Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-11-02
PEACE IS IN SIGHT
w. I. Harris Looks at the Base
ball Situation Hopefully.
RUMORS OF A GREAT BIG DEAL.
The Prospects for u Consolidation Of the
Three Prominent Leagues ~Good-Many
Players May BE without Jobs Next
saasnu

Players May BE Without Jobs Next
season.
Copyright by American Press Association
Peace negotiations are apparently of be-
tween the two major baseball leagues, yet
rs an actual fact the capitalists are still
is not positively dead. Indeed, it was never
more favorable. II is true that the regular
conference was broken up by the attempt
OF the Brotherhood to force Messrs. Ward,
Hanlon and Irwin upon the Players
league committee. Perhaps | should not
lay the matter entirely at the door of the
Brotherhood, rs the player directors OF the
League were aided In their design by the
capitalists from Boston, Pittsburg and
Philadelphia. The players We're added to
the committee by a unanimous vote, but
this was because the capitalists opposed to
il found that they did not have votes
enough to prevent il and therefore wisely
concluded to make no open opposition. As
is well known, the original committee when
in conference with the National league and
Association men had got pretty well start
ed upon a plan Of partial consolidation and
peace.
They found such smooth sailing and that
matters could be SO equitably settled, with
mutual sacrifices on both sides much less
than had been expected, that they disliked
very much TO see things 20 by the board in
the face Of the public demand for "a cessa-
ton of hostilities. When these gentlemen
found that everything was liable Ia end in
smoke owing 10 the refusal OF the National
league and association TO permit players
whom they considered TO nave heen the
ringleaders IN the movement which had
cost them such immense losses to partici-
pate in the peace settlement, IL Is not sur
prising that the capitalists should have to
!. certain extent taken things int0their own
hands as individuals. This they hnvedone,
aud during the past week there have been
a number Of conferences between indi-
yidual members ni the two leagues having
eventual pace for their object. The New
York men harr already agree! upon "a basis
for consolidation, the brooklyn men have
got some ile1 uf q plan, and the Chicago
and Cleveland people are trying 10 find one.
The men who nrr trying to work the
deal ARE NleSsrs. johnson, MrAlpin. Tai,
cutI, Robinson, Goodwin, Wallace AMI Ad.
Olson on one side, and Messrs. Splidiag,
Day. Byrnr, Robinson. Howe and Ilawlry
on the other. Just Whit these ne-otia-
tionS may lead TO il H. hard To say AT this
time. That it j. the intention Of Mr.. Me-
Alpin and his associates todesert the Play
ers' league i, hardly possible or probable.
IL may hc that they are trying To force a
general consolidation Of the three major
organizations. This seems To be the must
reasonable supposition Of the two, and il
indicates a split in the counsels Of the
Players league which may Inc fatal to 1t.
IL is plain that the men who have been
providing the money for the disastrous
war which the closing season has sus-
pended have determined TO prevent its
resumption. The Boston and Philadelphia
capitalists are making a great h~owdy-io
about standing 10y their players, but it is
somewhat doubtful il they would lie 50
loud If they did not think that consolida-
tion in their cities, which would force them
into a secondary circuit, was almost i'm
possible.
Can a consolidation lie forced by the in
dividual action uf three or four clubs. IL
would seem that if those clubs are New
York, Brooklyn, Cleveland and Chicago
that the answer would he in the a!lirma-
tive. The Players league capitalists aud
the Brotherhood say that even such "A de-
fection would not ba sufficient 10 do the
business. ! am told that the Boston and
Philadelphia people are willing 20 put up
any amount Of Iuoury go keep the new or
gauization going, and Tint a new circuit
would be arranged In very short order. 1t
is also stated thai new capitalists eau east
ly be found to start "A new club ia New
York, aud that Il the men behind the l.. l..
clubs in the four cities named decided
to pool their interests they could not
deliver their players, Ms the brotherhood
would not permit them TO play anywhere
but in the Players league. The more rabid
Of the Brotherhood players say that rather
than see the Players league disintegrated
they would be perfectly willing to have the
gate receipts salary clause in their on
tracts enforced against them, and cheerful
ly play for such share Of the gate money
rs might accrue to them after running ex-
penses had been liquida,ed.
A. to new capitalists in the city Of New
York, il il pretty safe to wager that when
the present hackers Of the brotherhood
there get tired successors for them will
be scarce enough TO make the project
ors hunting for them weary indeed. As to
a new circuit, that Is exactly what the men
who are engineering the deal propose, and
they can offer a better circuit than the
four Directing clubs il left alone could hope
TO organize. As TO the question II deliver
ing the players, that is not 50 serious rs it
would appear on the surface. II is more
than probable that should the proposed
consolidation take place at least u third Of
the men who last year played with the
Players league teams would not be wanted
for next year in the leading league. This
is due to the fact that many of them did
not play ball a. they could have done, that
many nave lost their skill, and that others
who were reb.llious aud dissiplted ARE
likely TO suffer for it. With u very few ex-
oeptions the players generally are after the