The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-28
MAGNATES AND RUMORS
BASEBALL GOSSIP GIVEN BIG
BOOST BY 4 CONFERENCE HERE.
Proposition To Bring Cincinnati
indianapolis to Cleveland.

There were all sorts OF baseball rumors
afoat here yesterday owing TO the arrival
in the city of Frank De Hass Robson. own
er of the Cleveland club. his brother STAN
ley and James \. Hart. president of the
Chicago club. These men accompanied
John T. Brush home from Chicago, where
they held one of their famous secret ses-
sions Friday. They were closeted pretty
much all of yesterday in Mr.. Brush's pri-
vate office in the When building. When it
came to telling just what brought them
here the gentlemen were about as COM
municative as a well-preserved sphinx. on
general baseball topics they were not
averse TO expressing themselves freely.
1t has been published far and wide for
months that the Robisons are dissatisfied
with the situation at Cleveland. So are the
other League clubs for that matter, as the
city turns out such poor crowds as TO make
every series played in the Forest City an
Improbable one. 1t has also been known
for a long time that the Robisons want to
play Sunday games in Cleveland, and that
there is much the same sort of opposition
there as here. They have threatened TO
take the team away from Cleveland if not
allowed to play Sunday ball. and rumor has
placed the team in Buffalo. Detroit. Mil
NduhSc ana Indianapolis. milwaukee, mas
been a strong faVorite in these guessing
matches during the past few days. but In
dlanapolis will go TO the front over Sun
day because of the visit of the magnateS
and their inspection of the grounds here
yesterday.
1t is stated on the authority of one of
the visiting magnateS that the matter of
transferring the Cincinnati Club to Indi-
aHapolS was preached. This proposition
embraced the transfer of the Cleveland
champions TO Cincinnati and the transfer
OF WaIkln > w eStern League men to CleVe-
land. This would give indianapolis Ma
tional League ball. The magnate further
Il deal would ever materialize. Something
will be done in Cleveland, the visiting mag
League there prevent Sunday ball.
MAY BE THE RUSIE CASE.
The real reason of their presence here
may have nothing whatever TO do with this
threat to deprive Cleveland of it's fine team.
1t may be due to the fact that Messrs.
Brush, Hart n Frank Robson are the
Western members of the board of arbitra-
ton of the National League and that the
Rusie case must be attended TO within the
next week or so. The reserve rule is abso-
lutely necessary to the life and we'll being
of the national game. If the Rusie case is
allowed to go through the Federal Court
1t is almost certain that the reserve rule
will not stand. 1t will be to the Leagues
advantage TO have the Rusie case settled
out of court. A compromise is desirable,
and 1t is pretty nearly time one was being
effected. That the three members of the
board of arbitration may be Strengthening
out this RuSie tangle is not at all unlikely.
If the sudden determination of Messrs.
Hart and Robson to come here with Mr..
Brush to conclude the conference begun in
Chicago had in view any action with regard
TO the Rusie case, that fact is not known
to the ball twirler. He was sought by a
Journal reporter at his fathers place of
business on North State avenue last night.
RuSie said that he knew by accounts in the
Journal yesterday that the magnates were
here, but that neither of them had called
10 confer with him, nor with his attorney.
X. .. Hawkins. So. far as he knows there
have been no new developments in the con-
troversy between himself and President
Friedman, of the New York club. In the
event of a general change in the personnel
of the clubs in the National League, with
indianapolis occupying the place of some
other club in that aggregation, there might
be some condition created under which a
compromise might be made and Rusie
might become identified with the home
team, but he does not seem to hope for
such a termination of the long quarrel,
which has kept him idle for an entire sea-
son and seems likely to keep him out of
the arena for another year. The civil suit
he brought is pending on "A demurrer filed
by the New York club, which demurred TO
his complaint on the ground that the other
not made parties to his complaint. 1t is
not regarded as likely that the court will
sustain the demurrer, so that the real issues
are likely to be made up and the case tried
in the next few months, but meantime
Rusie has to remain idle He is chafng
SUNNY ~ uhueI II ehiofCeu luIenesS ana
would like TO go on the diamond this sum-
mer, if that were possible.
Rusie Is in pretty good condition. He is
four or five pounds heavier, but can soon
train down. He expects to begin practice
with the home team this week.
JOHNSON PASSES THROUGH.
President Ban Johnson, of the Western
League, passed through here yesterday
afternoon on his way from Chicago to Gin
cinnati. He was as curious as anybody to
know what the National League magnates
were here for, and said they had kept a
good many people in Chicago guessing Fri
day during their session there. Manager
Watkins had a talk with the president dur
ing the latter's twenty minutes stay at the
station. Watkins is anxious to have a
Western League umpire assigned to In
dianapolis for the exhibition games, and
Johnson will probably send Haskell. of
Peoria, here for that purpose. The other
three umpires who will start in when the
Western League season opens are March,
of Minneapolis, who is said to be all right,
Ebright, who managed the Cedar Rapids
team last season, and Manassau, the ex-
ball player, who was a failure as d Western
League umpire both in 1894 and 1895.
President Johnson says that the contracts
are coming in very rapidly and that most
of the clubs nave all their players signed.
He thinks the outlook fine for the Western
League this year. The Reach ball is to be
used as heretofore. While here yesterday
Johnson remarked in connection with talk
concerning the presence of the Robisons
and Hart that Indianapolis would make a
good National League city. He wants TO
be here for the opening game with Grand
Rapids April q. indianapolis, he said, had
the strongest team this season that has
yet represented the city in the Western
League.