Evening star., 1901-04-06

five years of the National Leagues exist
ence the feat Of retiring a club with nary
hit or run has been achieved Just twenty
three times.
advance money from the Philadelphia
Americans and yet reported to the New
York club, has returned the money to Man
ager Mack The tender was refused, and
unless MattheWSon reports to the Athletics
at once he will be sued for breach Of con-
tract and for receiving money under false
pretenses
AS to his ability to pitch, Rusie takes
sensible view. Il have not tried my arm
and know no more about 1t than the mo-
torman on that car. / never hurt 1t, but
was overworked one season, and 1t left it
weak. Now, it may not be worth a cop
per, but that will be proved after have
worked a few days. 1t feels good. but
you can't tell anything about q pitcher 8
arm until he has pitched, and I have not
had ball in my hand for nearly a year"
Some of our members" says President
Johnson, have been in favor for a long
time Of going into the courts to prevent
these contract jumpers from playing Some
of them also wanted to retaliate by going
after National League men who have
signed. but this We never seriously con-
sfdered. We shall not encourage contract
jumping, but We have decided to see what
the courts have to say about those who
do jump bona fide contracts. We shall go
after Heidrick, and we think we will land
him. Men who have so little regard for a
contract as Heidrick and Dineen should
be made examples Of. We mean what we
say, and it may go hard with these slow
thinkers" !"
Billy Sullivan, the Boston catcher, who
has signed to play with Comiskey's White
Stockings this season, got the best of
President Soden in regard to signing a
contract. The only agreement that Billy
ever signed while with the Boston club
was document he put his name to In the
fall of 1898, when he signed an agreement
n rllo hare nnpt nd f11,v =
The following year he was rendered a regu-
lar contract to sign, but he refused to place
his name and played through the season
without having signed the contract at all.
He never really signed contract with
Boston.
The 'sport-gong public should not lose
sight of the facts in the present scramble
for players between the American and Ma
tional leagues. Not a single player under
contract to the National League has been
signed by any American League club. 1t
is true that the National League magnates
maintain that they have a perpetual con-
tract with their players in the option
clause of their contracts, but that they
do not think that it would hold in law is
shown by the fact that of the eight Ma
tional League clubs only one-Philadelphia'
proposes to test it in court.
Efforts to induce Cleveland players to
jump contracts seem to have been aban-
doned, and far as is known there were
no new approaches made yesterday. The
Indignation, but Manager McAleer has
never been in the least alarmed.
"If players want to jump" said McAleer,
'1et them jump away We do not want
men who are not loyal and earnest, and If
the National League can discover any in
our ranks who are not l for one will be
much obliged if they will relieve us of
them. / guess they will have a hard time
finding any Cleveland player who will stand
their tampering."
The rumored detection of Victor Willis,
the pitcher signed by Connie Mack for the
Athletic club of this city, was confirmed
yesterday when Manager Mack received
letter from Willis stating that he had been
convinced that he was under contract
to the Boston club when he signed with
the Athletics. He failed to state what it
cost to convince him. This letter also
contained check for $450-the amount he
received from Mack ION account of salary
for the playing season of 1901'-together
with interest. Mr.. Mack will consult with
his attorneys this morning for the purpose
of determining what course of action he
shall pursue against this particular con-
tract breaker-Philadelphia Inquirer.