, 1891-03-08
FIGHTING AGAIN.
o. P. Caylor Writes of the Re-
newed Baseball Battle.
OBJECTS OF THE LATEST REVOLT

1t from the National Agree
Notwithstanding Justincs Thurman.
Players who Were willing to Sign.
II = TO be presumed the baseball reader
~ this time il familiar with the causes
which led up 70 the withdrawal OF the
American association recently from the
national agreement. Nearly every news
paper in the country has dealt in the his
tory OF the case. Much misinformatiOn or
misunderstanding, however, went out in
the first heat of this baseball quarrel. The
Association justified its action on the al
legged fact that one member Of the national
board, the supreme baseball tribunal in the
country had decided In their favor when
the Bierbauer and Stovey cases came up
for settlement; that this dissenting mem
Der was not their own representative on
the board, but the delegate from the west
ern association; that they had been be-
trayed by their own presideut-their repre-
sentative on the board, who had voted
against them
Since this casus belli was announced Mr..
KrauthofI, the supposed dissenting mem
Der Of the board, has called attention to the
fact that his supplemental decision was
not dissenting, but one which came TO the
same conclusion with the other two mem
bers, only by a different process Of reason
ing.
Mr.. KrauthoT has also appeared in pub
lie print, bOv his own name, justifying
Mr.. Thurman, the deposed American asso-
citation president, and declaring that the
latter body had no Justification in the
Bierbauer and Stovey cases for their with
drawal from the national agreement.
1t has been pretty clearly shown that
the leaders in the Association revolt began
planning for the break away before the
national board met; that they had several
objects in view. First was the capture of
Cincinnati from the League circuit; sec.
ond, was their Grm belief that as soon as
they should break away from the national
agreement and reserve rule the mass Of
the unsigned ex-Players' league or Broth
erhood players would come to them in a
body. Then, after having been strength
ened thus in their circuit and their teams,
they would be welcomed back once more
into the national agreement compact.
Subsequent events do not justify their
faith.
They have secured the consent of A. L.
johnson to throw the Cincinnati club into
the Association II lie can. That is a task
he may, however, nnd very difficult to
work out. The League will dispute the
ground with him as to the franchise. and
will claim the players by right Of reserva-
ton. The second calculation has been a
disappointment. "At this writing the
Association clubs have signed, or claim to
have signed, the following ex-League-
Brotherhood players; Hardie Richardson.
William DAILY, Dennis Brouthers, "Darby''
O'Brien, Tom Brown. William Holman
and Joe Mulvey. OF these neither Brown,
Mulyey nor Brouthers was wanted by the
clubs holding them under reservation, and
O'Brien had already been released. On the
other hand the League nave signed since
the break such stars as Beckley, Carroll.
Staley, Quinn, Ryan, Gumbert, Fields,
Buckley, Delehanty and Tebeau, all Of
whom the Association clubs hoped to Sc
cure.
The above list seems to include nearly all
that the Association clubs are able to coax
away from the opposition camp. Much as
some Of the ex-Brotherhood stars would
like to break away from the reserve rule.
they have doubts Of the outcome and not
much faith In the financial ability OF the
Association to ndure in a fight against
the powers that be. Besides, a great many
of them have always objected to playing In
the Association on account of the ~latter's
Sunday games and the twenty-five cent
tariff OF admission. This latter suppests
inferiority of standing To many ball players.
The meeting of the national board for
the second time on last Saturday reversed
the condition of t~hings-put the shoe on
VIZ NAAI AcNAH as 4 WIN 4 Nt LtuIuE ana
its national agreement allies, through the
supreme baseball power Of the land, the
national board, not only took up the
gauntlet thrown down by the American
association, but ordered an offensive move
ment all along the line. The board de-
clared that the Association clubs by with
drawing without assigning (oficially) any
cause for the act had forfeited all right to
their own reserved players, and that
4
right to sign any of the last named class.
The board further officially served notice
that any reserved player who should sign
and play with any such rebellious clubs
would become ineligible under national
agreement laws to play with any national
agreement club.
The result has been a sudden halt in the
proposed triumphant march Of the revolu-
tionists to power over the bodies OF their
foes. The most conservative OF the Asso-
citation "magnates' undoubtedly regret
that they allowed themselves to be led
away in the heat Of a disappointment, and
to be persuaded, without fully measuring
the possible consequences, to take up the
sword by which they themselves are now
threatened.
NJ. j. Kelly, the celebrated Mike" was
the first Brotherhood player to fall in at
the Associations call for recruits. Kelly
mas Tor some time been nursing a supposed
wrong, growing out Of an offer by the Bos-
ton League club Of only 1900 salary a
year, whereas Clarkson and Bennett, who
remained true to their club when the play.
ers broke way n year or more ago, are get
ting larger salaries. Kelly, accordingly,
not only announced himself en- rapport
with the Association revolt, but started
out to sign players for them. He was to
go as far as California If necessary, but he
returned home after reaching Utica.
The sudden collapse Of Relly's ardor is
significant. 1t was at first announced that
he had signed a Boston association con
tract, and would be transferred to Cincin-
natl to manage Johnson's team in the new
circuit. His acquaintance, however, do
not believe he has signed a contract, or that
If he has he took possession Of it himself,
rs he did with the League contract signed
last fall. 1t is a way Kelly has Of doing.
The national board are on record that
universal amnesty this time will not be
granite sweeping pardon was extend
ed on two former occasions after the fail
ure Of rs many revolts against the reserve
rule-viz, those OF the Union association
and the Players league. These revolts
are becoming too popular and too ex.
pensive. This time some heads are prom.
ised TO the baseball guillotine.
o. ?. CAYLoR