The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-11
M'DERM0TT IN THE CITY
He Nav BE Scranton's Base Ball
Manager During 1896.
WILL TALK CONTRACT TO-DAY
Ex.Prcsidcut Bctts Visited MeDermott In
the St. Charles Ycstcrday-He Win
Call ut Mr.. simpsons Office
THIS Afternoon.

NJ. H. McDermott, this seasons Fall
River base ball manager. and who may
guide Scranton's fortunes In 1896, is In
the city. He registered at the st.
Charles Hotel Saturday night and had
talk with Mr.. Belts yesterday af-
ternoon. but will not confer with
Harry p. Simpson, the new Scranton
ing. Until then no one can say that
McDermott will be the Scranton man.
ager.
He is one of the most conspicuous
figures in the new England league,
chiefly because he won the pennant
with a team whose salaries and ex-
penses exceeded those of only two
teams in the league. He is not play
ing manager, as has been generally
understood in Scranton. Until 1891 he
was q pitcher. but in that year he
threw his arm out, and, after recuper-
ating nearly all the following season,
in 1893 began to manage the Fall River
team and for three years has done SO
successfully.
McDermott Is slender in stature, of
medium height and weighs possibly 1i0
pounds. He looks all his "a years. Af-
ter casual meeting one would imagine
him to be quiet thoughtful fellow,
who Is not disposed to tell all he knows,
and who, II he had a mission to per-
form, would set about 1t with deter
mination and with an absence of noise.
Prefers the Eastern League.
1t is not known here what figure
and terms were considered in the cor
respondence between McDermott and
ex-Presidcnt Belts, who opened nego-
tiations before the franchise changed
hands. Whatever the sum, 1t is high
er than has been paid in the New
~ rtnv, 1.,,sr L.
ton owners heard of 1t they Immediate
ly offered like amount to secure Nc
DermOtt for themselves But the Fall
River man said he thought the East
ern league Is step higher. and that's
why he refused the Brockton offer and
came here to talk things over Such
was the substance of his statement to
Tribune reporter last night.
He reached here late Saturday night,
having hurriedly left Fall River, where
he Is treasurer of n theater, on receipt
of telegram from Mr. Betts. He was
visited by Mr.. Belts yesterday after
noon and given a letter of introduce
| tion to Mr. Simpson, whom he will visit
this morning. He hopes to leave for
home before night. In view of the alb
sence of any definite arrangements with
the Scranton owners he refrained from
discussing this city's base ball pros
| poets.
McDermott did make one statement
of color entirely different from the as
| sertions of the ex-owners of the Scran-
ton franchise relative to the proposed
purchase by Fall River. He said the
| prposed sale to Fall River was myth;
| that Fall River parties had not made
an offer for the franchise. and did not
know anything about what has trans
| pired here during the last two weeks.
Clubs lie Has Twirlcd For.
In his nineteenth year. in 1884, Nc
Dermott signed as pitcher with Mil
waukee and has since played that po-
sition with the following clubs: 1855
| Newburyport, Mass; 1856, Poughkeep-
sic; 1878, Manchester, N. H.; 1889,
| Auburn. ~. Y, and Louisville; 1890,
Jersey City; 1891, Portland, Me.
In 1891 his arm gave out and he ended
his career as q player after unsuccess-
fully trying to play his old position In
| 1892 with Reading. The year foiiowing
he began managing Fall River.