Wichita eagle., 1890-02-02
TO GOWN OR LOSE
Ward Says Injunctions Won't
Stop the Players League.
WHAT HE BUILDS ITS HOPES ON.

swim or lose" says John 81 Ward, "the
Players league viii go ahead IN 1880"
| Mr.. Ward referred to the great injunc-
lion suit, the decision Of which is now pend
ing. What be meant was that the new
league would start with or without the men
who played last season with the National
league. The presumption is that should it be
without them they would come to tho Play
srs' league in 1891
If this decision On the part OF the leaders OF
the Brotherhood league, as announced by
Mr.. Ward, is honest, it indicates confidence
In the success of the new movement, NOT only
On the part OF the players, bot on the part OF
the hackers as well, that is remarkable m
view OF their own arguments. upon wnlca
they base their chance for success
This letter is for the purpose OF presenting
the main points upon which the brotherhood
depend for success in the battle with their
old employers, if they make it. 1t Is written
at the request of several correspondents, who
have asked me to give a resume OF the broth
erhood side OF the question.
The players are sanguiue of success, and so
are the gentlemen who are aiding them with
money. They believe that ball players draw
the public like star actors-by their individu-
which they present
They argue that the baseball patrons do
not care picayune for A G. Spalding. A.
H. Soden, John B. Day and other baseball
club owners. They believe that the players
of the National league and certain stars of
the American association, as being the most
skilled men IN tue profession Will draw the
public to the exclusion OF any teams that can
be organized by the said a. G.. Spa!dlng, A
II. Soden, j. B. Day and others. They be-
Iieve that it will take the old League SO long
to educate men to take their places and they
will have lost Sc much money In the opera
ton that the old League will retire from the
business in disgust, leaving the field clear for
the Players league 1t is this abiding faith
of the players that they are the attraction
individually which forms the basis of their
hope of success.
The players at the start counted very large
ly upon the sympathy Of the public i'll the
treatment they have heretofore received
from the magnates. During the past tvo
months this position has been directly va
Gated, although indirectly they expect that
sympathy for them will prove a big factor
in their success, and their supporters and
agents have been engaged in getting labor
organizations to express this sympathy now
by resolutions. and they expect that the la
boring men everywhere will express their
sympathy in the summer by hard cash in
the form of fifty cent admission fees.
The Brotherhood men justify their seces-
sion ON the ground that the National league
has taken advantage OF them for years and
abused them by oppressive rules, and in a
-.>f bx,f thorr IN Y,lav
for salaries inadequate to the measure their
ability and the profits derived from the
game. And as a fna, clincher they bring
forth the maxim that every man has a right
to so into business for himself whenever be
desires to do SO.
The players think that the arrangements
for distribution Of profits and the chance it
holds out for them to share in the product OF
their labor will cause them TO play such fine
ball that no opposition can, by any possibn-
ity, touch them, and hence they will attract
all of the patronage that always goes where
the best ball is played, and this class, together
with personal admirers and sympathizers,
will make the game mint.
The prospect for the player is an alluring
one if all these rosy calculations come out
right. The first $500 of profit over and
above all expenses will go to prize fund Of
$40, 600, from which the players OF the lead
ing teams will draw down share. Indeed,
it is understood that each team will get some.
thing out of this purse.
Then the surplus of profits over S12, 500 in
each club will 60 into general pool to be
divided equally among the E'O or so players
of the league It will be seen that should
this fund amount to $4,000, each player
would get about 500. and that if it should
amount to $50,009 each player would
get $500. Then the players who are
stockholders viii get splendid thing ont OF
it in case of moderate success, even II the
other players should get nothing at all. For
instance, Ed Hanion has $4,000 in stock in
vested in the Pistshurg brotherhood club.
Should that organization make S12 500 in
profits, s. 800 would go to the prize fund
and the balance being divided among the
stockholders, Banlon would get $4,000 as tbs
share, which added to his part Of whatever
prize money this team might get. his sala. y
OF 81, 500 and his share of the players pool il
event ot success would give him pretty
good thing.
1t will be seen that the player stakeholder
would have snap even with moderate sue
cess, while in the event of great success al
the players would ge. something besides their
salary.
These are the inducements that have In
6uenced the player to ''go into business for
himsef''-the well to do players because
they could be stockholders and double profit
sharers, the inprovident players because
they might contingenrly be profit sharers;
and even il they were not, they would rather
see The well to do players get the profits than
those whom once " ard told me al ball play
ers considered their natural enemies,
meaning, OF course, the Ipagnates who have
controlled baseball for the last fourteen years
The Brotherhood men argue that the oe-
serters who have left their RANKS viii not DC
of any value to the league, because thAt
small section OF tue pubic patrons Of the
sport who Elay attend the games OF the Old
League will deoest them, and viii SO der1de
and taunt the men WAC have returned to the
power OF the ms.nases that they Will DC Tn
able TO play good ball They argue also that
the action of these men viii forfeit by Their
desertiun Of the Brotherhood the popularity
they have earned by skillful playing In tue
past.
In fine, the Brotherhood players argue and
be,fo'c SaAae 'ifo GO puo,fN S-'i>S ~ 49,
nagnstes, the pubic admiration for the
players individually and collectively, the
great skill Of taese players, the pubic sym
paahy for them and LEGISLATION OF sAck
aliders, combined with toe mter,o<7ty o.
the teams that viii form the opposition, siL
make the Players i.sgue glorfocs success
Personally ! believe most Of :h>ec argu
-Dcnes 10 be faiiacioos. but ! have tired u
obllge my correspondents as fully ana iA-Eiy
Is the hais OF space would permit
v / HARR0
ca. DOUGLAS