The morning times., 1896-11-23

Now that the magnates have held their
annual fall meeting and their actions have
,s,.-..., =, q, - tri.sa
tions' and surprises that they So liber-
ally promised seem lu,iicrous in their
memory.
few of the sensations, etc, are re-
called-first and foremost WIS the transfer
ofthe champion Baltimore club to st. Louis.
Another writer gave 1t out that fatsy
Tebeau and his virulent Spiders would De
the ones tn transplant Der Browns Ill
' un Der AGeNIII,. : III another lanciful
scribe s0lemnly vowed that Won der Abe
would be turned down by lis bretbern,
aud tEat some one other than the erstwhile
Boss President would manipulate league
baseball affairs at SportsmanS Park next
season and thencefUrth. other tips We're
that Won der Horst, of Baltimore, would
buy the st. Louis franchise. and that the
Cleveland club would be transferred to
New York.
Theabove weresome of fthe deals promised
as to ma rnates and club ownership and
control As to mahagers and players there
was enough gossip indulged about sales
and trades to fill Il volume, unabridged
size.
Let's see-Russie was sure to be sold or
traded by New York; Mugsey McGraw was
assigned to Louisville; Dahlen would be let
go by Chicago; DeMontreville would be-
"'ine Pirate beiore Tie Llue buds whIstled;
MCGUIRE would wear New York uniform
next season, and Cross, Hallman, and Halen
Were to figure in a trade between Phila-
delphia and any club having swapping ma
terial.
IL WAS confidently claimed that Tom Nc
Creery would be sold 70 Pittsburg for big
coin, that Ely would be exchanged for
Dahen. and So on ad liBitum, uu good
player in the league escaping a rumor of
some variety.
ASSIGNMENT OF MANAGERS.
As to the manag gers, Dave Foutz would
undertake the job for Won der Abe, and
Billy Murray, of Providence, would be
put ii. charge of the thirty-five good, bad
and indifferent men Philadelphia has on
the list Arthur Irwin's name was coupled
with half dozen different arrangements.
Well, the meetin. has been held and not
n change was made among the personnel of
the maSnates, there was no transfer Of
franchises, nor was there single deal On
thesurface aceaffectingthcm ma nagers and play
ers mentioned. The prophets are left with
out honor in anybody's country.
The public however, can afford to be
forslving that none Of the good things
went through, when it is remembered that
real baseball news is mighty scarce during
the off season
But the league meeting was not without
ltNhiN'- ~ " d. Lip NuI uIldlT
II milk and water social
If outward evidence counts for any,
thing there was plenty of TubascO un-
bottled behind the doors of the Auditorium
and that there was an abundance of hair
pulling goes without contradiction.
OF course a close corporation like the
league never tells It's secrets but things
can get so warm sometimes that inklingS
of the hot stuff within will leak In other
words, the cat Will jump out Of the bag
no matter how tight and hard the string
is tied
Despite the assertions of the parties
thereto, the Chicago meeting was not pa Ciric
nor was IL as calm as summer sigh. A
statement to that effect with Freedman of
New York, and John T. Brush, OF Indiana
polis-cincinnati, sitting around the same
council board sounds harmonious. Har-
mony-nit, with that pair gathered together
beneath the same vine and fig tree.
Freedman and Brush lovc enc another
with that same taste that the small boy
loves CaramclS. or that the South Sea Is
lander has for wcli-upholStered mis-
Sionary For a parody on David and
Jonathan. Damon and Pythias, Andy and
Jonn should be cQst Tor the star parts
Yet We are tol. thar the meeting was
'harnoniCus' That. too, in the face OF
the fact that Andy AID John We're aloosc
in the same 20X20 ro>>n. Oh, if those
NdHs NOHIu tuiN NpCdh, Ut even lle btll
boys. What story they could unfold
Bat let it 20 at that-'the fans reign
and the league still lives" Then W hat care
wec
And there were deals made al the meet
ing. Not any that We're prognosticated
by the scribcs. yet of sufficient Importance
to occasion much comment and to create
a wide divergence of opinion as TO who
got the best of it,
BALTIMoRE-PITTSBU TRADE.
The deal that ranked the others was the
exchange of players bctw cen the Baltimore
ana FIllsburg clubs. In effect 1t amounted
TO Baltimore giving rittsburg Walter
BiOdie and Jimmy Donnelly for Jake Stem
Icn, thouGh Pirsburg threw in two or
three other men Just for luck They
were minor lcagucrs Of no particular use
10 the Pirates, nor Will they be to the
orioles, except for trading purposes
The PiusbJrG club was undoubtedly
strengthened by the exchange There is
no remarkable difference between Brodie
and Stencil, except in batting which is
in the Dutchman's favor, and in Donnely
the Pirates viii have a good. all-around
third baseman. This corner has been a
weak spot for long time, as Lyons. while
splendid man to cover the bag on q base
runner, was weak on balls hit 10 his terri
tory and in addition has a bad throwing
| arm Again Denny is poor batter in
his declining days and is a veritablc ice
wagon in running bases. Donnelly covers
all these defects. Lyons will be tried at
first base, where it is expected that his
general work will improve
The addition OF Jake Stencil to the
Baltimore outfield makes it air-tight. iron
bound and Cuppcr-rivetcd With the right
| and left wings covered by Keelcr and Kelley
and Stencil in the middle. lucky will be
the batsman who can land Il fly ball safe
And when 1T is considered that Keeler
batted .392, Kelley $40, and Stencil 1866.
the fourth. fifth and sixth sluSgers OF the
league, respectively, the query naturally
arises, How can you beat Baltimore?''
The second trade Of Importance was be-