Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-01
wAGNERs cAcK IN BASE BALL.
VIII Probably Control American
League Club I'm Philadelphia.

The kind of talk that Is going the rounds
does not make 1t appear as If the National
and American Leagues are working hand
in hand. says Joe Villa in the Chicago Rec
ord But they are just the same. Ban
Johnson must receive credit, however. for
playing his cards with extreme shrewdness.
When it was announced that the American
League had accepted the terms of the Pro-
tective Association of Professional Base
Ball Players. there was big scare through
out the ranks of the National League.
What was to be done? If the American
League and the Protective Association
Joined hands with the Quinn-Rcnter Ma
kettle of fish to fry and base ball would go
to the dogs all over the country, as Wei
as in New York.
Discretion appeared to be the better part
of valor, SO the National League magnates,
having once before laid down to Freedman,
found it comparatively easy matter to
bend the knee to johnson. They k.llef two
birds with stone, they thought, for
when they secretly told johnson to go
ahead with his circuit they handed out
solar-plexus blow to the Quinn-Richter
scheme and temporarily knocked the props
from under the Players Association.
1t will be noticed that the American
League did not make known the hacker of
Its proposed club in Philade- phia. Why?
Because the National League men have not
made terms yet with the Wagners. The
magnates have just hung this Philadelphia
plum from the branches and the Wagners
are looking for it wistfully.. 1t has been
so long since the Wagners gave up any
thing that they hate to do 1t now, but this
is a prize worth having. and the magnates
believe they will get their price. When
the magnates surrender look out for
grand row between them and Colonel John
l. Rogers The -Wagners want to have
Philadelphia when the National League Is
reorganized in a year from now, and some
of the magnates wouldn't oppose them'
either.
This new American League circuit was
forced upon the magnates, not only be-
cause of the diplomacy of President John
son. but also by reason of the National
Leagues financial embarrassment through
the circuit reduction expense and the gen
eral poor business. AS l have already
pointed out the scheme to let the Wag-
ners have the American League club in
Philadelphia is calculated to do away with
the $4,000 debt owed to the Wagners for
the Washington franchise. James Manning
Of Kansas City, will Ultimately be asked to
pay from $4,000 to $4,000 for the entrance
of his team to the capital, and that amount
will be turned over to Wagner after the
latter agrees to waive claim to the rest of
the coin in return for the Philadelphia
franchise. incidentally the Brooklyn club
had a bigger financial grip on the mag
mates than anybody has any idea Of. First
of all, the league agreed to pay $30,OO to
Hanlon, Abel & Co., for the Baltimore
clubs franchise and property 1t was also
agreed to pay $4,000 to Robinson for the
bought McGraw and Robinson from Brook
lyn for $780, he notified the league to
turn over his Cleveland payments to Han
Ion, Abel & Co. until this amount for the
two players was wiped out. With the Wag-
ners and the Brooklyn people the chief
creditors of the league, there is no longer
any doubt why often hear the cry of
the Freedman clique, Throw Brooklyn out.