Evening star., 1898-12-20
LATE BASE BALL TALK
Reported "Combine9 BY Balt more's
Big Four.
Kn0fTY PROBLEM IF0R MhGNATES
RI 81
New York |. A. WI Gives up
-
Racing.
y
CURRENT SPORTING NOTES

A conservative review of the business
| transacted at the meeting Of the National
League magnates in New York last week
will place that gathering on record as being
the most sensational ever held in the mat
ter of rumors and one of the most fruitless
in definite results. The awarding of the
pennant to the championship club; the in
dorsement of the Brush resolution; increas-
ing the powers of the board of discipline
the recognition of Receiver Muckenfuss of
the st. Louis club, and the settlement of
disputes between clubs as to the owner
ship of players, are about the sum total of
actual business transacted.
In the way of rainbow rumors the daily
papers furnished almost an endless chain
throughout the time of the meeting. After
Mr.. Muckenfuss had been recognized as he
should have been, as the courts of Missouri
were back of him. it looked like a settled
thing that the Cleveland club would be
transferred to st. Louis and Mr.. Robson
paced in charge of the mound city fran
chlse. Yet the ST. Louis situation is in as
bad a muddle as ever. Mr.. Won der Abe
has powerful backing and will fight for the
ownership of the Browns through the diff
ferent branches of the state courts. This
Will take time and until the question is
settled Mr.. Robson will have to remain in
Cleveland.
The Eight-Club League.
w men 1t was thOpSnt Inat the St Louis
question had been finally decided and Mr..
Robson taken care of, the new eight-club
idea came to the front with a rush and a
whirl. After a day and a nights discus
sion, from the tone of the New York pa
pers, it had been settled that four of the
weaker clubs would be thrown out and per-
hapS new circuit made up. This eight
club idea swept down the line for two or
three days and was apparently on the verge
of crystallizing, yet the situation is mud
died as ever. There can be no doubt that
the more wealthy magnateS desire an eight
club circuit, but according to law the mi
nority stockholders of the different clubs
will have to be reckoned with. From pres
ent Indications the agitation was apparent
ly put out as a ''feeler' for future opera :
tions, and it is more than probable that the
present twelve-club organization will strug-
gle through another season." There is d
slight possibility that the st. Louis mudde
may be Strengthened out, and in that case
Cleveland and Baltimore could drop out .
leaving but two clubs, Louisville and Wash
ington to be dealt with-rneXt year. Both
the Cleveland and Baltimore franchises can
be retained by the league as, whole, and
in case another organizations is formed the
present owners will be reimbursed by new
owners or be interested themselves in the
clubs that will represent those cities. The
magnateS who are handling the eight-cluD
idea know perfectly well that the Wagners
cannot be frozen out. -
The leagues experience with this shrewd
couple has taught it a lesson. The Wash
ington owners may not put out much mon
ey for players. but when it comes to ham
ding legal matters the cleyerest talent in
the way of lawyers is always secured The
legal controversy some years back, in which
Mr.. Choate the New Work lawyer, looked
after the Wagners' interests, is said to
have cost the league Ia the neighborhood
of $4,000 and also "a defeat Legal squab-
bles have always been distasteful to the
1a1cr nd ht-Pl nj q ocrI1a
be formed in the fiture 1t Is pretty sure
guess that it will be constructed along har-
monioUS lines.
Revolt of the Big FOur.
The other big sensation developed at the
New York meeting was the proposed trans
fer of the Baltimore club to Brooklyn. Yet
this sure thing transaction is apparently
tottering and is yet far from a successful
completion. Mr.. rVonderhorst the chief
stockholder of the Baltimore club, has not
signed the papers yet and before he does
will have to have a reckoning with the mi
nCrity stockholders, the law of Maryland
recognizing their rights better than any
other state in the Union. With the stock
! holders in harmony, another troublesome
| spot is discovered.
Yesterday cast-iron agreement was en-
tered into in Baltimore between the big
| four" Kelley, Keeler. Jennings and Nc
| Graw. whereby the quartet agree TO stand
t'Stt4Icl anu iiot pay III 1oiOhhiy1i
! they receive an increase in salary and 10
| per cent of the protits Of the club. With
| these four players out of the transfer the
Bridegrooms would look like thirty cents"
| to use popular phrase.
| knOtty Problem.
Mr.. John T. Brush, president of the Gin
| cinnati club; Frank De Hass Robson of
| Cleveland and James Hart of Chicago make
| a strong trio when base ball legislation is
| taken into consideration but these gentle
| men have problem before them that will
| tax all their capabilities to the utmost.
| Base ball is conducted on too slovenly and
| loose lines for successful base ball owners
| to override unsuccessful ones, and unless
| the magnates that will govern the eight
| clubs in the contemplated new circuit are
| willing to put up something like 100000
| the chances are strong that the present
| twelve-club organization will remain intact
| until 1901, and perhaps longer 1t had been
| predicted for weeks ahead that the New
| York meeting would be of the greatest I'M
| portance, and 1t would have been had all
| the schemes that cropped out been put
| lfrh md Low 'f,,aI i,,fn fDo hIlt pt