Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-02-20
Sensations Of the Base Bali World
During the Week.
REPORTED RUPTURE OF fHE CLUBS
Where Some Of the Washington
Players WiuFGo This Year.
CURRENT NOTES oFTHE GAME

ball world during the past week one of a
mild form, the other startling, as it has all
the ear marks of being Inspired The first
was the RusfeTaylor-Cl deal and
the second the reported rupture in the
membership of the big league. Notwith-
standing the denials of all parties interest
ed the deal for the above-named players
looks to be such good thing for the
parties concerned that the story can be
taken as being very probable Philadelphia
can spare Jack Taylor and Catcher Glenn
ents. as the club has several very good
catchers, while New York is getting rid of
a white elephant and securing what she
needs badly-a first-class catcher. The
Quaker city club has always been weak in
the box, be it real or imaginary. and an
addition like Amos Rusie would put 1t in
the front rank for trophy honors. Rusie
will never again play with New York, and
II deal is made for the great pitcher.
freedman will have to travel many miles
10 secure as good return is offered by
the Philadelphia management
In the matter of the reported rupture he
tween the big five and little seyen'' as
given out by New York paper last We'd
nesday, there can be no doubt that the old
feeling between the league and ASSOCIATE ton
clubs is again coming to the top The as
ISOLATION members of the league favor
cheaper base ball and Sunday games. while
the leagues original members pose as the
opponents of these two ideas The chg
five made bad break at the last meeting
of the league in threatening to withdraw
from the twelve-club organization and the
calling of its bluff is what has created
all the bad feeling. The old association
members are head and shoulders above the
big five" when it comes to diploma tic base
ball maneuvering. and by little hustling
they secured assurances from moneyed
people in every city of the big fiye'' that
w0n16 ha i, oit;n
Just as soon as the present membership
was dissolved. This prompt action brought
the Philadelphia, New York, Boston, PITTS
burg and Chicago magnates to their senses
the fighting feeling still exists and the
mouthpieces of the big five" have con-
tinued to harp on the fact that unless the
clubs from these five cities are treated
more than fairly in the matter Of schedule
dates big rumpus will occur at the Bal
timore meeting next week.
From a Washington outlook-and a
prominent local base ball man can be
quoted. if necessary-the big five" will swal-
low their little dose as usual next week.
and everything will be serene. Sand is an
unknown quantity with them when their
wallets are threatened, and they have
holy horror of a base ball war, with it's
consequent increase in salaries for the
players. 1t seems almost humorous when
the situation is sized up in a business
fashion. Here are twelve clubs that con-
d,
control dictate all the plans in connection
with the national game. 1t is a base ball
trust, pure and simple. and through the
combination clubs are enabled to make
each season all the way from 10 to 50 per
cent on the money invested. Take the
Washington club as sq example 1t is con-
coded that the CLUB cEsared $4,000 last sea-
son; and at valuatiog of 100000 this is a
cleared nearly s7s.0oa: the New. ,Yorks,
$4,000: the Phladelphias,4 SAC, 800; the Ros-
tons. about $45,1OD: Pftsburg, 100, and
Chicago, fully $5sOnfl Could these clubs
do nearly as well II the combine did not
exist? Emphatically. no. The weaker
clubs may not draw as we'll as the stronger
clubs, but they are as necessary as their
better fixed companions. and act as guard
against ruinous competition. Owning their
own grounds, matter that several prom
inent base ball adherents of the big five
have been harping on for months past
does not cut much Of figure in the base
ball world. A lease does just as well, and,
besides. not as much money is tied up
To put the whole matter in a nutshell. it
has come down to matter of burying per-
sonal feeling and greed and making the
best of situation. While % per cent may
not please the bigger clubs. they will
doubtless come to the conclusion that it is
better than losing that much, and a con-
cession to nearly all the demands put for
ward by the little seven will likely fol-
low at the coming Baltimore meeting. and
harmony will again reign for another sea-
son. 1t is hard to draw a singed cat near
fire, let alone into it,
Through the medium of the District
Amateur League fully half a hundred local
base ball players will graduate into pro-
fessional ranks the coming season. Three
or four seasons back when the Y NJ c. A.
and the Georgetown College teams furnish
ed about all the amateur base ball in this
city, 1t was rarity to see the name of a
washington player among the professional
clubs. Today there are Dozen and in the
eastern. Western and Atlantic leagues
their playing has been of the most sensa-
tfonal kind. Every one is a conner ami
within the next year or two Washington
Will be claiming as many professional play
ers as Philadelphia or Cincinnati. The
southern and Virginia leagues are respon-
sible In great way for the advancement
OF the local players. and through Ted"
sullivan and the Texas League in 1885 sew
eral Of the local boys were pushed to the
front. The coming season will see focks
OF the Boys from Washington going into
the ranks of professionals. the Virginia
ana Southern leagues, as usual, catching
the greater part of the graft. The Roanoke
club will have Morrison, Nugent, Sullivan
0asM