Evening star., 1896-02-15
YOUNG'S BUSY WEEK
The President Of the League Handles
Many Documents.
new LEGAL Base BALL ORGANIZATION
Plans Being Discussed by the
Amateur Players.
TOPICS OF THE DIAMOND
TOPICS OF THE DIAMOND

This has been my busy week." remarked
Uncle Nick Young, as he sat at his desk in
league headquarters, with large bundle of
newly made contracts before him. There
has been a grand scramble on the part Of
these players who have beer holding off to
get in out of the wet before the preliminary
practice season commences, and the result
is that 1 am threatened with writer's paraly-
SIS from approving contracts.
Here" said he, "is little batch of con-
tracts / received from Pittsburs this morn
ing, and there is enough good material there
to make frst-class team. For instance.
there is Bierbauer, the second baseman; Ely,
the elongated shorts.op, late of St. Louis,
who makes more sensational plays than al,y
inhelder in the league, Beckley, the hustling
first baseman; Menifee, Frank Killcn. Sug
den. Elmer Smith, Merritt and Clingman.
That IS a mighty good nine just as it
stands" continued Uncle Nick as he pro-
ceeded to flourish his well-known signature
over the backs cf the Pittsburg contracts.
On mis- table were numerous other contracts,
which have already been promulgated. to-
Sether. with notices Of releases and trans
fers. When not dabblng in contracts Mr..
Young was tinkering with the last draft of
the schedule, which is practically completed.
Indications II LOOKS as IL tHe HCH
city league, on the lines suggested in last
Saturdays Star, would be a GO Several
letters have been received from amateur
clubs indorsing the idea of a deposit and
the election Of a president not connected
with any OF the clubs in the city, and all
that now remains is TO come to the point
of getting together i'll meeting and map
ping out rules and regulations. AS to
he iS he
proper place. and those grounds can be
secured at a nominal figure for each game
Forty open days materialize during the
season. thirty-Aix of which can he secured
by the city league, the other days being
reserved for the High School drills and
other regular e3GaGeInentS. Mr.. Stris-
burger. who owns the privileges at Ma
tiOEal Park, has kindly offered to guarantee
the rent OF the park and to furnish the
bats aLd balls and attend to the adver-
Using and assume other little EXPENSES.
Should the attendance fail short of the
number required 10 pay expenses he VIII
foot the B!ll. and then when large au-
dencc shows up he can he reimbursed for
his outlay. This proposition seems eH-
cCediHeiy far ana Sportsnlanliie, IL there
is money made the city league gets it, ana
if any is lost MIR. StraSOu:Ser pays the
freight, all the clubs nave to do is TO play
boil - Ier agreement.
In the matter of & deposit, if an amateur
club l.. not wealthy enough to raise q SJj
forfeit, it is har ily worthy TO san under
q name. the forfeit money can be put III,
under the conditions that If every ubiga-
tion is fulfilled The money will be returned
to the owners at the end of The season.
In this way fines can be guaranteed the
salary of the president paid ana a stabil-
ity given to the oT3anrzat ation that is neceS-
sary If a successful season is to be
pectad. The expenses that go with the
| league are so small that it looks like a
'c-nch' that great season VIII be gone
| through with. and perhaps numerous good
| players developed. Last season the sched-
| Tile was too large; SIX games with each Club
| are enough, and Will fill in all the da ties
! that be secured. No outside games
should be played, it is a foregone con
cluslon that amateur ball cannot draw
against the professionals.
A letter has been received from OutfieIder
Lush of the Senator's, which says that he is
| in 1irst-class condition and that his trouble
\ some finger has come around all right
| should tGis piece OF news prove true, the
| Senator's ouJfield VIII be strong enough tl
| satisfy the most obstinate of the local fans
| LUSH demonstrated last season that he was
| ball player and a fair trial is all he asks
If that IS given him, permanent position
| VIII De his to certainty.
Few followers of base ball organiza tor
| and literature fully understand the farm
| ing out system or the cause of the Amos
| universal Srumb.iLg by the owners o
| Western League clubs. 1t sounds very wei
10 say that such and such magnate ha
| loaned a player or two to certain Club
but when it comes down to translerrin:
| almost an entire club to a minor league, i
Is running the thing in the ground In fact
il is not the farmiLs-out system that is a
fauit so much as its abuse. The fight o
the western League is directed principal.
| against John I. Brush owner of the Gin
clnnau an1 indianapolis cubs. Mr.. Brusl
signs a half dCzen players for the forme
club, and agrees to pay them, say, S1,50
for the season. These players, after bein
tried-out, are found to be in need of sea
son or two additional minor league train
ing, and are there fore transferred to tn
indianapolis team. Now, the Wester
League has salary limit that permits
to live through the season and make littl
money for the club owners The questio
is, how can the other clubs win games fror
the Hoosiers If that aggregation contain
the pick of the country? The Indanapo.i
club pays the players the limit for tn
| Western League and the difference is mad
up by Mr.. Brush. Last year the IndianaI
oils won the championship, and, from pres
ent indications, win continue to win a
| long as they wish. The other club owner
are naturally anxious to win out once in
while, and thereby enrich their bank az
| count, but how can they do il with on
| club and a salary limit? About the onl
trick left for them is to buy out or eXpt
the Indianapolis, or limit Mr.. Brush to tw
| recruits each year to his team in Indiana
! The same thing VIII disrupt the Atianti
| an entire nine to Jersey City, the salar
, limit win be winked at, and that club wi
win the pennant in a walk if the ne
league lasts long enough under the circun
| stances to pc nit a winner to be named
The other clubs cannot afford to pay tn
salaries which the players on the Jerse
| City team will be given, and, as a resul
the players will become dissa tisfied, an
only one club will be in the race for tn
pennant. Then, again, should any of tf
clubs not being used as a farm develop
player of exceptional ability at the end
the year, they lose him. while player ur
der like circumstances cannot be take
from the farm club, as he is reserved
the person backing the aggregation.
1t would he just the luck of Manager T.
!. beau of the Cleveiands to find a thil
pitcher of exceptional ability to help oil
Young anl Cuppy in the well-known &c
berg" Elton Chamberlain. While RED
Ehret was in Cincinnati the other day, L
| reported that Chamberlain was work in
hard to get himself in condition, and fe
confident that ne would be able to hold h
own with the Spiders. Chamberlain Wa
looked upon a very dangerous man
certain quarters in Cincinnati, but a or
years lay-off has, no doubt, driven a goc
bit of common sense into his stubbor
bao6 har1ain does tho vyarl. 4