Evening star., 1897-04-10
IN SPORTING CIRCLES
Continued freA Eighth Page.)

man % on the team wish a' the he faao bat 4 In any as
Brown figured in the Shugart deal, and
went to St. Louis, hft being high-priced
In the latter part offthat season Earl Wae-
ner, with his usual shrewdness gobbled up
Brown, and he has-be a regular player
on the team ever since. and 1t is to be
hoped that the years left to him in base
ball will be spent in this city. AS a base
runner Brown canrbe Chased with the
best; he is in the SHINE class as a fielder
and although not cHssed as a slugger he
mark. AS heady player he need not take
the dust of any man wearing a National
League uniform.
AS soon as President Mckinley returns
from his trip down the Potomac on thu,
Dolphin, Messrs. Earl Wagner President
Young. Manager Schmelz and Secretary
Robb will wait on and tender him an
elaborate invitation to the games at Ma
tional Park the coming season. The invi-
ton was gotten up by J. w. Swank a local
penman of reputation, and is so artistically
done that 1t is a hard matter to tell the
Mckinley Is known to be a lover of the
national game, and for this reason the
Presidents box" was built to the right of
the press box, and whether 1t is used or
not will always be in readiness for the
distinguished gentleman at the White
House. From recent exhibitions of inde-
pendence given by President Mckinley it
would not be surprising to see many an
afternoon given up to the national sport.
and with such a mascot it would be the
case for the Senators to say, How can we
lose?"
The season of 1897 takes the Washing
ton club out of the ranks of cheap clubs,
or even medium priced clubs. Place the
regular team in the field and Mr.. Wagner
says he is willing to wager a good round
he l.
timore-has a higher priced set of men.
When Mr.. Wagner first came to the city
he had a $4,000 salary list on his hands
and lost money. The following season
most an entire new team appeared at Ma
tional Park, the salary list dropping down
to $4,000. In 1894 the list went up to s25,
600. In '95 it had reached $4,000, and in
'96 1t again went upward in the neighbor-
hood Of $37. 600 AS all the players at the
close of last season were given raise in
salary 1t Is not a hard guess to place the
sum total for this season. Mr.. Wagner has
always gone on the plan that it is better to
pay man what he wants and get good
returns from him, than to have him dis
contented and do poor work. Whenever
a player is dissatisfied with Mr.. Wagner
all he has to do is to let the magnate know
the fact. and he will have little trouble
getting away from the club. When Charley
Farrell came here from New York he
was bubbling over with indignation at
Freedman, and what happy boy he was
to be once more back among the Sena-
tors.
Mr.. Wagner handed him the contract to
lead, but all Charley asked for was pen
and ink, and inside minute his name went
down the document Farrell was eau
toned about reading the contract. but all
he said was. You know what l want and
/ know what you want, SO that settles it,"
and it is cinch guess that the popular
catcher got all he wanted. This incident
illustrates the difference between the mag
mates in handling the players under them.
Earl Wagner and 3ApL Maui have had sew
eral confidential tnksC since the smiling
pitcher has come to,iown, but no contract
has been signed as yetlf and the chances are
none will be until the league season is about
six weeks or two months advanced. Maui
does not like the contract offered him. and
as Mr.. Wagner trpsisi, him for. two sea-
sons he believes thts ltrust should be ex-
tended to three, as NE believes he can pitch
as good ball as ever and will thus return
the kindness shown him. If Maui goes
back in his work he can easily be laid off
without pay. and under these conditions no
doubt a contract similar to the one signed
by the other players will be rendered him
after the season has opened and he has
demonstrated that he Us still able to pitch
good ball.