Kansas City journal., 1898-01-13
BASEBALL CHANGES.
SEASON OF 1898 PROMISES TO BE A
MEMORABLE ONE.
CHANGES IN BOTH LEAGUES.
DIES MONIES SAID TO HAVE SECURED
EIGHTH FRANCHISE.
ChatteI Deed of Trust for the st. Louis
Browns Filed Yesterday-Club
VIII Be Sold to Pay Cred
itors-New Managers in
Western League.

It's going to be a memorable year IN
baseball circles. Changes in ownership
management and players will be more IRE
quent than in any one season. Ihe nfst
move was made when Gus Schmelz sew
cred his connection with the Washington
club TO assume the management of the
Minneapolis team. He will have NUMBER
Of new faces in the club and some that
are familiar notably Perry Werden and
Count" Campau. "Doggie" Miller has
been deposed as captain and Campau Will
succeed him. W. H. Watkins has gone
from indianapolis 10 the National League
and Robert Allen, formerly OF Detroit ana
later substitute shortstop for Boston. mas
succeeded him. There will be numerous
changes in the makeup of the indianapolis
team. Columbus. st. Paul and Kansas
City will all present new faces for the
fans to become familiar with, while the
eighth club-to succeed Grand Rapids-will
probably present an eQttre new front. II
looks now as though Des Moines would
be the eighth city in the league:
ern League. was in Chicago yesterday and
made the statement that the troublesome
matter of the undisposed of franchise is
at length settled. The papers have been
signed and ali the preiiminaries to the
sale have been transacted. All that now
remains to make tho deal complete is the
payment OF tne money. When asked VINO
the purchaser was and what city would
get the franchise, Mr.. Johnson declined to
give any answer, although he said that IS
soon as a payment had been made he
would take the public into his confidence
Il will say this much, though said
Mr.. Johnson. the franchise will not come
to sI,S Chicago; he, neither will the Grand Rapids
A dispatch from Des Moines says the
franchise has been sold to that city for
one year.
The National League will also be charac-
terized by many changer. In Pittsburg,
President w. w. Kerr has given way to
w. h; watkins, once manager of the IA
days; who has achieved no little fame by
his handling of the Indianapolis club Of
the Western League.
Charles H. Ebbetts at it's head. young
man who has been connected with baseball
ior many years. and is well up in all de-
part, gar,mehts ,ha, o., Of The game There is little
change of ownership of the St. Louis club
VIII be made public. and 1t will be disap-
pointing to many if it is not announced
vile has made change in its directory.
DR.. Stucky taking the vice presidency and
Mr.. Dehler the secretary -treasurership. in
Probably no clubs will make fewer
changes in their personnel than Boston,
Chicago. New York and Cleveland. The
regular Boston champion team Of 1897 will
be intact. The new manager of the Chi
cago club will find a remarkably strong
organization to handle. Chicago was weak
In the box last season, and will undoubt-
The Cleveland and New York clubs. too,
VIII be very much the same as they were
last season Baltimore will be stronger
bly, stronger than 1t was last season and
many book 1t for a place in the first divis-
ion- Brooklyn will undergo a thorough re-
NJ ref,f1 tfrx, u
changes that will be of advantage Both
Cincinnati and Pfttsburg will have teams
capable OF making far better showing
than was the case last season. Philadelphia
Will have big company of men from
which to choose team and 1t is hard
telling what sort Of a combination will be
evolved from that array. With new hand
ling, st. Louis ought TO make a good show
ing, as 1t has the nucleus of a strong team.
The magnates continue to rack their
brains 10 evolve rules that will prevent
next season. Ii is strange that they 20
= SO much trouble. Here is President
Brush. of the Cincinnati club. trying to
ers specimens of the language used by
players on the baseball field last season.
This effort may meet with some response.
lut IT was useless trouble. as it is easy to
imagine the sort of language umpires have
to encounter on the field.
Umpires cannot check this trouble If the
owners ana managers of the clubs will not
help them. As soon as the umpires see
that the owners and managers are interest
OF improper language and unbecoming con-
duct, these officials can be depended upon
TO cooperate in eliminating what have been
altogether too frequent accompaniments of
baseball games.
President Jim Hart, of the Chicago club,
says:
ty teams of Yale, Harvard and Princeton
On which depend probably more honor and
glory than battles between teams of pro-
fessionals. are never marred by wrang-
CLING. The players are sportsmen in every
sense of the word, and believe in taking
an umpdre,s ds;s,m word as law Il, In MANY of these
for the occasion have been poor and have
really cut large figures in the genera! re-
refrained from indulging in kicking, and
found practically little fault.
The reason for this surprising behavior.
when one considers the actions on league
fields is due to the fact that the rules are
Observed strictly, and the umpire Is per
nitted to be sole Judge of the play. Advo-
league officials will let the umpires alone
next season and the latter can suspend
with no appeal. there will be less trouble"
A dispatch from ST Louis says: A chattel
deed of trust on all the leases. franchises,
Sportsman's park and club was filed late
this afternoon to Chris Won Der Abe as
trustee Tor the dement, OF creditors, the
largest by far being Won Der Abe himself
The claims listed in classes from a
to - and the deed of trust prefers Mr..
Won Der Abe the first eight classes being
given up TO his claims. The claims pre-
terred 10 Mr.. Won Der Abe are all on notes
which. IL Is claimed. are due him from the
club. These aggregate about $4,000. The
remainder Of the claims against the club
are mostly held by ST. Louisans.
The deed is signed by p. S. Muckenfuss.
president. and J. w. Peckington, secretary.
and Chris Won Der Abe. trustee.
The deed relieves the Sportsman's park
and club from all further liability at law
and stops all proceedings.
The preamble of the deed says that the
mortgage was made in accordance with a
resolution adopted at meeting of the
board of directors.
Won Der Abe is authorized to take charge
of the assets and sell the property at pri-
Vate sale in six months. This levy was
made to-day on an execution issued by the
clerk of the circuit court returnable to
the October term. On the strength of this
execution. the sheriff announces that he
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