The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24

2
| during the past week by the Cincinnati
| Club: Crawford. Steinfeldt. Beckley Phil
| lips and Breitenstein. This gives Manag-
er McPhee. the following players up to
date: Kahoe Breiteustein. Beckiey.
Steinfeldt. Bergen, Crawford Magoon,
PETIT, Newton, Harley. and Phillips. The
following PLAYERS have not signed: Scott
Corcoran, Hahn, Geier. Irwin, Dobbs. and
Barrett.
According to weIl-founded reports. the
following will play on the Philadelphia
American team: Cafchers Harry Smith
and Powers; pitchers, willis and Fraser,
both of the National League last year;
| first baseman. Chisholm: second baseman,
I.ajoie: shortstop. Dave FuItz; third
baseman. Lave Cross: outfielders. Geier
and Crawford of last years Cincinnati
Club, and Lefty Davis.
Nine of last years Philadelphia team
are still Observation-Disclosures Lajoie,
| Thomas, Slagle. Wolverton. Bernhard,
Piatt, Douglass and Fraser-and. if re-
port be true. at least three of these
have already Joined the American
| League. These are Slagle, who will in all
probability be found with the Washing
ton Club and Lajoie and Fraser signed
with the Philadelphia American League
Club. Bernhard is being sorely tempted
10y Somers Boston Club, and Mcfarland
has had big offer from Connie Mack's
Philadelphia team. Roy Thomas has de-
| clined to leave the National League. but
he is not satisfied by the salary offer
ed him by the Philadelphia Club.
President Charles thinner, of the Play
ers Protective Association. and who last
year played with the Pittsburg Club, has
announced his retirement as a profess
siOnal baseball player. 1t is understood
that the dissatisfaction and unfavorable
comment expressed by many players
over Zimmers action at the recent meet
ing OF the National League led him to
take the step. thinner says he has re-
turned his contract for this season to
the fIttsburg Club unsigned.
Speaking of his retirement, thinner
said: Il have been charged with double
dealing and everything else by the Pro-
tectlve Association, Notwithstanding that
1 succeeded in getting from the National
League magnates the precise concessions
the players demanded. 1 desire to reiter-
ate once more that l acted solely for tho
best interests of the players and with no
selfish motive as some of the latter con-
time to assert"
thinner has a private business which
assures him livelihood, he says, without
playing ball.
President Hart. Of the Chicago National
League Club. does not appear to be great
ly disturbed over the charges Of President
Ban Johnson. of the American League,
that he himself was the man who first
broke the agreement. with the American
League. ,s
Those American League magnates are
the most ingeniotis people in the world
to get around a CONTRACT says Mr.. Hart
Why, they could make black look white
The American League broke its part of
the contract with ME at the time when
it refused to renew the national agree
ment 1t is folly Tor johnson to get so
excited over anything like that. StHl. l
can see where they have good reason to
be worried. The question Of that con-
tract, whenever brought w. certainly
seems to make Mr.. Johnson excited.
Il don't know whether or not | VIII go
into court about it. When the proper
time comes / shall probably turn the CON
tract over to my attorney, and whatever
he says Will go with me.
II notice that the lawyers for the Amer
lean League are giving out opinions on
the legality of the ball-players contract.
II the opinion made by Mr.. Johnson holds
good the American League won't be able
to hold a single player No contract with
IA ball-player is good. according to that.
The American League will have its troub-
les before 1t has gone very far
According 10 a Cleveland lawyer. who
has drawn up an elaborate opinion for
the benefit of Charlie Somers, the Ma
tionaI League is the two thousand five
hundred and sixty-seventh tentacle of the
octopus. 1t is wicked and deviIish
trgt MT for he
of all principles which entitle it to recog-
milton either from the public or the courts
OF record. This opinion is In direct con-
tradiction TO the opinion lately obtained
by the Philadelphia National Leaguers
from a Quaker lawyer. As to the supe-
riority of the Cleveland brand of law to
that of Philadelphia, or vice versa. the
public must be the judge, with a mental
reservation to the effect that any Chicago
police court attorney could make the law
yer from Philadelphia and his rival from
Cleveland look like plugged half-nicl1el
The Cleveland barrister holds that the
entire contract of the National League is
a conspiracy against the freedom of the
ball player. and that, when bound by its
in a manner not contemplated in the
statutes or in the constitution.
Stripped of legal yerbiage. the Cleve-
land mans opinion is nothing more than
a dozen lawyers and most plain citizens
have already seen-that the National
League contract is legal joke. II has |
no equity, therefore, as laws iODk iDNdTu
equity. it is an impossibility. 1t does
not give the player an even break at any
point. for it gives the club the right to
fire him and gives him no right to leave
the club. On this one point alone the |
National League contract is a dead iizZle, |
and il needed no additional lawyers for |
people TO realize thefact
The Brooklyn Club has added Pitcher |
Kitson to its string If signed players, |
and the team is now almost compete. |
The men signed to date include Hughes. |
Kennedy. Kitsou, Donovan, pitchers. |
Kelley and Dahlen. infelders; Keeler and |
outfielders. Second Baseman i
DAILY has virtually accepted terms.
1t is Hanlon intention to play Dab |
len at third base and put his new intield |
az. Gatins. at short ileld. He is after |
"a new outtielder. but If he can induce |
Jennings TO sign another contract Kelley |
viii be kept in the outiield.
President Ban johnson has announced |
the official makeup of the Milwaukee |
team as follows: Conner and Leahy, |
catchers; Sparks. Reidy Garviu, Dow |
ling. IlustinG. and Reltger, pitchers: An
dcrson frst base; Gilbert, second base; |
Conroy. shortstOp. Burke. third base. |
Iialimnn, lcftiield. Duffy, centrelleld; |
righuield.
BIZ Phillips has decided to remain in
Cincinnati this season and his signed |
has been received. He writes
that ne is In excellent condition.
4 FfF..Ts.. II.