Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-21
EBBETS OR BYRNE
Each Denies That He is Blocking the
Base Ball Deal.
WHAT HANLON HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT
Meeting of Wheelmen Opposed to
the Proposed Tax.
CURRENT SPORTING NEWS

The state of the Baltimore Brooklyn deal
remains unchanged. The story published
in The Star last evening to the effect that
Mr. Ebbets was blocking the deal on ac-
count CT jealousy. the Brooklyn man not
caring to play second fiddle to Mr.. Hanlon,
was denied last night by the former and
he in turn places the blame upon the heirs
of the late Charles Byrne. The heirs in
turn also deny that they are to blame
while Messrs. Hanlon and Abel persist in
their statements that the progression of
the consolidation is blocked by the minority
stockholders in Brooklyn. AS the case
stands at present Mr.. Ahell owns seventy
shares of stock in the Brooklyn club: MIR.
Ebbets twenty and the Byrne estate ten.
The New York papers are divided as to
who is blocking the DEAL one of them say
ing that young Mr. Byrne was asked to
place price on his ten shares but that
ne refused. Another paper has an inter-
view with Manager HanIon that is very
slshlhcant, and would seem to bear out
the statement that both MIR. Ebbets and
the Byrne estate are blocking the con-
sohdauon. In this interview Mr.. Hanlon
says:
If Ebbets or Byrne is not blocking the
consolidation why do not both of them
come forward and tell Abel what they are
willing to do. If the deal is not made in
two or three days the public will know all
the facts in the case and just who is to
blame for the failure of the conSolidat ton"
President Hart of the Chicago club has
decided views about selling players, and in
a recent interview gave voice to sentiments
that will be Endorsed by the majority of
base ball enthusiasts in Washington Mr.
Hart said: 'All this talk about the Chicago
club having players to sell is idle chatter
We are not selling players, and never will
as long as l am connected with the club
10 my mind it is poor policy. A club al
ways loses in the long run. Washington
and ST. Louis are practical illustrations of
the folly of selling star players. Both Wag-
her and Won der Abe undoubtedly pocketed
thousands OF dollars in selling the releases
OF their best men, but it was only a tenn
porary profit. Their teams usually finish
at the tail end of the procession and we
all know that a losing ball team cannot
draw paying crowds. 1t takes time money
and a deal of judgment to build I'D first
division team The manager must be al
ways on the watch for better material. Ii
he has eight stars he must discover the
ninth one, for we all know that one weak
spot in a team is fatal"
Manager Tom Burns of the Chicago base
ball team left Springfield, Mass, for New
York last night to meet Hanlon of Balti-
more. who telegraphed him that he had
an important matter for conference. Burns
said he had no idea what Hanlon wanted,
but it is thought he plans trade or the
purchase of Dahlen or Lange, or both.
Hanlon is known to want both these men,
and is believed to have an offer to make
Burns
In the matter of the st. Louis club mud
die, Mr.. Brush has made up his mind as to
who will win the case and his name is not
Chris Won der Abe. If the court is of the
same mind as Mr.. Brush the Cleveland team
will make ST. Louis its home next season,
and Muckenfuss will have a nice, fat job.
If the court is of a different mind Mr.
Brush will have to guess again.
1t was reported that Tom Burns, man.
ager of the Chicagos. had a conference
yesterday with Andrew Freedman, presi-
dent of the New York club, and tried to
make some deal whereby he can get Davis
and Gleason in exchange for Dah1en and
Lange. Both Burns and President Freed
man refused to talk on the matter.
The New York base ball team will prob
ably train in the south the coming season.
John b. Day, manager of the Giants, will
leave New York for Charleston, s. c. to-
day to look the ground over and see If
suitable arrangements can be made for his
players to do their preliminary spring train
ing there.
Arlie Latham has caught on. Arthur Ir-
win met him in New York at the Mccoy
Sharkey fight and signed the dude to play
first base for the Torontos. Lath will prob
ably act as captain of the team.
Captain Ewing announced yesterday that
Smith. Setback and Miller will be the Gin
cinratis regular Outfielders this year. Nc
Bride will be utility man. No effort Will
be made to secure Mcclure to succeed Beck
ley at first.