Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-16
MOVING VERY SLOWLY
Reduction of National League Circuit
a Difficult Operation.
TR0 UBLE SHOWING AHEAD
Powers Returns East From a Con-
ference With Brush and johnson.
GENERAL SPORTING NEWS

Although President Ebbets and Treasurer
persist in saying that the base ball situa-
ton is blocked and that the leagues circuit
committee has done nothing looking to a
reduction Of the circuit, 1t is evident there
is something doing.
President Pat Powers of the FaStern
League returned to New York Yesterday
from indianapolis, where he had been in
conference with John T Brush who is
asked by the league to do the fine work in
circuit reduction, and President Ban john
son Of the Western or American League.
The first thing Powers did on reaching
MS office was to telephone Ebbets The
president of the Brooklyn club RESPONDED
quickly to the hurry call, and Powers and
he talked for an hour. Then Ebbets has
tened up town for conference with Aheu
and Harry Vonderhorst, the Baltimore mag
nate.
Powers was asked whether he was the
bearer of any proposition from John T
Brush to the Observation-Disclosures syndi-
cate In regard to the sale of the Baltimore
franchise. He said: Il had a long talk
with Mr.. Brush at his home in Indiana polls,
! am interested in the reduction of the
league circuit because the Eastern League
mas hrst chance to place a club in Ralti-
more, in case that city is dropped nv the
league. This also applies to Washington
AS CONSIDER Doth cities very desirable for
base ball l am naturally very much inter-
eSted IN the disposition of the territory
Ihat IS all care to say al present EXCEPT
mat have reason to believe when the
Eastern League holds its annual meeting
at the end of this month We will be able
to definitely arrange our circuit for the
coming season.
1t is known that President Johnson of
n Loo IT'LL
the eastern territory, provided the National
League withdraws from any of the cities
now in its circuit John T. Brush has been
working on the lines that three eight-club
leagues would be the proper solution of the
problem that base ball magnates have to
solve.
The Indianapolis conference between
Brush. Powers and Johnson proves that
the National League club owners are more
than willing to treat with the Eastern and
American leagues, with the idea that
three-league alliance could completely block
the threatening American Association and
allow the National League to retain con-
troll of the base ball situation.
The base ball outlook in Baltimore is I'M
doubleday worrying the syndicate owners
The determined stand taken by McGraw
and Robinson in regard to staying in Balti-
more and keeping the Oriole team intact,
as McGraw says. ''either in the National or
some other good league" makes the sale of
the Baltimore franchise delicate PROPOSE
ton. The manager and captain of the
Orioles object on principle to being shifted
around at will by the league magnates
outside of the fact that they have very
prosperous and growing business in Balti-
more. With them through thick and thin
are Walter Brodie, Ducky Holmes, Eugene
De Montreville and several other members
of last years successful team.
Ned Hanlon went to New, York last Sat
urday from Baltimore and spent several
hours talking things over with Abel, Won
derhorst and Ebbets. As usual, the mag
mates We're reticent. Abel, as spokesman
for the quartet. said yesterday: IF the cir
cult committee is doing anything at all we
know nothing about il. No proposition has
been made to us, and so far as l can see
everything is at a complete standstill. l
don't know any better now than l did six
weeks ago whether.we will have an eight,
ten or twelve-club league