The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-28
GOSSIP OF THE DIAMOND
MUCH SPECULATION CONCERNING
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION.
Secrecy Maintained About the Recent
Cleveland Conference.-The
Local Situation.

President Watkins, of the Indianapolis |
Baseball Club, sat in mis- office yesterday |
afternoon in decidedly pensive mood.
When questioned as TO the subject of his
deep thought he merely replied he would
like to know all that is going on in the
baseball world just now. II might be said
he is not the only one. The truth of the
matter is the various baseball cliques know
but little what the members of the other
factions are doing. They are all working
on the quiet, but that there is plenty of
schemins being done is not a matter Of
doubt. AS for the magnates of the Ameri-
can League, they are just resting OH their
oars for the present and waiting patiently
for developments. but they are not asleep
by any means. They think it better to leave
matters largely to the major organization
before digging deeply into the affairs OF
the American League. That there are ques-
tions of great magnitude before the big
league magnates is an assured fact. The
baseball world would like TO know the ques-
tions brought up and considered at the
meeting iii Cleveland last week, but the
National League magnates are like so
many clams-they won't open up. They
realize il is TO their interest to keep the
matter to themselves and not let their
competitors learn of the course pursued or
to be pursued the coming season That the
proposed American Association was given
a round of discussion by the National
| League heads is acknowledged by many.
| The interest evinced by John T. Brush
when he returned Saturday morning from
| Cleveland over the situation in Washing
| ton is pretty good evidence that the Ma
! tional League magnates laid out their
plans for protection against the American
Association. The affairs are in such state.
| that the big guns will give nothing out Tor
| publication.
When the American Association was first
| proposed the baseball public took the mat
| ter as a huge joke. Matters went on for
| sometime without the proposed league do
| ing anything tangible toward organizing
| for the coming season. In the last few
/ days the men at the head of the new
| baseball league have given the other base
| ball magnates a scare by the steps they
| have taken in Baltimore and threatened
| operations In other cities. Many of the lead
| ing lights in the baseball armament do
| not believe that the new league will ever
| materialize. but If it does not the men
who are back of it are surely having
| great deal of fun at the other folks ex-
/ pense just now. 1t is believed that the
/ Baltimore deal and McGraws alleged afhli-
atlonS with the new league are mace LOT
/ bluff, the cause of which will be explained
| later While talking about the new league
| or the proposed league more properly
| speaking, it will not be amiss to say If 1t
| is started there will hardly be any doubt
| OF the American League getting into Chi
cago. The National and American Leagues
| would join hands in the Windy City in
fha IN for
for the new association. The schedules
would be so arranged that while the Chi
| cago National League team was playing
| abroad the Chicago American League team
would play in that city. Then the American
| Association Chicago team would have COM
petition all the time it was playing at
home. The American League park would
| be located on the South Side and there
| would be no really desirable place for the
new league to build it's park. 1t is the
firm belief that such move will be made
| II the American Association does material
lie and enter Chicago.
|
There is another question about reducing
the National League circuit which will bear
watching The National League magnates
will give nothing out for publication con-
corning the reduction of the big league
and it is plain to see that they are not in
| a position to make public their plans. They
will have to wait to see what the American
| Association is going to do before they fully
| decide on cutting the circuit. Louisville
and Cleveland will probably be dropped, no
matter what the proposed league does, but
| the question Of retaining Baltimore and
| Washington will have to be decided later.
| If the American Association does not enter
| the baseball world the National League
| may drop those two cities in the eastern
| division, but should the American Associa-
| ton enter into competition with the major
| organization Baltimore and Washington
| may be retained in order to keep many
| cities under Ine National League protec-
ton possible and not allow the antag-
| molested.
President Ban Johnson, of the American
League, is in the dark as to the date of
calling a meeting for thhe magnates of
this league. He will issue no call until the
time comes when the American league
magnates can get together and decide
| definitely on the circuit and other ques-
tions to come before the meeting This
cannot be done until after the National
League owners give ous their circuit for
the coming season and outline their policy.
|
A dispatch sent out Friday night from
Baltimore stated that fourteen gentlemen
met that night and formally organized the
Baltimore club of the American Association
of Ball Players. Officers were elected as
follows: Philip Peterson, president; Harry
Goldman, secretary and treasurer, and
John McGraw, general manager. The fol-
lowing directors were also selected: Will
bert Robinson, John H. Mahon. Colonel J.
| p. Shannon. Thomas Il. Jenkins w III
MCGEE and Philip Peterson Incorpora-
ton papers will be filed Monday and the
capital stock will be $4,000.
| The voting the name of the new ball
park was not very lively last week, al
though Washington admirers and the
friends of the manufacturers of a certain
cigar We're wide-awake. sending in many
| votes. The list now stands: Hoosier, /:
| Tugela, /; Capital, IS; Lawton, 23i; Tish-I-
Mingo. 6S7; Washington, $50; Manila 2:
| Recreation, II; Union, 81; Olympia, 13; Ko-
| We-Ba, 2S6; Beveridge, /; National Road, /;
| Morton, L. The last name is new sugges-
ton. AS an idea of how fine this park will
be it is stated that President Watkins is
expending $4,000 on ii. 1t will be one of the
finest in the American League.
Eight of the players under reserve by
President Watkins have affixed their sigma
lures TO contracts for the coming season.
| week Darnraauu Saunders apd Ia,l,.