season. That it is a failure
aud that it will soon be n memory was be-
cause it was not built upon a solid founda-
ton and because 1t was run rather upon
sentimental than upon business methods.
While the Players league has been the
cause of the loss of hundreds OF thousands
of dollars to the corporations engaged in
the business, and has been largely respon-
sible for the falling off of public interest
shown during the season Of 1890. its exist
ence has not been in vain.
1t has proved a misfortune TO the capt.
talists and will prove one To the players,
inasmuch as one Of its results will be a de-
crease in salaries, owing to the necessity
of recouping some part of the losses OF
1890 and to the big increase in the num-
Der OF star players. There will be plenty
Of good men for all positions, and there
fore only the extraordinary players can
command their own prices, but la spite OF
these facts the season just past had It's les
sons. and they have been well learned.
Hereafter there will be very little injustice
done by capitalists to their players, and the
| players themselves will not be apt to dis
turb an existing business which e profit
able to all parties, with proper c%onsidera-
ton and ample time being given for
investigation and redress OF alleged griev.
ances. Discipline will rule in all the clubs,
players will be able to keep their hats on
and the public will receive better value for
It's money. Abuses that existed under
the old order of things will cease, and the
national game will start out upon a new
era of prosperity. IL is not expected that
the immense general interest exhibited la
the game during the season Of lssS-sg will
entirely return In 1891; but it Is not ex-
travagant TO hope 50. At any rate, there
will be a great change from the state of
affairs in 1890.
The individual losses OF the players dur
ing the season Of war were not heavy In q
inancia sense. A small number OF them
Invested some Of their savings in stock
Those who put money into the Cleveland
and Chicago club Up. L. will lose most of
II. The others who invested where con.
solicitation has been effected will receive
new stock, and may In the course of time
get all their money back and perhaps
large interest on their investments.
Some of the p. L. players lost portions Of
their salaries, but there is still a hope that
most of those who did so will be paid IN
full Thu players of the National league
got their salaries regularly and have not
lost a cent, with the exception of Arson,
who, while he received his salary, WIS IA
loser to the extent the percentage of losses
I -.,l. - NJ C-uNdF--f. -n,k - "
sons stock in the organization: but the
great captain will in the end get his
money back again. The combined losses of
the capitalists will foot up over S400, O0O.
The coming week will see the closing up
Of the peace negotiations. Al johnson
will be given a good sized money consider.
alton to go out OF business, the Brooklyn
clubs will consolidate, and the Player
league clubs at Boston aud Philadelphia,
IL they are not admitted to the American
association before this letter is put in print.
will be soon after. There is said TO be a
movement to put an Association team into
Chicago instead of the one at Toledo, but
this may slip ~. II everything goes as ex.
pected. Rochester, Syracuse and Toledo
will leave the Association and form n neu.
cieus for an international league, and the
vacancies will be filled by Boston. Phila
delphis and Chicago.
There is a great deal Of anxiety among
the players AS TO where they will play next
season. Some Of them, who during 1890
were unruly and ~dissipated, may well feel
worried, but those who did their duty and
played good ball need have no apprehen,
sions as to their future. There were some,
of course, playing in a class a little above
their abilities, but such men will find EN-
ployment in strong minor leagues. The
Boston and Philadelphia p. L. clubs will
be allowed to retain some OF their players,
but such men as Kelly, Nash, Richardson,
Quinn, Mulyey, Shlndle, Griffin, Fogarty
and MilligRn will have al opportunity to
sign with their old employers and will il
all probability do so, although coaxing
may be required in some cases.
The consolidated clubs will pick out the
best teams from their combined players,
and the others will go to the American asso-
clation and to minor leagues. 1t is too
early yet to say what the different teams
will be, but those in the National league
will be the best that organization has ever
had, and they will be remarkably well bal
anoed-
An exception may be made in the case of
New York, where 1t is pretty well under
stood what the team will be. William
Ewing will be the captain and james MI
trie the manager. The catchers will be
Ewing, Clarke, Buckley; the pitchers will
be Rusie, Keefe, Welch, j.. Ewing aud
Sharrott; the inflelders will be Connor,
Richardson, Denny, Glnsscock and Whit.
ney; the outfield will he Herman. Gore,
Slattery and O'Rourke.
This will leave Murphy, Brown, Crane,
o'Day, Hatfield, Bassett, Vaughn, Shan.
non, Burkett, Hornung, Whistler, Johns
ton-twelve good men-for other Clubs.
Murphy has a contract with John B. Dav
for two years longer. and will have to be
retained unless otherwise provided for.
Bassett will go to either Boston or Cleve-
land. There is no indication at present Of
the disposition Of the other New York
players. 1t would seem almost impossible
TO pick out as strong a team as that which
will represent New York, but when the
other teams are fixed 1t will be found that
the Giants of 1891 will ave to hustle from
the word go to keep to the front.
W. |. HARRIS.