The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-31

81 have lately received letters from saw
eral players who have sigfcd contracts &c
play on American League clubs. and they
ere rather sorry because they signed" says
Ed Eanlon. You will see some big jumps
shortly. Why should there not be? The
American League signed. at alleged big
money. players who were under contract to
play on National League clubs this season.
Its own players it kept at small salaries and
dropped a number altogether. That is where
the kick comes. Now, there are some good
players who were last year on American
League clubs. and what is to- prevent their
signing another contract and playing on
National League clubs? l can see no diff
ference between n contract signed in 1901
to play during the present year and a con-
tract signed a year ago which bound the
player TO play this year as well as last.
Last May ! had n talk with Lave Cross in
st. Louis, and he said he was not needed
there. as McGraw was playing third base.
and !. l would Gire him top salary he would
play In BroGkIEl. L asked him II he in
/ se,ded TO cortirBe after last fall TO play ball
and Cross replied: Yes, and just as long as
my playing suits you / then secured
CrosSs release for SS,0p. and Cross signed
q two years contract to play with Brook
Ign. Now Cross has signed n contract to
play on the American League Club In Phil
adelphia. David Fultz cost me $500 last
$1,000 1880 Van " " iSAtaSO
the Milwaukee Club. t'ultZ has also signed
now to play on the Philadelphia American
League Club. i carried to Il lawyer OF note
a contract signed by an American League
man. and the contract which Cross signed
to play Oh the Brooklyn club. The lawyers
opinion Was that there was virtually 10
difference between the two documents.
There may be no enjoining of players vino
have broken contracts. but those who were
under contract To play with the National
League clubs and have signed 10 play on
American League clubs are US amenabie for
damages as those who have signed to play
/, on American League CLUBS ana shall later
decide to sign contracts and play on Ma
tional League clubs"
Even 'Cy' Young forgets to be grateful
to the maj who picked HIM out OF a count
Try league and gave him his first big start
IN life" sneers Frank Patterson, comments
Ing on Mr.. Robison's hoodiinS OF the ST.
Louis players.
How We should admire that wondrously
noble a thing as to pick up a Cy Young Qor
n%othingl and give him a big" start except
=. De II. Robson? ! greatly fear, however.
big and that the country league would
nave claimed Cy again for its own If his
arm had not shown unusual strength and
gratitude he has paid 1t with COMPOUND in
rerest over and over again. How much
gratitude does Frank Robson owe to CIV
Young for having made his club one of the
best IN the country for years. for without
~ the club was dead? How many thou
sands OF dollars over and above his salary
was Cy worth to Robson? We may get
some idea of how valuable Robson thought
his services from the fact that he could
sold the right to hire Cy TO almost any
other club for from 5000 to $4,000 and per-
haps more. and he thought Cy too valuable
to sell him.
The idea Of Cy Young. after giving serv-
Ices worth 5000 q year and getting from
s H,eG ,d to sa os b1 for ot them a for r sSRe ten ye YEAR,.
Is enough. to make a horse laugh. That
gratitude" talk-all Of it's really nause-
ating to anybody who knows how little
gratitude" has to do with the business on
a clubowner TO talk about n lack of graft
tude.. is pleading the baby oct with a ven
Lave Cross is treating him. because he paid
5000 for Cross's release. Hanlon has been
in baseball SO long that he does not under.
pays for does not belong to him as much
Il a pig that he buys and pays for.
He is like J. A. Hart: who, the other
shs bu asfnsd of fh q s hoSsas u What a ea Wa Pid Il ths at
Mr. Hahlon bought2. Not the player hin.
self-we have not gotten. quite that far, al
What he bought was the right to hire Lave
Cross at any salary he saw fit to pay him.
II Cross had had the right to sell his serv-
lies III LIE ODeH IldThet as men IN Otne
do, Hanlon would never have
given Robson 5000, but il he had given 1t
to anyone he would have given it to Cross
IN the shape OF a larger salary. !
again, IL Hanlon had given Cross as
much salary as he was actSally worth to
Hsnlon, then ne could not have afforded to
pay anybody a cent for Cross's release. |
it will be readily seen that instead of |
doing Cross a favor. Hanlon was paying for !
the privilege of hiring Cross at a lesser sal
airy than he was actually worth to the |
RrOOklvn Cluh and 1aSc than he COIIId he Va I
gotten had the competition been open, and |
that 5000 was the measure of the amount '