Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-28
O'NEIL'S STATEMENT.
The President of the Local Club Says Word
or Two in Defense of Himself and
Derogatory of Manager Hanlon-The
Official Claims He Is an Injured Man.

To the Sporting Editor of the Dispatch:
DEAR SIR-It has always been my custom
to pass unnoticed reporters unfavorable
comments of my management of baseball,
but so many Misrepresentation and mis-
statements have been made of late, some
of which are from the pen of unfriendly re-
porters, that l have deemed it advisable
with your permission to give plain state
ments of facts. 1t has been continuously
stated that have interfered with Manager
Hanlon in his management and control of
the team, and that the fines imposed upon
Pitcher Baldwin were remitted by me, and
for this reason Hanlon had no control of his
men and loss of games was the result
The facts are these: At no time since Man.
ager Hanlon took charge of the team as
manager has any fine ever been remitted by
me or by any other officer of the club and
neither has any player been signed or re-
leased, with the one exception, Newell, who
has only played one game, been employed
or released without the approval and con-
sent of Manager Hanlon. In no instance
have 1 ever suggested to Mr.. Hanlon, with
one exception, any change in his batting list,
to purchasing the score card,
just who was to be represented
in the team. 1t has been stated that Mr..
Byrne, during his recent trip here, was com
PEELED to personally visit the different news
paper offices and pay for advertisements.
This has been published to show that have
not been liberal in local advertisements. In
justice to everyone connected with our club
i will state that the entire advertising of the
club was placed in the hands of Secretary
Scandrett at the beginning of the season, and
while have not approved at all times of his
limited method of advertising, still have
never dictated or indicated to him as to the
amount of money he should spend with the
local papers in advertising. / have been ac-
cused by one unfriendly reporter of misrep-
resenting the price paid for Shugart's re-
lease.
1 have never said to any reporter what
Shugart's release cost the club. 1 did
say, however, that his services for the bal
ance of the year would cost the Pittsburg
club about $5 900, and am willing to stand
by that statement. As Manager Hanlon has
been made the subject of SO much comment
in the papers, and as the Board of Directors
have on several occasions in my absence in
dicated their belief that Mr.. Hanlon, as
manager, had been interfered with by me,
hereby challenge Mr.. Hanlon, over his own
signature, to state one single instance where
in / have remitted fine imposed by him or
released or employed player in opposition
to his wishes. / do not wish this challenge
to be answered by heresay, but 1 desire
that Manager Hanlon shall, over his
own signature state the occasion under
which he was interfered with and the de-
tails of the interference. That the Presi-
dent has been interfered with by the Board
Of Directors no baseball man can deny, and
am divulging no secrets of the meetings of
the board when state that the first meet
ing held by the Board of Directors after the
opening of the season, April p. was held on
May Is, at which time the club stood in sec
ond place in the League race. only few
points behind first place. 1t was on that
day, May IS, in the evening after had gone
home that the Board of Directors met at the
Anderson Hotel and passed n resolution to
the effect that President O'Neil could not
employ or RELEASE ans ball players without