Waterbury Democrat., 1901-10-08
BASE BALL GOSSIP.
Some Ball Players Can Remember an
 Tnsultl

the ST Louis National league club were ordered by President De Hass Robison to report in this city yesterday for conference. They had made their ar- railgementssto go to their homes from Cincinnati at the conclusion of SIlIl- duy,s games. The team showed up at the league park yesterday afternoon and had a talk with President Robl- son. Not one of the recalcitrants would attach his signature to a con- tract for the coming season. On last Saturday President Robison secured the services of Manager Donovan and nine other players for 1902, and he wanted his Big Five" Burkett, Heid- rick, Wallace, Padden and Powell, bat has thus far failed to induce them to renew contracts to play with him; Dur ing the conference yesterday afternoon President Robison said to the players: T can get along without you, though I desire very much that you should continue with the Cardinals next sea- son." The players told Mir Robson that they had not yet forgotten or for given the open letter he sent out fast season, charging them with throwing down the team in 1900. The meeting adjourned without President Robison being able to secure the signatures of any of these men, though not one would admit that he had signed with the American league. 1t can be posi- lively stated, however, that the sigma lures of these five men have been at tifched to contracts to play with the American league. This information comes from one of. the players, with the request that his name be not used.
 It is believed that a majority of the clubs in the two major leagues made money this year. Those who are said to have done well in the box office are New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, PittSburg and St Louis in the National league, and Boston, Philadelphia, De troit and Chicago in the American league As between one league and the other there is little sentiment in so far as it affects patronage. Take two teams in one city and the team that makes the better showing gets the peo- pie That has been shown at Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. There is plenty of room for two leagues, but were they on a friendly footing it worid be mutually advantageous
 Although the raeeA was very clQseifor a greater part.bf it's duratiorf fflfe new champions, the Pittsburgs, won the pennant by much larger percentage
 
 percentage above the normal, as it were. However, up to the finish Of the last trip east of the western teams the issue. was unoertain. While the ffnfll fhfee weeks of the race were ratIl- CT tame, the preceding five months werel exciting. The closing hours of the, season were obscured to large extent by more seasonable and, for the time being, more important sports. The yacht races re1egated base ball to the background and football, too, has drawn attention away from base ball, though it may be said that considering the length of the base ball season and the quantity of it squeezed into that length of time, no sport surpasses it in its wearing qualities. The base ball season, nevertheless, is too long. It could stand a shortening of at least two weeks. It is better to stop before interest begins to play out. Five months, with interest screwed up to n high point throughout, is better than six months with interest Tagging at the finish. President Hart of Chicago, is one who believes q schedule Of f26 games would be better than one of 14O. He says the advantages of such change would be felt by spectators anG players as well as club treasuries. on this subject Mir Hart says: T hope the league will adopt the meas ure soon. The greatest advantage would be that the weather would be better from May 1 to October 1 than from April 15 to October 15. With a schedule of 126 games the attendance will be fully as great as it is now. Let the teams play three series of three games each and there will be as many persons to see the nine games as to see the ten games, with the eaceptiG1e Of the two leading teams. They will draw very we'll every time they play, but will be ahead on the season any way and it will be no injustice to fhem to shorten the season. Shortening the season will be decided advantage for the teams that are down in the race, which will not draW paying crowds after the campaign has been decided. A short season would help every body identified with the game, except the two leading clubs, and they ought 10 be willing atd sacrifice in order to help the rest of the peeple who are in the ganie.'' ss&
 Manager Husband of the Parson base ball club of Parkersburg, W. Va. has been missing for the last two weeks. and the salaries of nearly all the players are unpaid. The Parson team was reputed to be backed by millionaire and played great ball all the season. Many of the play CTS were students of the West Virginia university and drew no pay, expecting it all at the end of the season. The salary shortage was about $1,00O
 Delehanty, the heavy hitter of the Philadelphia league team, thus refers to the statement that he and others had signed American league contracts: When the yarn was first sprung in Philadelphia that a wholesale raid had been made on the team they had the pictures of ten of us strung along ihe paper Now that list has dwindled down to two, and Harry Wolverton and I are the last of the Mochicans.' will swear that the man who listened to thai communication between Char ley Nichols and did not hear me ask Nichols to sign an American leag1e contract. The only time contract was was in discussing Harry Wclverton's case. I have not signed with tho American league; neither have I asked a living soul to sign with that