Evening star., 1899-11-08
DR. OPPED OR SOLD
Washington Unlikely to Remain in
the League.
WILL GET RID OF -FOUR CLUBS
Games of Interest on the Grid
iron.
Gu URRENT SPORTING NOTES

The New York World says that, dis
mayed by the entirely unexpected strength
developed by the new Aemrican Base Ball
Association. the magnates of the National
League are hustling to head off the young
and sturdy organization.
a secret meeting of the officials Of the
National League will be held in New York
at early date. There in the
city, stopping at as many different hotels.
Magnates Brush of Cincinnati, Robson of
st. Louis and Cleveland, Wagner of Wash
ington, Dreyfuss of Louisville and Won der
Horst of Brooklyn and Baltimore.
Hanlon and Abel of the Brooklyn club
and President Freedman of the New York
club are in close touch with the visiting
magnates. and have had many consuta-
tions with them.
The National League officials do not want
1t to appear that they are frightened at the
strong showing made by the new league
and are consequently keeping under cover
but 1t is a fact that they realize that some
thing must be done at once to squeich the
new scheme.
That the officials of the old league desire
a reduction to an eight-cub circuit Is well
known. and 1t can be stated with authority
that the present secret meeting will result
in that most important and sensational
change
Baltimore. Washington, Cleveland and
Louisville will be dropped out or bought
off. This. it is thought, will leave the old
league clear field in the cities they DESIRE
and it is also expected will head off the am
bilious new association, which hopes to To-
cate in New York, Philadelphia, st. Louis
and Chicago.
These strong cities will not be given I'D
without a fight, and a strong one by the
American Association.
Conference Last Night.
From the New York Sun
A secret meeting of a number of National
League base ball magnates was held in this
city last night. There were present John T.
Brush of Cincinnati, j. Earl Wagner of
Washington, Barney Dreyfus of Louisville,
Frank De Hass Robson of ST. Louis and
Andrew Freedman of the New York club.
1t was also stated that other magnates
would be here today. The cause of this
conference is reported to be the action of
the new American Association in picking
out a circuit composed of six of the
Leagues best cities.
DreyfuS came to town with the informa-
tion that he could buy the Pittsburg club
and in that way make it an easier matter
to reduce the twelve-club circuit to one of
eight cities. The most significant part of
this meeting was the absence of the Brook
lyn and Baltimore clubs. 1t is said on the
best of authority that a scheme has been
Matched by which Brooklyn and Baltimore
may be forced into association. The
league men confident that if they can
bring such thing about the recently
ganiZed American Association may be in
duced to come in some sort of a settle
ment
The statement that the new organization
has secured ample backing for the new club
TO be placed in this city, and that the prin-
cipal stockholders in it will be Tom John
son and AL. Johnson, the railroad owners,
has stirred 4he league magnates up more
than they care to admit. They realize that
if d rival club is started in New York with
such men behind it, and with Dry Dollar
Sullivan also interested, it is liable to great
ly njure the New York League club, be-
cause of its unpopularity. Word was taken
to the league men last night that the John
sons had received assurance that If they
put their money into a New York Associa-
ton club they could get the services of
promptly sign; Rusie, Seymour, Doheny,
Davis, Gleason, Warner, Doyle and Carrick,
all New York favorites. Al. Johnson has
grudge against the league, which he has
been longing to settle since the brotherhood
year. He is said to have told the promoters
of the new association that he is with the
movement, providing the other clubs can
show him that they have ample backing to
go with the fight.
While the league men schemng
among themselves harmony does not pre-
vail in their ranks. They are more worried
about the new association than the public
has any idea of. AT first they laughed at
it, but now they are trying TO head off the
movement in some such way as they stop
ped the plan for a rival association three
years ago when they black-lsted William
Barnie and Fred Pfeffer. The association
magnates have not gone home. They are
all in the east, bolstering up the cities they
wish to take into their circuit. They have
an option Charles River Park Boston,
and also have secured an option, which was
signed yesterday, upon a large plot of
ground across the Harlem river, which they
intend to turn into a new ball park.