The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-09
SPORTING NEWS.
Magnates Expect to Cut League
to Eight Clubs.
That Is the Chief Number on
Mondays Programme.
A SIMPLE SOLUTION.
Baltimore, Louisville, Washing
ton and Cleveland Dropped.
Earl Wagner Outlines a Plan
to Fix the Deal.

New York. Dec 9.-Unusually important
will be the meeting of the National league
of baseball magnates to be held in this
city Monday next. In addition to rou-
tine business the league presidents viii be
confronted with the problem of reorSanl-
cation. The National league Will cease
TO exist in 1900 under the agreement now
in force and it is in order, therefore, to
perfect a new organization and ADOPT a
new agreement between. now and spring.
This matter can not We'll be heIP over Tor
consideration in December 1SOS as some
persons imagine, for in the meantime the
National league, as at present constituted
viii cease TO exist ana IT'S ruIes, lnclu q
ing those which relate to the reserVa ton
of players would no longer be binding.
The best opinion among Dasepal! men lS
that the proposed new organization must
overlap the old one, SO that when the
present National league comes to an end
the machinery will pass automatically TO
the new association
In view OF the case, 1t IS apparent t4s1t
the league magnates must make begin
ming next week, ana the wlse9creS PelleNe
the cards nave already been shuIIl9u LOT q
complete new deal To begin with, it is
accepted as a foregone conclusion IhaI
the National league VIII De re9rSStl llZeu
on an eight-club basis. composed Of New
York. Brooklyn, Boston, Philadelphia
PlttSburg, C1nclnnaJl, ChlcaSo anu 9t.
ton, Louisville and Cleveland out in the
Earl Wagner. as one of the major league
partners, said last week: At last MI So
of the expense for the purchase of the
four clubs The others We're waiting Ior
MN TO take the IrSU step ana am 7SilIS-
fed they will fall into line and try to ar
range for two big e1gnt-cIuD bodies
1t Is claimed thaI MI SoQen IS WORK
ing on financial plan to reduce the cir
cult This plan takes, for illuS{ratlo m
Washington, baltimore, LoulSNlIe ana
Cleveland franchises to the purchases for
a sum total OF say S12O0O the expense OF
purchase TO be prOraJed among the Big
Eight clubs. The value Of these fran
chises are thus t1Xed, washington 50 O9g;
Baltimore, $4,000; Cleveland $1,000; Louis
VILE S35. 900. BY the terms of these pur-
chases the big eight are to give prOmis-
sorry notes to be paid within say two or
three years ,... =
So far, so good Now the conditions Of
PLAYERS of the Little Four clubs are TO
be turned over to the big eight The big
eight, or to be more literal, the NatonaI
league viii say to Mr.. Freedman of New
freedman. your team needs strength
enlng. We vii sell You the Washlngton
the surplus to Wagner at Washington
remain in baseball as Washington is to
be represented in the new association
Freedman. Mercer. McGann, weighing
and Dineen and sells the surplus material
Eleven players at $500 per head would
give Freedman $500 and thus he would
players for S14500. These men-and Freed
man needs all of then-wOuld stand him
at least an average of 81. 900 each if he
were to buy them individually and
through the usual channels
rangemenf for the sale of the Baltimore
players, and so on down the line The
safes TO the elSlI CluDS Oh the players OIL
the four smaller clubs would easily foot
up $4,000 as figured out on this basis:
Washington. $4,000; Baltimore, 10000;
Cleveland 5000; Louisville SIS, OO0 Then
the big eight clubs would get back at
least 80 per cent for the return of the
surplus material to be used as the nucleus
for new eight club league. With $50 600
paid for players, the players would have
but $4,000 to pay the little four for
franchise purposes; that is. the difference
between $4,000 and the grand total of
1920. 600.
This would leave the league with 5000
each as the expense for the payment Of
the little four franchises. And this
by the eight clubs but by the public for
the proposition is to pay on time to pay
with money yet to come through the
turnstiles. Such payment could be made
all the easier by deducting a certain per
prorattng the expense according to the
earnings or takings of each club. Another
plan. by the way which would be fairer
and even easier than dividing up share
and share alike