St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-05

effect that Twitchell wanted to trade Weaver
for 'Sandow' Mertes. 1t says:
There is slight basis for the story, how
! ever. During the protracted drawback con-
| ceIning the award of the Columbus franchise
| at Chicago, while there was nothing to do but
wait for Brush and Goodnow to be frozen
| out" there was considerable chatting among
the heads of the league. Various trades for
! players We're proposed, and some of them
! were consummated Comiskey, as everybody
in base ball knows is capital joker. He had
| just then signed Mertes and was gloating over
| the fact that he had beaten out Milwaukee In
| capturing the man. Laughing at President
Killilea, who had failed to land Mertes, Com
iskey, evidently in a joke, proposed to trade
him for Weaver. I've got you," replied KILL
lea. In the same vein and then the matter
ended. The matter was never alluded to SUBJ
seQuently. Mertes, according to all accounts,
is good man. but he has not yet been in fast
| company. Weaver has been in the business
| for many years, has been tried and found safe
at every stage of the game.
President Van Derbeck, of Detroit, has
started out to get even with ex-Manager Con
Strouthers for the way in which he euchred
Detroit out of Pitcher Alexander Whitehill's
services for this season. Strouthers, so Van
Derbeck claims, signed Whitehill on a con-
tract that did not contain the reservation
board of arbitration held that Strouthers had
right to do so, and permitted Whitehill to
sign with Syracuse for this season. Strouthers
left the Detroit club before the close Of last
season, and returned to his home in Kansas
City. He was signed to manage and captain
the Birmingham team In the Southern league
for the season Of '96. Some time ago Van Der
beck rendered him contract, which he re-
fused to sign, and now the Detroit president
intends to carry the question to the national
board and prevent Strouthers from playing
this season without his consent. Van Derbeck
claims that Strouthers is still on the Detroit
| reserve list, and bound to that club.
The national board of arbitration will soon
| have another claim to consider, and again 1t
will be between the New York club and play
er. This time it Is Huyler Westervelt, who
is trying to get away from New York. Wester-
welt played with the New York club in 1894.
He did not sign a regulation contract but
signed instead, piece of paper, on when was
written: 81 hereby agree to play with the
New York Base Ball club for the season OF
| 1894 at a salary Of 81 $780,"
1T was agreed at the time" said Westervelt,
that 1 should not be reserved, and within
the thirty days limit specified in the league
rules no regular league contract was ten
dered to me. Consequently, l contend that
was illegally reserved in the fall of 1894 and
think / am sure to win my case"
The New York clubs expenses this year will
be 100000.
It begins to look as though Fred Pfeffer
would drop to the minor leagues.
Hulen is doing well in the Philadelphia
team. Before he went East the sporting
cd ,11ltn IN
showing wherein left-handed infelder could
not play the position of shortstop properly,
and that it was a mistake to attempt to play
Hulen in that place. They have all acknowl-
edged their error now, and are a unit in sing
ing the praise of the boy.
Peter Cassidy the crack first baseman Of
the Western league last season, who was draft
ed by Louisville, has injured his right wrist
again, and will not be able to play for some
time.
Chic Frazier, the Minneapolis pitcher,
drafted by Louisville has made favorable
impression in the South. He pitched against
the regular team the other day, and held the
veterans down to five hits
President Van Derbeck, of Detroit, has
dered three dozen white ash bats for the
He will give them to the members Of the team
when the season opens, but in case they are
stolen broken, he will expect the members
of the club to replace them.
Arlie Latham is captain in st. Louis.
Kansas City's first exhibition game drew
1900.
Writing about Hulen, the Quaker's new
shortstop Frank Hough says: THE balls
were banged down to him in every conceiv-
able way and at every degree of speed, but
they were all alike to him. and as to his left
handed throwing, if that is handicap in any
way. 1t isn't apparent. He is accurate in his
motions, and in action suggests McGraw, of
Baltimore"
Billy Hoy, the Reds mute outfelder, is
probably the best educated ball player in the
country. His infirmity prevents him from TAX
ing an active part in the small talk and COS
sip that go the rounds of the players when
not on the field. The time that the other play
ers put in sitting around telling stories is
utilized by Hoy in reading. He does not
waste his time perusng cheap gushing nov
els, but confines his reading to the standard
authors. Hoy is au fait in literature. He is a
frequent contributor to the two principal deaf
and dumb newspapers in the country.
Indianapolis is kicking because Ban Johnson
has not bought the pennant. Never mind
Watty, you haven't won it yet, either.
Pitcher McDermott, of Louisville says that
twenty Kentucky bellies are willing to marry
him, and that he will accept one before the
season closes.