The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-10
THU WAR IS OVER.
Baseball Rivals Have Patched
Up a Peace at Last.
THE P.LA THING OF THE PAST.
w. L Harris Reviews the Situation and
Tells How the Problem Has Been
solved-Plans and Prospects for the
Coming Season.

Solved-Plans and Prospects for the
Coming Season.
Copyright by American Press Association.
1t cannot be said that the Players league
Is exactly wiped out of existence, but it is
IN process of liquidation and will in few
weeks no longer be a factor in baseball
The baseball war is over and the cranks
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
and that it will soon be a memory was be-
cause it was not built upon a solid founda-
ton and because it 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 Cor all positions, and there
fore only the extraordinary players can
command their own prices, but 10 spite of
these facts the season just past had its 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 is profit
able to all parties, with proper considera-
ton and ample time being given for
investigation and redress Of alleged griev-
ances Discipline will rale in all the clubs,
players will be able to keep their hats on
and the public will receive better value for
its 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. 1t is not expected that
the immense general interest exhibited in
the game during the season of 18S3-S9 will
entirely return in 1891; but it is not ex-
travagant to hope so. AT any rate, there
will be 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
financial sense. A small number of them
invested some of their savings in stock.
Those who put money into the Cleveland
and Chicago clubs (P L. will lose most Of
It. The others who invested where con-
solidation has been effected will receive
new stock, and may in the course Of time
get all their money back aud perhaps
large interest on their investments.
Some of the p. l.. players lost portions of
hai GAL ia mt
most of those who did so will be paid IN
full The 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, was a
loser 10 the extent the percentage Of losses
made by Mr.. Spalding's club bear to An
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 $500, 0O0
The coming week will see the closing up
of the peace negotiations. Al johnson
will be given good sized money consider
alton to go out Of business, the Brooklyn
clubs will consolidate, and the Players
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 up. If everything goes as ex-
pected, Rochester, Syracuse and Toledo
will leave the Association and form neu-
cleus for an international hague, and the
vacancies will be flied by Boston, Philar
delphia 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-
sons as to their future. There were some,
of course, playing in a class 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, Mulvey, Shindle, Griffin, Fogarty
and Milligau will have an 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-
citation and TO minor leagues. IL is too
early yet 10 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
anced
An exception may be made in the case of
New York, where it is pretty well under
stood what the team will be. William
Ewing will be the captain and James Mu-
trie the manager. The cstchers will be
Ewing, Clarke, Buckley; the pitchers will
be Rusie, Keefe, Welch, J. Ewing and
Sharrott; the infelders will be Connor,
Richardson, Denny, Glasscock and Whit
ney; the outfeld will be Herman, Gore,
Slattery and O'Rourke-
This will leave Murphy, Brown. Crane,
O'Day. Hatfield, Bassett, Vaughn, Shan
non, Burkett, Ho-nung, Whistler, Johns
ton-twelve good mentor other clubs.
Murphy has a contract with John B. Day
for two years longer, and viii have TO be
retained unless otherwise provided for.
Bassett will so 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
10 pick out as strong a team rs that which
will represent New York, but when the
other teams are fixed il will be found that
the Giants Of 1891 viii have 70 hustle from
the word so to keep TO the front.