Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-02-09
READY TO FIGHT.
The Baseball Situation from a
Brotherhood Standpoint.
A PLAYERS LEAGUE MAN TALKS
He Says They VIII start on tn. .Ist Of
April Whether the Magnat.s EuJoin
Them or Not-Grounds Rented and
Stands building.

April Whether III. M~agnat.s EuJoin
Them or Not-Grounds Rented and
Stands building.
The Players league officials say that in
functions cannot stop them. They are in IL
for better or worse and will play out the sea-
son Of 1890 IL they have TO make up their
teams from amateur players. In an inter-
view one OF the new magnates thus expressed
himself; II vent into this movement with
my eyes open. was willing to take the
chances on law suits against us. We have
proved 10 the players that the league will 90
ahead. and those who may be enjoined will
not sign contracts, and, indeed, in some cases
do not believe that they would play with
their old masters at all. At any rate we
would get all the great stars in 1891 at the
latest. One thing you can bank upon, and
hat is that the mere winning Of a suit against
one man will not make the great players
weaker without a fight.
Laws are different in different states.
A man may be enjoined in New York and in
an exactly similar case may escape in Hi
nois. The men We want most Of all will not
20 until they are forced TO 60. Now, look
here. We have a score or more Of the best
men in the American association. There is
no known process Of law that can interfere
with them. Then we have something like
ten or fifteen minor league stars in the same
category. Here We have about forty players
whom the league cannot take away from US
in any possible way, Let Us 90 IA little far.
Their. OF last years league players We have
.t,Il ,r... >. "A. ak.ut astktV- NJ - 81.
men nave refused fabulous salaries TO remain
with Us. Do you tIink that the ENJOYMENT
of one man, who as unfortunate enough to
have signed a supp emental contract, is going
to coerce these mn into deserving usi You
can lay odds that 1t won't.
"A few, Of cou 4e, will go, but the majority
will stick. SUPP sc We lose half, and that is
more than we an by any stretching OF the
doubtful mel I cure up, where shall we bel
Why, we will till have eighty Of the best
players In Am rica. But We would do better
still. Not over twenty Of the League men
would weaker on US We know every man
who would le likely TO 90, and when we al.
low twenty We just double the number We
really suspect. We believe that in spite Of
every efrort made We shall have at least 100
vi but ID liNI We lbN 1--WE siEufi ItsfuN 10
play ball April /. But suppose the League
should enioin all its old men, we would still
have our forty good men as a nucleus, and
would b. justified in going ahead and waiting
till 1891 for our own trump cards"
Now, there is another point, v continued
the Brotherhood magnate; you don't i'm
agine that the League would bring suits in
ten or fifteen states TO enjoin these men.
Just figure up what they would cost. Why,
sl00.OD would hardly cover the expenses.
No. sir; | tell you a few men would lie en-
joined If possible, but no attempt would be
made 10 restrain the bulk of the players. Do
you suppose-admitting that | have placed
the expense at double what il will be-that
the League will pay $50, 600 for the servicesof
a lot Of unwilling men for one year, most of
whom could not be enjoined under the most
favorable circumstances until half the play
ing season is Overt Not a bit Of il. They
are too shrewd for that. They might spend
a few thousands 10 enjoin the Brotherhood
leaders, so A. TO hsrass us In drawing talent,
but there will be no general suits at law. All
the men have got to do is n keep a bold
front and stick TO us, and the League will en-
deavor 10 ill their places rather than 60 TO
law wholesale.
"Now how can they stop us' II cannot be
done. They may beat US In the long run. |
admit the possibility of that. but they won't
beat US without a fight DO you think If We
were not in earnest we should he grading
grounds and building grand standsi Do you
think We could grade and fence in grounds
without renting them. and do you think
-ra,.l.. ... A.. ...,.l a...L-.. ...g n.
takes money, and a lot Of IL, to run a ball
club, and we are putting it out. We have
advanced a great deal to the players, and We
have paid rent in advance and have made
contracts binding us to put out more.
''The Players league will start so sure as
the 2lst day Of April comes. We nave made
our schedule. We shall start the season In the
east and close IL in the west Our schedule is
somewhat on the lines Of the National league
schedule OF last season. As the League Is in
the habit Of alternating, we have the bese OF
the position. We do not seek a direct fight
in regular conflicting dates, although we
shall not shrink from il. The old League
must take the offensive. II they follow prece-
dents there will not be very many conflicting
dats.
IL tnsohi b"uEus Whnt war 10 tue kn1e,
and want II hot, they will only have TO make
a schedule fashioned after the one they had
last year. Or, rather, if they elect TO start
in the east and Gloss in the west, il would he
hard work for them 10 make a ten club
schedule that wouldn't conflict with ours
about every day. We have not seen Of 10
publish our schedule because we do not pro-
pose 10 give the Old league a chance to ar
49,, sl.br s....a al,,Ia .a,.a..s r.a ....I
ones, We shall print il ia March and not
before-proUably not until after the League
has made H. schedule and promulgated il"
The above interview Expresses the baseball
situation from a Brotherhood standpoint.
There are weak points in the argument and
strong ones. W. l. HARRIS.