The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-07
In THE BASEBALL WORLD
Dissensi0n Still the Rule i'm tie
National League.
A secret Revolt Against the Brush
en-Freedmans Combine - John
son Now Being Regarded ms "a BEN
efacfor to the Gnme-Otber Gossip.


efactor to the Gnme-Otber Gossip
Here is n baseball story that was out
lined by local enthusiast who makes a
| study OF the games politics and believes
he is right in his conjectures. II is quite
plausible and may set some of the mag
mates thinking of what may happen when
the shake-up comes next fall. The wheels
were put in motion some time ago with
a view to recognizing the National
League. The Brush-Soden-Freedm com
bine, in control of affairs, has marked
for decapitation the Philadelphia club
with John /. Rogers; the Brooklyn club
with +. A. Abel and II. r. Won der
Horst; the Chicago club. with James a.
Hart, and the Spalding interests.
According TO what has been learned
from some of Freedman's intimates. and
they are few in number. these men have
got to get out of National League base
bali before the great New York magnate
will consent to rehabilitate the sport in
New York. Brush has made up his mind
to drive Rogers to the wall if possible,
because of their long existing and never
to-be-healed feud. Freedman is after Won
der Horst because the latter threatened,
couple of years ago, to administer a
thrashing in the Waldorf Astoria because
of alleged personal insults. Andy Freed
man is also after Abel because his Brook
lyn club is so strong that New York has
been buried under a pile of ridioule.
Freedman is furthermore on the trail
of the Spaldings, because they had the
courage to publicly denounce his methods
of conducting the, New York club, the
resignation of j. w. Spaldng from the
local clubs treasurership being due solely
TO Freedman's declaration that he intend
ed to kill the game in New York. Brush
is antagonistic to Hart, because the Chi
cago magnate has displayed shrewdness
and ability to cope with momentous ques-
tions to such an extent that he has taken
the shine off the Indianapolis politician.
Now the question is. how can these OBJ
jectionable persons be forced out of the
National League? John T. Brush dropped
a hint the other day that let's in a little
light. He paid Ban johnson a compli-
ment in saying that the latter had been
successful in suppressing rowdy ball in
the American League, while Uncle Nick"
Young was solely to blame for the dis
order that has been allowed to flourish
on National League diamonds for years.
What has come over Brush that he should
say a single word in favor of Mr.. John
son?
That is the entering wedge driven in
deep by the Freedman Brush combina-
ton. They need johnson in their bust
ness, and they have begun erera lions by
patting the American Leagues president
on the back In order to reorgsniZe the
National League and leave out the peo-
pie named, Brush and his friends must,
of necessity have some substitutes. That
is where Johnson comes on, for Ban has
some able baseball men under his wing.
incidentally, the Brushites see that the
only way to beat the American League
to death is to offer them the hand of
friendship and then do the Understanding
trick in the dark. 1t is delicate piece
of business, but the able tricksters, who
have done much to kill the game with
politics, believe they can
carry it through. The first move toward
fixing things will be to assure Johnson
that he can have the presidency of the
new National League, with a big salary
and long-term contract.
1t is picturesque plan all right, but
what is the matter with the whole plan
turning out TO be a boomerang? Is il
reasonable TO suppose that johnson would
be willing to sink the individuality of
the American League and his own indie
pendence for the sake of becoming the
emplUye of the men who have made
themselves and the game unpopular with
the puDlic2 Ennnier things have hap
pened, but it would be extremely funny
If the Brush crowd discovered when they
got within earshot of the American
League president that Rogers, Spalding,
and Abel had succeeded in getting in on
the ground floor.
BY a shift of the cards it would be an
easy matter for the Philadelphia Ameri-
can League club to play on Rogers mag
nilicent bail park, the latter magnate and
Macks hackers having reached an under
standing. By such move the National
League would be shut out of Philadelphia.
unless Brush and the Wagners wanted to
put UP $4,000 to start another club there.
by forming an alliance with the Brook
lyn club the American League would
gain a much desired entrance to New
York. where the public is hungry for
American League ball. Such "A move
would eliminate the name Brooklyn
from baseball altogether. for Hanlon's
team would be called the New York
American League club" and the New
Yorks" from the start
The Brooklyn club has valuable plant,
4 crack team and a popular manage
ment The Brooklyn club has not done
much business at home in the last year
Or so because of the dead condition of
baseball and the intense unpopularity of
The National League.
But give the people something new and
they Will flock to it. The American
League is new and that's what the people