Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-13
Senatorial Maguate Believes New As
ISOLATION Will Be Go.
FAKE ORGANIZATION MOI POSSIBLE
Local Club to Be Entirely Reor-
gained for Coming Season.
GENERAL SPORTING NEWS

The base ball situation has once more
taken a turn and 1t is hard matter to
say just where Washington will be situated
when all the tangles are Strengthened out.
The story from Chicago published in The
Star yesterday afternoon that the National
League intends placing clubs in New York.
Philadelphia. Baltimore, Washington, Chi
cago. st. Louis, Louisville and Cleveland
and calling this organization the American
Association is the latest development,
doubtless brought about through the de-
cided stand taken by President Ban john
son of the American League as to the
placing of clubs to represent his organiza-
ton in Chicago and st. Louis.
And in addition thereto. here is ]. Earl
Wagner back in Washington, enthusiastic
and ready to take up the local running,
although it was understood that he would
quit the national game forever should his
local holdings be bought out by the Ma
tional League.
In the eyes of many the new movement
for an American Association has all the
earmarks of a scheme to scare off the west
ern president, but after all it may be the
final solution of the complicated base ball
problem. Mr.. Wagner has always been an
advocate of two major league organizations,
and as this latest move is much on the
lines desired by the local magnate, he
doubtless promptly decided to once more
get back into the game.
The Sort of Ball Proposed.
Should the contemplated American Asso-
citation materialfze the local patrons would
be given an opportunity Of witnessing bet
ter ball than that contemplated through
the locating of an Eastern League team in
this city. Hundreds Of ball players will be
placed on the market through the reduction
of the National League circuit and these
n into he
ganiZation.
Considerable energy will have to be put
forth by the people who will back the
American Association. as the time between
short, but the grounds are already available
and all that will have to be done is to get
the players.
What Mr.. Wagner Says.
Base ball. like politics, makes strange
bedfellows," said j. Earl Wagner this
morning to an Evening Star reporter 81
wanted to get out of base ball in the worst
way possible last fall. but here am again
back at the old stand and in harness again
for another season.
This new move of the National League
In organizing the American Association is
an old hobby of mine. and 1 believe will be
go. The movement Is not a regulatory
one against Ban johnson in particular. but
Is doubtless made to anticipate opposition
of the future which is or was bound to
come when cities like Washington, Balti-
more, Cleveland and Louisville are left out
of the game. The American Association
will be wholly an independent one with the
exception that it will work under the ma
tional agreement. In places like Philadel-
phia, New York, Chicago and st. Louis, the
only connection the National League will
have with the association will, be to rent the
grounds. Companies will be organized in
those cities entirely separate from the
league. and they will have the advantage
of not being put to the expense of erecting
stands and laying out new grounds, but
will simply rent those already in existence
In this way consider able. money will he
saved which. will allow the new organiza-
tons to begin work with q small eXpendi-
ture.
las to the local situation. will locate in
Washington this season entirely alone, and
all blame or praise that will be thrown at
the senatorial management can be given to
me. The impression that can retain any
Of the players in last years Washington
club is a mistake. 1 and the rest of the
association managers will have to go into
the open market and buy all new men.
There will be something like 200 players
thrown on the market. who are just shade
beneath the caliber Of men wearing Ma
tional League uniforms, the coming season.
pay roll the coming season they will cost
me all the way from $3.50 up to $500, and
you can easily see that the outlay will be
considerable. This money all goes in the
ledSue luIu 10 De uSeu IN paying OH the
notes given for the four clubs that have
retired from the major organization. From
this time on there will be a general scram-
BILE for players and in the hustle can as
sure you that I will do my best not to be
left out in the cold.
las business proposition. do you not
think that a club in the american Associa-
ton running one two three in the race
will not do better than the club wearing
senatorial uniforms has done in the past
eight years? ! have been called almost
everything by my enemies. but no one has
yet consigned me to the fool class. l be-
lieve an American Association club in this
city can be made successful, both financial
ly and in playing strength and to back up
this opinion 1 am willing to risk my money
and time"
Wagner to Move Here.
When interrogated by Tho Star man as