Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-16

question Of salary and Sunday games. If the salary is large enough | shall accept the offer to umpire, but no matter what the salary shall pm- pfc no Sunday games"
 Frank Hahn, pitcher of the Cincin- nati base ball club, signed the matri- monial reserve rule a few days ago, and the club officials gave him a mar ket basket full of wedding presents. It is not customary for magnates to be so lavish on such occasions, and it was intimated that base ball con- tract was secreted among the gifts. The faithless Hahn is said to have torn up the contract, packed the pres- ents away, and now contemplates de- .serting to the American league. Man. ager McPhee is humming ''I want dem presents back"
 Sheckard, the Brooklyn player, over whom heated controversy has arisen because he signed two contracts. one with Brooklyn and one with Baltimore, says he didn't mean it. The question of a few dollars in the time of need seems to have good deal of influence over certain men. Sheckard, it is said, received S1OO on two occasions from the American league team, and it rather looks as though it were a case of feeding him up. Manager Hanlon says Sheckard will play in Brooklyn, but under the circumstances the him. ble footed base runner will find that he not only has placed himself in an unenviable light but that his popular ity will be in danger from the begin ming of the season.
 The Brooklyn management has shown more industry than any of the other National league clubs in it's de- sire to get grip on the men who won the championship last year. President Ebbets has boosted the salary of al- most every player on the team, and the fact that all the stars, except Me- Gjnnity, have signed, indicates the di- rection in which the wind is blowing. The New York management has not shown the same disposition to smooth over the little difficulty with a golden hand, and as q consequence the best pitchers in the club, Mercer. Carricll and Haw1ey, have been keeping their light under bushel.- It will be neces- sary for them to report progress by the end of next week. however, be- cause at the end of the following week the polo grounds will be put in condi- tion for practice. and the players will be meandering through the gates.
 Pitcher Lewis of the Boston team Is out W1In ms aunual announcement that he will not play the coming sea- son. This is his last year at the Curry school of expression, and he intends to take up teaching in the fall. Tn an interview yesterday he made an as- tonishing statement. 'I do not think that any man who signed q contract last year containing the option clause is legally or morally bound.' he said. eff man refuses to sign such a con- tract he could not play anywhere on account of the national agreement. The player had no choice in the mat ter I am of the opinion that no court of law would ever uphold such a con- tract. My sympathies. like those of many ball players I know, are with the American league. - But for the Amer jean league the players would never have obtained the concessions they will enjoy the coming season. The American league ought to win. Peo- pie do not like the idea of one organ iZation controlling the game. I can not see why a new league is not en- tirely justified in bidding for share of the patronage of the public in the field the National league has controlled fer so many years"