Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-16
Continued Hustle for Manning Since
Arriving in Washington.
EVERYTHING NOW LOOKS SERENE
Off to Big Meeting at PhiIadeI-
phia Next Week.
S PORTS IN GEN E r A l.


to take charge of the Washington end of
the American League last fall his fellow
managers slapped him on the back and told
him he had the easiest proposition of any
of the managers placed in the eastern terri
tory. But the contrary has been the case.
From the time Jimmy arrived in this city
up to this period he has been continually
at work, and only yesterday he cleared a
big hurdle when he decided to erect his
own park. ,
1t was believed that all Manager Man
ming had to do was to walk into Washing
ton select the particular square of ground
he desired and then go to work. But he
was baked from the first. The North Cap
itol street grounds were an ideal spot for a
base ball park, but protests and real estate
tie-ups finally made him seek new quarters.
Objections followed him about town, as
different sites were supposed to be under
consideration, but he finally obtained the
present fine location and his first hurdle
cleared.
Then came the matter of placing the
erection of the fences and stands in the
hands of contractors and another big hur-
die doomed up; but Jimmy took the bit in
his mouth and the park will be constructed
under his direction.
Talk about trouble said Manning YES
terday, those other fellows in Baltimore,
Philadelphia and Boston are going along
under easy sails. All they had to do was
select their grounds and go cunning for
players which was an easy matter, as they
all have plenty of money. Here in Wash
ington ! had the players but no home for
them, and it has been continual hustle to
secure 1t for them. But | am happy to
say 1T looks like easy sailing for me from
this out. There will be plenty of hard
work, of course, but I don't mind that, if
l am sure of the situation.
Il will start the men on the park Monday
and be with them Tuesday, leaving that
night for Philadelphia to be on hand at our
regular spring meeting. This meeting will
be a very important one and every mag
nate must be on hand to hear President
Johnson's report and heartily back him up
in all he has undertaken.
MY treasurer and business manager.
30. Needham, will come to Philadelphia
from Detroit and then accompany me to
this city. He is one of the best-known
sporting writers in the west, and is thor
oughly conversant with the business de-
tails of running a club. With Needham in
Washington many of the minor details will
be taken out of my hands, and | will de-
vote all my attention to pushing the work
at the park and in looking after my play
erS.
The Club Practically Complete.
The new senatorial outfit is practically
complete If l could secure another first
class pitcher | would be better satisfied
but take the team as it is and l am per-
fectly satisfied it will make good show
ing. The players have been ordered to re-
port April /, and we will all practice daily
until the season opens.
Eugene De MOntreville dropped into base
ball headquarters yesterday, looking the
picture of health and is in condition to
go into the game tomorrow. In speaking
about the Washington club De Mont said
he thought Manning had a very strong out
fit, especially as nearly all the players
are fast. This same opinion is expressed
by almost all the western papers who are
n of Mr.
ning's pitching staff. Jimmy has said
nothing yet in the way of claims for
his club, and all the laudatory notices have
come from outsiders.
Important events are now transpirng in
the camp of the American League mag
nates and extra efforts are being made to
put affairs in the best possible shape be-
fore the meeting of the organization in
Philadelphia next week The movements
o. certain managers during the past week,
however, have been so mysterious that
they have given rise to two reports. One
is that the managers were securing the
country for National League players, and
the other is that a secret conference was
held, at which the general situation was
fully discussed. These reports were doubt
less inspired through the secret movements
of Managers Mack of Philadelphia and
Jimmy Collins OF Boston Both left their
respective cities secretly and suddenly last
Wednesday night, but the result of their
excursions have not yet been made public
me ChaOtlc.
With the opening of the base ball season
but five weeks away the condition of base
ball is so chaotic that the fan is simply
lost in amazement at the turn of affairs.
In former years the teams were on the
southern trips by this time and all the
players had been signed and their names
announced for several weeks. So far but
one of the National League magnates has
given out list of players, Barney Drey
fuss of Pittsburg.
The National League will open the sea-
son April Is and the American League will
follow suit a week later. Whether there
will be conflict of schedules will not be
known until the American League list of
dates is out. The indications are that the
two leagues will ignore each other and
that the magnates want to appear oblivious
to the fact that the other fellows are in
existence. The American League advocates
competition, believing that this will result
in a healthy rivalry, but the National
League magnates are not disposed to view
1t In that light. The older magnates desire
to control the situation and will make
every effort to win back the supremacy
now being wrested from them.
A surprisingly large number of young
players are being signed by American
League managers. Comiskey has the
names of fully twenty men on contracts in
his office, and McGraw has enough to equip
two teams with men for every position.
Many of these are youngsters, who will be
tried out but dropped before the first two
weeks of the season have been played
The most promising ones may displace
some of the men who were on the rolls
last season.
While the American Leaguers profess not
to fear any revolt of the men who We're
on their teams last season, every precau-
ton is being taken to guard against any
unpleasant surprises. There is perfect har-
mony at the present time, both among the
magnates and players. but should there be
a demand for horizontal increase in SAL
ariac 1liorhf ris rryhi o1,
call for heroic measures on the part of the
managers, and 1t is believed they are forti-
flying themselves against every contin-
gency.
NEW ORLEANS RACES.