Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-08
FOOD FOR THE FANS
Base Ball Happenings During the
Past Week.
ROWDY QUESTION AGAIN TO TIE FORE
President Brush's Resolution Criti-
cised and Proper Course to Pursue.
MINOR NEWS AND MENTION

The notable occurrences in base ball cir
| cles during the past week have been the
| death of President Charles Byrne CT the
Brooklyn club; the reported sale of the
| st. Louis club and the arrival of the anx-
| iously looked for letter from Jack Doyle.
There is no gainsaying the fact that in
| the death of Charley" Byrne the league
has lost a pillar that will be hard to re-
place. He had one of the happiest DISPOSE
| tons and faculty of remembering faces
! that made everybody his friend. His early
education and study of law made him
power among the magnates, majority of
| whom belong to the self-made class. and
outside of Brush of the Cincinnatis and
Rogers of the Philadelphias, his ability in
handling all the intricate questions in base
ball law stood out like the full moon in
clear sky. While the two magnates men
toned may have been Byrne's equal in
learning, the fact that the Brooklyn gentle
man paid particular attention to base ball
in all its phases lifted him over the heads
of the entire body, when it came down to
legislation that benefited the game the
group of magnates to whom he was allied.
As to remembering faces, the writer re-
members an instance wherein he was in
troduced to Mr.. Byrne the first time, and
did not again see him until an entire year
had rolled around. Being on a lookout for
base ball news Mr.. Byrne was approached,
but before question was put the Brook
Ign man recalled the Introduction of a year
before in every detail. Such small matters
are what make little men great, to use
familiar quotation, but in this case Mr..
Byrne was only small in stature not In in
telect Base ball will go on as usual no
doubt, but it will be a long time before
another Charley" Byrne is found to light
en- up the regular meetings or push forward
the national game with such gigantic
strides.
The reports that are flying over the coun-
try concerning the deal that is on.for the
st. Louis franchise would indicate that
more is known of the transaction outside
of the mound city than around the hearth
stone Of Christopher Won der Abe. Specials
from Cincinnati, Cleveland and Chicago
have positively stated that either the Brush
or Sphinx syndicate had secured the fran
chise, while kilograms from St. Louis UP to
the present time just emphatically say
that the deal has not yet been complet-
ed. Base ball life can very readily be lik-
cned TO experiences on the stage. Once an
actor always an actor, and once a base
ball magnate always a magnate, especially
IT at any time the aforesaid magnate has
made money in the business Won der Abe
owes something like $4,000, and must
meet this obligation on the 18th of this
month, and it is only through being pushed
to the wall that he has concluded to sell
his holdings. The st. Louis magnate
knows full well that he will drop out of
sight and be heard of no more, and, al
though what has appeared in print about
him has been for the most part ridiculous.
Chris no doubt believes it to be better to
be spoken of In this way than not at all.
He knows the chances of base ball and the
big money in a successful team and should
he be able to tide over the present difficult
ties he would probably come back into the
game with a rush. But there is no ques-
ton that the game would be benefited with
the present owner of the club out of the
way. Should the Brush people gather in
the reins Of ownership base ball will take
on strong BOOM but with the Sphinx syn
dicate in control the boom would be SIM
ply tremendous, as it is made up entirely
OF st. Louis people. Looking at the situa-
t1cn from an eastern standpoint, the game
in ST. Louis seems TO be on the verge of
resurrection no matter who secures control.
and for this reason 1t is to be hoped that
the negotiations now under way will final
ly be pulled through successfully.
What interests the Washington enthusi-
astS the most is the fact that Jack Doyle
has written a CHEEKY letter to Magnate
Earl Wagner, in which he speaks very IA
also lauds Captain Browns ability as
ball player and leader and recalls the fact
that he and Brown have been close friends
for years. With these two players pulling
together. how can they beat us? About the
only objections offered by the dubious ones
to the late deal that landed Doyle in Wash
ington was that friction would undoubted-
ly result between the two mentioned play-
ers. Brown has had his say long ago. and
now Doyle has spoken. Over a year ago
Doyle expressed a desire to come to Wash
lngton, and in the early part of last season
the writer heard Captain Brown saw in Mr.
Wagner's office: "Just suppose for a min
ute that We can secure Jack Doyle. With
him on first our position in the first division
would be guaranteed" and the team at that
time had not the strength of the present
makeup of the Washington Blues" With
these two facts in view, the captain desir-
ing the player. and the latter making the
hrst move for the transfer, it would seem
as though the dubious ones should rest as
sured Of complete harmony.
Manager Tom Brown was an interested
spectator at the W.L.I-Yale basket ball
In the Sporting Life. Between innings the
f1eet-footed chief of the Senators found
time to give his views on few matters of
current interest. You can place me among
scheme said Brown. TT goes too far
and In certain contingencies gives the play-
er no chance at all. The blacklist should be
the penalty only for the greatest crime on
the ball feld-crookedness.
Now, i know. and every one connected
with the game knows, that the filming of
players Is big failure. l believe the
league could settle all the trouble by pro-
V1ding a law applying to various offenses
on the diamond and let the penalties range
from three to ninety-days' suspensions
without pay. Make the punishment fit the
crime, as 1t were. For instance if a PLAYER
| use vulgar language to the audience or
strike an umpire, make either one a max
imum ofense, punishable with ninety days
Allow the umpire the power of imposing
suspension up to a certain number of days
and neutral board sit in Judgment on the
more serious offenses.
You think the managers would nav the
salaries OF suspended players? Not much
A lew might stand it a little while, but
suppose 1 were put out of the game for
hve days, Doyle for five days and Mercer
Tor ten, how long do you think Wagner
would stand for 1t? And that is the Way
you have to look at 1t II genuine reform In
latter-day base ball methods is desired"
After sitting the pros and cons of the
case the general base ball public has about
come to the conclusion that 1t will be ex-
Capt. Arson after the Chicago club stock
holders meet few weeks hence Tom
Burns, the ex-Chicago third baseman and
late manager Of the Springfield club of the
Eastern League. Is slated for the place, and
recently wrote to John C. Chapman, the
old league manager, and last year manager
OF the Meriden club. asking him If he would
take charge of the Springfields. Burns did
not say that he was going to Chicago but
admitted that he would not be at the old
stand and that he wanted a good man to
look after his interests in the Eastern
League. While Burns has not admitted his
| call to Chicago, President Hart of the