The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-27
budget OF Sporting news
DOings on the GridirOn, the Track and
Also the Cinder Path.
THAT BASE BALL IMBR0GLI0
Will the National Game Be Able TO Stand
Another Civil War-COllegians
and Their Kicking Over
Foot Ball Dates.
By the United Press.

next in base ball circles The
developments of last week did not
create much of a stir to outward APP
pearances, but beneath the surface
there is a feeling of unrest. Previous
to the Philadelphia meeting, which gave
birth to the new American Association
the National league magnates were do
ing the most of the worrying, for they
did not know what financial, manager
ial, or playing strength the new organi-
Zation would be able to command. The
fact that they did not exhibit anything
certain in either respect, and the un
doubted detection of Al Johnson, the
prime mover and principle loser of the
Brotherhood movement, in the opinion
of the Post, gives the National league
people the vantage ground.
The regular fall meeting of the big
league magnates will be held at the
Fifth Avenue hotel, New York, Nov. IA
and Is, and until that time the promo
ters of the new association will be kept
on the anxious seat, wondering what
action the parent body will take. Many
of the players will also be kept wonder
ing and speculating. They do not want
to run any chance of blacklist by going
to the leagues newest rival, and this
is what is going to make it difficulty for
the new body to line up for a playing
season in the latter part of next April.
That Is the point which has been dis
cussed with most frequency by the
players since early in September. When
few of them We're found together it
was almost a certainty that they We're
discussing next seasons prospects, and
the chances for getting an increase in
pay from either the National League
club to which they belong, by reason of
the promised opposition, or from some
club of the new formation. Toward the
end of the playing season quite a num-
ber We're satisfied that 1t would be
safer to remain under the National
league blanket, and Volutarily affixed
heir signatures to contracts for 1898,
Among these were all of the Chicago
players, all but two of the Philadel-
phias, all but four or five Of the Pitts
burgs and others which might be
picked at random from the other clubs.
Desertion from the League.
To offset this the organizers of the
new association had the promises of
nearly all the Boston men, few of the
Baltimore, one or two of the st. Louis
Browns and the Pittsburgs, two of the
Philadelphias, and some few others
scattered here and there. The promises
from the players We're that they would
not sign with the clubs to which they
We're under reservation until after the
new body took shape, the understand
ing being that the new association
would give them substantial increase in
salaries if everything came right.
If the new association really means
business the managers of the new clubs
will make an effort to sign the players
r1p hax Ia1I ,,rf Ia 60. 10, ,4.I
that John j. Moore, who will be identi-
fled with the new club in New York, has
been in Boston several days trying to
get the signatures of Hugh Duffy, Tom
my Mccarthy and Herman Long TO
contracts for his team.
These players admit that they have
been offered large salaries, and express
preference to play in New York, but
have not yet made up their minds to
sign. AL Buckenberger says he is con-
fident he can secure at least four of
last seasons Pittsburg club as the nu-
cleus for the new club to be located
there, and Fred Pfeffer thinks he will
have no trouble in placing a good club
in Chicago if he can first induce Amos
Rusie to go in with him. Pfeffer would
himself play on second and manage
and captain the team, so there would
be two stars as a starter for the Windy
City club. The Philadelphia men are
talking of making Billy Sharsig, of
old Athletic club fame, manager of
the team there, counting on his popu-
larity in that city to help the club in
financial way, but from all accounts
they have not succeeded in coming to
terms yet with Lave Cross and Billy
Hamilton, the only Phillies who refused
to sign with the Reach and Rogers
people. Billy Barnie will no doubt have
charge of the team in his own town,
Brooklyn, but it does not appear that
he has engaged anything in the shape
of playing talent up to date.
The Washington Organizers.
If Messrs. Hewett and Scanlon have
signed men for the team they are to
place here they are keeping very quiet
about it. They decline to talk about
their plans at present. Michael Scan
lon was seen on his return from the
Philadelphia meeting but excused him
self from saying anything about base
ball except on one point. He was en-
phatic in saying that he did not believe
in making war on the National league.
and rather than countenance contract
breaking by players would withdraw
from the business.
1t was generally hoped among follow
ers of the game that the organizati ton
of the new body would mean a return to
the conditions in existence prior to the
Brotherhood revolt, when there were
two big base ball organizations which
respected contracts made by clubs on
either side, when there We're big salar-
les for all the players, and the interest
In the game in all parts of the country
was aroused to such an extent that all
the clubs were making money. Unfor-
tunately. however the new organiza-
ton has not made a start which invites
peace, and the inevitable clash over the
player question will come early and
last long. This will mean harm to both
organizations and the possible destruc-
ton of one.
The National league people. having
just worked past the evil effects of the
brotherhood war; are in no mood to
deal friendly with a prospective rival.
and the association must certainly be
aware that they cannot go ahead and
nope TO be successful without trenching
on the big leagues reserve list. This
VIII start the trouble. The league will
certainly fight to retain the players on
their reserve list, and there will be
many legal battles, as there were in
1890 to disgust the followers of the
game.
The Challenge.
The association threw down the gage
OF battle at the Philadelphia meeting
when they declared that they would not
respect the league club reservations.
This will force the league magnates
at their meeting in New York next
month to take decided stand. There
can be no doubt but they will resolve
10 blacklist players who desert their
ranks. Then If the association people
nave the financial backing which they
claim the bars will be let down and a
number of players will be able to work
their salaries up to the $S.5OO to $4,000
notches. Few clubs can afford to pay
many men such salaries without great
loss to their exchequers, and after one
of the organizations goes to the wall.
because the hackers of the clubs are
heartily sick of losing money, a fresh
start VIII nave to be made by the sue
cessful body, and the only result of
the whole squabble will have been that