Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-12
BASE BALL PLANS
Next Week to Be Very Important in
Their Capitalization,
EYES TURNED TOWARD QUAKER CITY
American League Will Shortly An
nounce Its Policy.
S P O RTS IN GEN r A L

If present indications do not go awry
next week should be great one for devel-
oping the plans of the different base ball
organizations. The National League, New
National Association and American League
have plans for protection, organization and
expansion, respectively, and spring is
fast drawing near decisive action must
soon be taken.
The third invasion of the east by the
high officials of the American League is
expected not later than next Wednesday.
The Philadelphia Press Of today says that
1t Is reported that President Johnson and
his companions will hold the most M
portant meeting In the history Of the Amer
lean League in the Quaker city next Tues
day or Wednesday. At that meeting high
ly important developments are looked Cor,
stree many of the plans which have been
forming for months past should come to
head. The most important of these is the
selection Of the eighth city to complete the
circuit.
President johnson Is expected to arrive
in Philadelphia tomorrow night and Chas.
Sommers of Cleveland is reported to be
already there. Connie" Mack has been in
Philadelphia ever since the last meeting
working out the grounds problem with the
city fathers, and it is now believed that
the permit will be issued at the next meet
ing of councils, leasing the old Athletic
grounds to the American League. The Sc
lection of grounds in Philadelphia by the
American League has been knotty prob
lem, the opposition people claiming that the
permit would never be issued but President
johnson says the first sod will be turned
in the new park not later than January H.
This confidence on the part of President
Johnson indicates that he has Information
not known to the opposition.
The Prominence of Irwin.
In closing up the circuit question for the
American League. Arthur Irwin has come
to the front as a most important factor,
replacing Manager McGraw on the pinnacle
occupied by the latter for some time. Mr..
Irwin Is credited with being a stanch men,
Der of the New National Association, and.
having a lease on Charles River Park, Bos-
ton, he holds the key to the situation. If
he sticks to the New National 1t Is hardly
possible for the American League to get
into the city of culture, as there are no
other grounds available. In that case Buf-
falo will be the eighth city for this year
and perhaps the American can pick up
agreement between the National League
clubs comes to an end. 1t is difficult to
reconcile the reported afhliatlon OF the Ma
tiona League and the New National As
sccia ton and the locating of team IN
Boston by Mr.. Irwin. The expansion of
Mr.. Johnson's league is what has caused
all the turmoil in base ball, and it is
doubtful If the National League would an
ia gonize him and favor another opposition
National Agreement Violated.
A special from Milwaukee says that Pres
ident Johnson was in Milwaukee yesterday
in consultation with Magnate Kililea of
that CITY, After a long conference Phila-
delphia was selected as the city in which
the next American League meeting will be
| 1,a15 hat tpa dofo Tao1
agree with the advice from the Quaker city.
President Johnson stated after the confer
ence that his league was not subject to
certain agreements now, the National
League had violate ted the contract thereby
making the agreement void. He said that
Conroy had been drafted by Cincinnati from
Milwaukee, Buelow by Pittsburg from
Cleveland but that neither had been paid
for Chicago had selected Hartzel Of In
dianapols and Miller Of Detroit to fulfill
part of another agreement, but neither had
been paid for, therefore the agreement
was broken.
Duffy to Manage Milwaukee.
Each American League club, says Presi-
dent johnson, will be limited to fourteen
players, and the season will open April %.
1t was also given out in milwaukee last
night that Hugh Duffy of Boston has prac-
tically been secured to manage the club In
that city next season.
tween the two Chicago clubs. whereby Mr..
Hart was to receive 5000 from Charley
Comiskey in case the latter broke with the
National League, President Johnson has
been quoted as saying that the contract Is
not worth the paper it is written on. When
seen by Chicago newspaper man Ihurs-
day night, President Johnson admitted the
truth Of the statement. saying: II have
made such a statement after submitting
the agreement to a lawyer, who spent three
Il t,,1 ipin TnIviCt M
| tract was drawn up by Mr.. Harris attor-
| neys, SO I felt at ease in the matter. But
| it is not fair to me to state that intended
| to break the contract. We do not want
| conflicting schedule. Whether we will abide
| by the other parts of the contract depends
upon what the National League does. If
| they treat us fairly, we will do the same.
| If it comes to war could l be blamed for
not living up to contract which would
not hold good in law?
President Hart was also seen and takes
| quite another view of the matter. He says
| in part: Il entered into the agreement In
| good faith and have kept its provisions.
| felt I was dealing with gentlemen. The
| question of whether or not we could col
| lect the 5000 is scarcely material . the
| right and wrong Of the affair, even though
| 1t might eventually come up In lawsuit
| 1 do not care to discuss the terms of the
| contract, which never made public. 1t
will be time for me to act when 1t Is vio-
| lated"
Regarding President Ebbets' charge that
| the American League is carrying on big
| game Of bluff. Mr.. Johnson says: $50 Mr.
| Ebbets thinks that we are bluffing. Well,
he will soon be of different mind He
doesn't think that we will go east at all
Well. here is Manning. He goes back to
Kansas City tonight to pack up all his CT
| fects, and he will leave for WashingI IN
with his family next Monday or Tuesday.
Then. I will add that we will break the
| first sod for our Philadelphia grounds on or
about January II. That also looks Ike a
bluff, I suppose: The National League wiz,
| discover that 1t has run up against the most
| effective bluff in its existence"
BOWLING LEAGUE.