Evening star., 1896-08-07
He Gives The Star His Views on the
Base Ball Situation.
REASONS FOR TEE JOYCE DEAF
Hopes for the Future of the Team
This Season.
AS TO MR.. ELI

Mr.. ]. Earl Wagner, secretary of the
! Washington Base Ball Club came over to
| this city this morning from Philadelphia
| to attend to business matters connected
| with the team. and while here a Star re-
porter asked him as to his views on the
prospects of the Senators during the re-
| mainder Of the season. In view of recent
events Mr.. Wagner's reply will doubtless
| be read by the patrons of base ball in this
city with great interest. He said:
II appreciate the fair and manly course
| Of The Star with reference to this matter,
and will gladly give the public my opin-
| ions on the situation through the columns
| OF your paper. I realize the rights and
privileges of the public to criticise the man
| agement Of any public enterprise that de-
rends upon their generous patronage-so
| necessary to its success-the public is the
| arbiter of the fortunes Of all persons who
| are dependent EFon 1t for support. This
Is right and proper, and I am the last man
| on earth who believes will say the pub
| lie be ID At the same time 1 believe
| that critic sm or denunciation should be
| founded upon mature consideration Of all
the facts and circumstances connected with
the matter.
I'm the first place, want the public to
understand that 1 alone am responsible
| for all the changes that have been made
| In the personnel Of the club. which changes
were made by me in the belief that 1t was
for the best interests of the club and that
| Its playing strength would be greatly in
| creased. 1 still 80 believe and under the
same circumstances l would do as I have.
| trusting that the future would verify the
wisdom Of my judgment. Two motives
prompt me as well as others in the conduct
| Of this peculiar business. One is to give
to the patrons of the game the very best
pos sible exhibition for their money, and the
second Is to so conduct the business that a
| reasonable remuneration may be realized
upon the large amount Of capital invested,
and know that If 1 fail In supplying the
former that l cannot expect satisfactory
| f1r ancial returns.
II regret exceedingly that the Indignation
OF our patrons should be directed against
Manager Schmelz-this ia an Injustice To
an honest, faithful and conscientious man,
| that is wholly unjust and undeserved
w Whatever he may have said or done in
the premises was under my direct orders.
| In some cases he disagreed with me as to
the course l thought best to pursue.
| have the utmost faith and confidence in his
| competency and ability. and 1 will take
this occasion to say that firmly believe
had he been in charge Of the ball team
| from the beginning of the season that we
would today be in the first division.
II would not say one word in detraction Of
Mr.. Joyce's ability as ball player He
| never had a better friend in the business
than l have been. When 1 have been i'm
portuncd by patrons orally and through
written communications. to release him on
account of his bad work at third base I
have always stuck to him. No man ever
had better opportunity to make a record
for himself than he. He had absolute and
entire control of the team from the begin
nCr o: this season. The team started out
Under favorable auspices and occupied a
position In the race that. with proper man
agement. ought to have been maintained
The bad playing Of the team was first mani
Tested Upon our own grounds, and many
| rUmors reached me through responsible
parties OF bacchanalian revelries of Joyce
and some OF the players. These are facts
well known to all the newspaper boys Yet
they were denied by Joyce. and matters
were permitted to run along. Upon the sec
ORD western trip there came an awful
stump. There was no team work; twelve
and fifteen men were left on bases in MANY
games-no attempt being made in the III
rection OF scientific ball playing. The usual
Signs that inspire or promote team work
were ehtlrely dfsregarded or abandoned
| l was with the club for over a week and
satisfied myself that Joyce as a manager.
was % sad. dismal failure. 1 had given him
d. ioya, Goa,r support. employed all the players
ne desired. including OBrien, and yet his
work was going from bad to worse Dis
sension had cor:e II to the club. The har-
mony that had existed for many seasons
was gone and the alternative was forced
upon me to make a change or stand by and
see the hard work of several years 20 for
haugnt Therefore l sought and obtained
deal with the New York club who needed
Just such a scrappy ball player as Joyce
receiving iE exchange Charley Farrell and
Flynn and a cash consideration of s., 800
Every magnate and ball player in the
| league will tell you that this deal was in
| the interest Of the Washington club.
| Charley Farrell is well known to the Wash
| irgton fans. He IS young man in the
| flush and prime Of his usefulness; can play
| any position and play it well.
In speaking of this deal a well-known
| and successful manager said to me: You
| sold-bricked Freedman outrageously.'
:! spc1k of this merely to show the pre-
vailing opinion Of those who are competent
tn judge Of such matters. I have no ex-
! cuses to offer for that deal. and would
| make It again tomorrow, even with all the
| criticism that has been directed against
| me
| 'As have said. the public has a perfect
right TO approve or condemn my action in
the game prompts them to speak out in
meeting Yet know the people Of Wash
| ington well enough to believe that they
would not denounce my action in unjust
| terms were they thoroughly acquainted
| with all the facts and circumstances con-
nected herewith. and I would be pleased
| al any time to give any Of our patrons my
side OF the argument who feel enough in
| terest In the matter to call upon me-
| Handle apped, as he has been, In taking
| charge OF club wholly demoralized, l am
| cenndent that Mr.. Schmelz will soon have
| them again on their feet. During the last
| three games the team has played better
| ana more scientific ball than at any time
| during the season. Thus believing, I will
pursue the even tenor of my way. with an
the appreciation of the public"