Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-10
THE FACTS ABOUT DOYLE
Earl Wagner Describes the Base Ball
Situation.
He Says Tint the Ex-OrioIe VIII Not
BE Allowed TO Go 10 Any
Other Club.

J. Earl Wagner, treasurer of the Wash
fngton base ball club. arrived in this city
this morning and will remain until tomor-
row night He says he simply ran over 10
see how things were progressing at Ma
tonal Park and to have a little talk with
Manager-Captain Brown. Mr.. Wagner has
arranged his affairs in Philadelphia so that
he will arrive in Washington next Thurs
day for the season.
An Evening Star reporter found Mr.
wagner at the park at noon today and
asked him point blank whether he couldn' I
give the local enthusiasts something def
mite as regards the signing of Jack Doyle
Mr.. Wagner replied as follows:
ihe situation is just this: l wrote to
Doyle before going to the ST. Louis meet
Ing Offering him the same terms that Bal
timore grarted him last season When |
returned from St Louis 1 found a very
nee letter from Doyle, thanking me FOR my
ofer, but saying that he had concluded not
10 play for year At the outside, he
might report about June l..
This is all / know Of the case. Now,
you can assure the Washington people that
Jack Doyle will play ball for me and he
satisfied or he VIII not play a; all. No
proposition, not the best piayer-if there
are any better than DoyIe-could induce
me TO let him go to any other club.
LAS you stated in The Star a few days
ago, Doyle really cost me s170oo. The
Bcstons offered me 5000 for McJames
the Cleveland club 5000 for DeMontrevile
ard the Brooklyn club, Just after their run
OF bad luck offered me $1,000 for McGanu
while he was playing with Toronto. Now
after l have taken all this trouble to Sc
cure such a player. do you think i am silly
enough to let him go?
With Jack Doyle on first and satisfied
the Senators are a first division team.
Without Doyle, such position Is reduced
to possibility. But, should 1t come down
10 cases, 1 have one or two men on my
team who can play first, and play IL In n
way that will surprise many people. In
1893 Billy Joyce made something like the
same bluff and lost a seasons salary. Ii
will BE- the same thing with Doyle unless he
plays with the Washington club.
''Will Tom manage and captain the
team"
Mr.. Wagner called Brown over to the
spot and said:
you last month when you signed the con-
tract: You will manage the club. play
center field as long as you can do as well
as last year. and also act as captain?
Capt. Brown said the words were the
same and that he was perfectly satisfied
with the outlook for next season, both
from a personal and the clubs standpoint
Should Brown fall down in any way in
his playing" continued Mr.. Wagner. and
be compelled to sit on the oen:l, then. if
Doyle is with us, he will captain the team.
and under those circumstances only. 1 have
the utmost confid ence in Brown, and be
lieve he will get the Iull linn. of good ball
out of the boys the coming season.
There is nothing ID compel Jack Doyle to
report to the Washington club before April
Is, but If he delays that long, Mr.. Wagner
says, he will have to be in hrst-class con-
dition or suffer a lay-off until he is fit to
play. Mr.. Wagner says he is sure Doyle
would get great reception down here from
the Washington people and be well salts
fled with all his surroundings.