Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-09
This Sum Said to Be Blocking Ban
Johnson's Movements.
CoMISKEY and HARRIS AGREEMENT
Important Statement by Arthur IT.
win Anent Charles River Park.
s PORTS IN Ct E n E r A L

the American League cluD or tndt city play
a game next season on it's own grounds
without being party to the national
agreement a forfeit of 5000 will have to be
| paid James Hart, president of the Chicago
| National League club. The tale looks du-
| bious, but the details plausible.
| 1t will be recalled that one year ago Pres
| ident Johnson and Charley Comiskey fought
| hard to locate an American League club in
! Chicago. President Hart of the Chicago
| National League Club opposed this move
vigorously for time. The upshot of
| the whole matter was that the American
| League placed a club in Chicago last spring
with the consent of Mr.. Hart. At that time
| it thought that there was some sort of
a secret agreement between the two parties,
| and later in the summer it became known
| that of the conditions that Mr..
1 Hart should have the pick of any two play
ers belonging to Comiskey at the end of
each playing season
If this latest report from Chicago is to be
! believed, it appears there at least one
more condition to the agreement This
| forfeiture of $1,000 agreement has been
| kept profound secret, but granting that it
! does exist. many of the puZzling things in
the base ball world of late are easier to
comprehend. In the first place, it is a moral
| certainty that the National League, having
such hold on President Johnson. Comis
key and other magnates of the American
| League, will retain such a grasp by every
| possible means. IN Olner WORDS, IL Is al
most certain that either the American
| League had to give 1irst-class security or
| else the agreement is made so strong that
| 1t will stand the test in court.
Is johnson BIuRng:
The Chicago story goes to say:
"A plausible theory would be that Presi-
dent Johnson, taking this agreement into
account, stepped forth into the eastern
arena and apparently threw down the
gauntlet to the National League, believing
| that the latter organizations magnates
| would understand he was making a gigan-
| tic bluff and would act accordingly. At
| the same time the knowledge of the report
| ed agreement would explain In part the at
| titude of Indifference on the part of the
National League magnates. Knowing that
they had at least one very tight hold on
| the American Leagues pocketbook, they
could well afford to laugh at Ban john
| sons statements and play apparently
passive part in the present base ball drama.
Then, again, the agreement would give
| a very good clew to the inaction of Presi-
dent Hart of the Chicago club. despite all
the apparently warlke moves made this
winter by the league. which already has
an opposition club in his territory. Up to
date Mr.. Hart has treated the American
| League movement with Indifference, as
well he might with a $1,000 card up his
sleeve"
Without denial from President johnson
it will be we'll to await developments be-
| pretty hard matter to dovetail this story
with the reported agreement between the
| National League and the new National
| Association. Five thousand dollars is a
nice, tidy sum, and Charley Comiskey can
be depended upon to make a hard fight
before forfeiting that amount. There Is
a possibility that 1t may be divided among
eight clubs, and the expansion movement
still continue. The player agreement be-
tween Comiskey and Hart was carried out,
the two outfielders. Miller and Hartsell.
| hai,, nal he Not Il
League club and this also lends d paus-
bility to the latest story.
Boston Has a story.
! It is now reported from Boston that Ar
thur Irwin may be frozen out of Charles
River Park through the purchase of those
grounds outright by parties who want to
place a club representing that city in the
American League. Mr.. Irwin was in Phila-
| delpha yesterday and most alphabetically
| denied the report in the following Ian
guage:
Il mean to hold the park. no matter what
happens, though l cannot say whether
will have club in Boston not, for the
simple reason that do not know. / leasel
the park for bicycling and foot ball, and
had no thought of base ball at the tinc
1t is the greatest cycling track in the
| WCrld, and will pay me in that sport alone
| and will also make good money in foot
ball. Last fall there were but three days
when the park was not in use for foot
though of course, il l see a good paying
investment in club 1 will have one.
Situation Unsettled.
The situation is too unsettled for any
one to tell just where it will lead at pres
ent. The American League is not l be
: lieve looking for cities. The trouble now
is they have too many and do not know
just what to do with them. They had al
eght-club circuit in the west last veal
and could have continued it If Connie Mack
and McCiraw had not wanted to come east
With Robinson and McGraw in Baltimore
James Manning in Washington and Connie
Mack in Philadelphia, they have clever
clubs and they only want eight. M'nne
apolis was bankrupt and it was easy t.
drop it, but two of the three eastern cites
| must be chosen and one of the western
! towns dropped before the circuit can be re
duced to eight clubs again No one know:
whether Indianapolis or Buftalo VIII he
| dropped. The consequence is that johnson
is not looking for new towns until he set
ties that question.
Then il he wants to come into the cas-
and fight it out with the National League
4 he must have Boston we'll as Phllad"l
phia in his circuit The Charles River Pari
l is essential to his plans and l stand read!
] u put club there as / am salts
1 fled that it will prove paying venture
| and that the other clubs financial!
strong But 1t is probable if two clubs ar
| placed in these cities two western cub
| will be transferred east bodily. Gatil VI
l know what Johnson proposes to do w
cannot discuss the matter with any certain
~ of the issue
l What Col. Rogers Says.
II Col. Rogers of the Philadelphia club stat
H ed positively yesterday that the Nationa
III League would never consent to a club beln
II placed in Boston by Mr.. Irwin or any on
II else. He said that at the recent meeting
II of the league President .Soden OF Bosto
III had positively declared that no club coul
III enter the city of culture with his consent
III AS under the national agreement he has tn
III final say there is no chance of a club goin
III into Boston, according to Mr.. Rogers, un
III less war is declared. Placing Irwin wit
III the American League is another new phas
II of the present base ball puzzle, as Sir Al
thur is generally reported to be affiliate
with the New National Association.
The American League people over in Bal
| timore are going about their work in
business-like way. Yesterday the .tncol
porators of the Baltimore base ball an
Athletic Company met for the first bushes
! meeting and elected permanent officer:
| McGraw is said to have named severe
players of note who would play with hiI
| 1 next season. but these names We're keE
secret Announcement was also made tina
meeting of the American League wi
III