Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-31
MAY LOSE ITS STARS
Players to Desert National League in
aSolid Body.
VIGOROUSLY INSIST ON CONCESSIONS
Manager Manning Talks About
Present Situation.
GENERAL SPORTING NEWS

Manager James H. Manning of the Amer
lean League Washington base ball club, ar
rived in this city last night, direct from
the Chicago meeting and registered at the
Cochran Hotel, where he will reside hence
forth. Mr.. Manning has arranged to have
his downtown headquarters at No. 1918
Pennsylvania avenue. between 18th and
18th streets, desk room having been pro-
vided in a capacious rear office. Mr.. MAN.
ming desires to be in touch with the local
patrons of the game. and for this reason
concluded that a downtown Office was the
proper thing.
Manager Manning had nothing new to say
regarding the Chicago meeting, everything
pertaining thereto having been published in
The Star while the conference was in prog
ress. Speaking of the general situation.
Manager Manning talked fiuently and In
terestingly. He said:
81 look for startling developments within
the next ten days and the star players OF
the National League will have the center
of the stage. Unless plans miScarry, L look
for an explosion not later than next Mon
day, which will bring the National League
to its senses and more than likely compel
the magnates of that organization to real
lie that there is business end to base
ball that needs looking after.
Players Mean Business.
81 have talked with several prominent
base ball players and I know they mean
business. The meeting of the Players Pro-
tective Association in Cleveland next Sat
urday will be of the utmost Importance,
and it's final decision will be startling.
Wires have been worked to the end that
at the Cleveland meeting the players will
officially bind themselves not to sign Ma
tional League contracts until the DEMANDS
of their association shall have been com
piled with, as they were by the American
League. ,
'.Au we need in the American League Is
first-class players to make our organiza-
ton as strong as the National ny ,ne
ordinary process of evolution 1t Is De-
lieved that the American League could Sc
cure PLAYERS as good as any in the country
by simply going out and bidding Tor thelr
services but it looks now as though we
would be saved this trouble through the
decision Of the Players Protective Asso,
citation to declare war against the Natlonai
League and affiliate with US.
Waiting for the Outcome.
Eve are waiting to see what the outcome
of this meeting will be before signing any
more players The action Of the American
League in agreeing to a form of contract
without a reserve clause and in providing
for the elimination Of the farming and
drafting evils has made many friends Tor
our organization among the best players IN
the older league. By adding the four east
ern cities to our organization the American
League will be able to pay as good salaries
as the National, and the players know this.
~ believe that l have eight good men
signed for the coming season. but l would
not be averse to securing several top-notch
players in case they decide to break away
from the National League. Who these eight
men are | am not at liberty to say, for
purely business reasons, but l nope to De
able soon to take the Washington public
into my confidence and tell them all my
plans.
Secession In Players Plans.
In substantiation Of what Manager Man.
ming says the following special to the Phil
adelphia Inquirer from Chicago, dated last
night, will prove interesting. 1t says:
Both possible and probable is the greatest
base ball proposition Of the decade now be-
ing discussed by the players of the National
League. Before the week is out the deal
will either be decided in a sensational man.
the major league will be forced to
acknowledge it's humiliation before Its
former employees. The plan embraces the
secession in body Of 80 per cent of the
players of the National League. They may
go en- masse to the American League.
At Saturdays Cleveland meeting of the
Players Protective Association there will
be fifty delegates. These men are deter
mined to get their demands from the big
league that turned them down" in New
York. Mr.. Johnson's league is willing to dc
almost anything for the ball players
President thinner of the players organi-
cation yesterday said that if the National
League does not grant the requests of the
players, the members of the latter body
will go en- masse to the American League
The National League seems not to trust
u.s., said Chief thinner. at will learn
that we are not to be trifed with. The big
ON afaS haxy ~
that We have asked too much. The Ameri-
can League had no hesitancy in granting
our requests"
If the National League does not yield tc
the players and the latter make good theil
threat it will mean the practical disrup.
ton Of the big league. There will not bt
enough players left to play one exhibition
game.
1--WE mean business" said Clark Griffith
the Chicago representative of this Players
Protective Association. Our demands are
just and the big league must recognize
them without evasion or mental reserya-
ton or it will find that we will give those
magnates the biggest strike they evei
heard of"
Under Reserve to Manning.
The following players are under reserve
to Manager Manning, and it will be seer
that he has quite a nice bunch of good bal
players: Pitchers Lee. Patten, Gear, Gray
Phyle and Gibson; Everett, first base
Stewart or Schaefer. second base: Cough
lin, third base; Clingman, third base; field
ers, DUNCAN, Farrell and OBrien; catcher
Gonding The pitching staff Is unusually
strong and as Manager Manning has beer
whipping his team into harmonious whole
the chances are that it will make a gooC
showing But as before remarked by Mr.
Manning there are several top-notcher.
that may come to Washington, thereby
making his team strong in every position.
wfSsNEY GETS HAMBURG.