The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-07
WHEN THE WESTERN LEAGUE
MAGNATES GATHER TOMORROW
AT DETROIT.
VAN DERBECK IS GRUMBLING.
HE SAYS HE HAS NOT RFEN FAIRLY
TREATED BY HIS CON-
FRERES.
Which He VIII Tell to the Meeting,
or to the Police if Need
Be.

Detroit is sore, judging from the fol-
lowing in the Detroit Free Press:
| Whether the schedule will call for
seven or eight club league is not known
but if the rate of disintegration keeps
up the way it has in the last week De-
troit may as we'll be left out, for there
will not be any players left to repre-
sent this city in the contests of the
year. Three men gone in two weeks
and all of them desirable ones, leave
the club in a bad way temporarily
and force the owner of the team to take
upon himself hustle for talent. Both
Mr.. Van Derbeck and Mr.. Manning
have prepared schedules for the sea-
son, and they scarcely agree on any
one thing. Mr.. Saulspaugh has not
been heard from, but he is thought t.
have one up his sleeve, and if he has
he may secure the adoption. of it, on
account of the differences between Van
Derbeck and Manning The ideas of
the schedule prepared here are good
ones. and call for a fair distribution
of plums with greatly shortened mile
age
While the local niagnate has been
working on the schedule and other
matters the national board has been,
preparing to witness Herr Van Derbeck
shoot the chutes. They gave him a
push on Friday, and he slowed up, shy
two men,. Nicol was awarded to Mil
waukee and Fisher to Mobile. which
means that Tom Lotus, will have that
catcher's services if he wants them.
The Nicol decision was rot unexpected,
nor was it unjust. Niccl should never
have been drafted by Philadelphia
from Milwaukee for Detroit, and the
Free Press said so at the time, adding
that a large=SlZed row would ensue
if such tactics were allowed in this
league. The action of the board was
all right in intent, but it happened to
be one of those cases in which man
was tried and found guilty without
being allowed to defend himself
Whether defense would have cut any
figure is another matter, but it would
have afforded Mr.. Van Derbeck more
or less satisfaction in showing up some
: of Mr.. Reach's letters and proving that
the draft was made without Detroit
asking for it, and that it was a part
of the deal by which Philadelphia Sc
cured Fifield and Gillen Being a part
OF this transaction Mr.. Van Derbeck
claims that Philadelphia has no real
right to hold the star pitcher and third
haseman, through inability to deliver
the goods in return for their services
But then it would avail nothing to
bring this up, as the board would never
mr. IaY~ h.
The NicCl case has established
precedent which should be followed by
the league as a body. The manner in
which Chicago peddles out players -
clubs in this league should be siftel
to the bottom, and the men should be
sold outright and not farmed to one
club one year and to another the next
The meeting is to be held tomorrow
Vanderbeck may think he has cause
to be sore, but his grievances are small
beside those of Comiskey, in which he,
the aforesaid Van, is one Of the chief
offenders. COmmy last year found q
rev boy named Hahn, a Southern
Lacquer, who, he thought. was good
one, but who happened at that time to
be unable to work here. Comiskey
lad him as good as signed. when VAN
derbeck stepped in and nabbed him.
and Nick Young stood for it, Their
'Commy" thought he would like Newt
Fisher, who bod been doing some ex-
ceedingly grand stand back stop work
down Mobile" but this time Tom
Lotus cut in, drew a card or two, and
Young this time said Columbus had
the best hand. 1t looks as though Tn
Gle Nick had forgotten that there was
such a place as st. Paul on the man
Buy a new map, Nick.
The death Of Dave Foutz, following
so closely as it does the demise of the
old time pitcher, Charley Radbourne
reminds the fans that hale and hearty
as they appear, ball players are not
exempt from the ills which mortal
flesh is heir to- Foutz was apparently
in the prime of life, robust, hale and
hearty, and his plans for the coming
year were, no doubt, as roseate a.
those of the best that remain But
insidious disease had gained its way
to his life center, and he did not live
TO see the season open. 1t is a sim
gular fact, but true, that more than
one ball player of wide fame could
be named whose fight against a pulmo-
nary affection is futile as it may be.
IS prolonged by his vigorous summer
training, only for a resumption Of the
sapping of life during the restful days
of winter.
The finding of Foutz was one Of the
proudest feathers in COmiskey's cap
A king of pitchers, he was shrewd
enough, when his arm declined, 10
adapt himself to the eXigencies Of the
initial bag, where he remained scarce
ly less a popular idol than in the days
of his triumphs in the box. He viii
be missed, not only in Brooklyn. but