Evening star., 1899-02-08
IN THE BASE BALL WORLD.
Indications Point to a Continuation
of the Twelve Club Circuit

The transferring of the Cleveland club to
St. Louis and the Baltimore players to
Brooklyn has been looked upon as almost
positive evidence that the National League
circuit would be reduced to ten clubs the
coming season, and that perhaps two more
cities would be dropped next year, rounding
out the ideal combination of eight clubs.
The latest story to dispel this idea comes
from Cincinnati, and it has all the ear
marks of being true, the clinching docu-
ment being players contract. The article
reads as follows:
Evidence was procured Monday that
among the gentlemen who are Interested in
the Cleveland and st. Louis clubs all ar
rangements have been completed for the
transfer of the Cleveland players to St
Louis and the st. Louis players to CIeve-
land In TACT, the evidence seems to indi-
cate that the transfer has been made and
that the controllers of the new Cleveland
club are at liberty to sign players now on
the reserve list of the ST. Louis club
This conclusion is reached on the strength
OF blank contract received by Bill Hill
the eX-Red pitcher, from the Cleveland
cluh, and GAZING Tor his services in CIeve-
land in 1899. Hill, it will be remembered,
was traded to ST. Louis last fall Jack Tay-
lor and $1,000 also figuring in the deal
nm tnen became the property of the St
LOUIS club. The fact that the Cleveland
ciuo SehGs MIN contract is the best eyi-
dence possible that he has been transferred
10 the team that will represent Cleveland
next season. -'
1t is further proof that the CleveIand
team viii be in St. Louis next season for
Hill says no individual deal has been made
10 transfer him to the forest city Hill is
the only member of the Browns who resides
in Cincinnati He feels certain, however
that other members of the St. Louis team
have been similarly petitioned and thar
Cleveland will have very near a taiI-end
team next season. This deal also makes il
almost a certainty that Lave Cross will be
secured by the Cincinnatis for next season
The final arrangements of the Baltimore
Brooklyn consolidation, which it was
thought would be completed yesterday af-
ternoon in New York, were again blocked
through the fault of the Byrne estate 1t
was given our last night that when Charles
Byrne arrived at the appointed meeting
place he discovered that he was short sew
sfai OF the stock certificates that he was
10 turn over TO Messrs. Abel, Hanlon and
Won Der Horst for $4,000 cash The loss
of these certificates of course stouped ne
gotiations for the time being but another
meeting was arranged for today 1t is in
tlmat4d by those on the inside of the deal
that MI Byrne is either making another
endeaFor TO get more money for his stock
or mat other magnates interested in the
New York club are influencing his actions
A correspondent of the Baltimore Sun tele-
graphs from New York that the deal is as
laDie TO fall through today as IL is to reach
a successful conclusion.
Chris Won oer Ahe's appeal for new
trial, made yesterday in ST Louis was
oyerruled, and the club will be sold March
Ia TO satisfy the demands Of the first mort
gage bondholders.
Inc suit for divorce brought by Mrs.
Amos Rusie against the celebrated base
ball player has been called off, reconcilia-