Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-16
BASEBALL NEWS.
National League Anxious to Form An other l2 Club Circuit-No Chance.

other 12 Club Circuit-No Chance.
 New York Dec 16-The National leagues eagerness to make peace with the American league is still the topic for discussion among baseball men. As the facts are being made known gradually, it turns out that Garry Hermann and Julius Fleischmann, the new owners of the Cincinnati club, were the first to advocate con ference with Ban Johnson and his friends. They were backed up by Frank Robison of St Louis and at the start they concluded to leave Brush and Soden out of the delibera- tions until they had approached other National league owners. As Brush and Hart had declared again and again that the National league would never meet an American league com mittee of which Johnson was a mem Der, Hermann, Fleischmann and Rob- isOn saw breakers ahead.e RobisOn came east with Charles W. Somers, president of the American league and during the journey he attempted to talk peace. but Somers was wary and did not commit himself.
 Then came the bombsheIl from the Johnson camp to the effect that the American league had secured grounds i'll this city. The National leaguers went to the Criterion hotel last Thurs day prepared to submit a plan which i'll their estimation would have settled the controversy ill no time. They were in favor of consolidation of the two leagues which would have evolved a tWelye-club circuit. They knew that the American league had secured the upper hand in Boston, PhiladeI- phia, Chicago and St Louis and that if Johnson got into this city and Pittsburg the jig would be up. The National league mGp remembered their experience with tine Players league and the Brotherhood in 1890 when, though beaten to a standstill, they succeeded in consolidating nothing with something and getting rid of some decidedly troublesome oppon- ents.
 So they went to the American league men confident that they could through similar deal. Soden, Con- ant and Billings, they were assured, stood ready to buy out the Boston American league team. Reach and Rogers were willing to sell their big plant to the Philadelphia Athletics. In St Louis Robison was looking for combination with the St Louis Amer jeans, while in Chicago Hart possibly thought that Comiskey would be glad to play on the National league grounds. With the withdrawal of the American league from this city, as part of the deal. the new circuit would have been made up of Boston, New York Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Balti- more Washington Chicago, St Louis., Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Cleveland and Detroit. A general shake-up of players equalizing the twelve teams in playing strength was another proposition that would have been set forth Tn word. the scheme looked well on paper and the National league men were filled with hope.
 But Johnson. Kilfoyle and Somers were not ready for conference, al. though Johnson all along has had full power to act. They said that the American league at it's coming meet ing would appoint a committee and the expected conference was postpon- ed much to the disappointment of the National league men. No date was set for the joint confab so that in the meantime the American league will not be able to go ahead with it's plans regarding this city and Pittsburg. Incidentally it may be said that if the tWelye-club proposition had been EI. IL. turned down, for the American league men are first, last and all the time in favor of two big major leagues work ing under q national agreement. They do not see what the National league has 10 give them and figure that they are fully able to paddle their own canoe for another season and more if necessary. Johnson, Soners and KiIfoyIe leave for the west to-day. They have cleaned uD a lot of busi- ness in relation to the new ball club here. but they will return along with other American league men after the holidays. When the American league decides to meet it's rival it will be on the basis of the terms of peace all ready outlined.
 John T. Brush said last night that He WOulQ De WILLIE IO let Ille fAiHeil- can league have Manhattan field next year. Owing to the talk which has been caused over the S15,OO0 rent for the field, it is thought that the New York Baseball club would like to get rid of the old ball grounds.
 Dick Buckley, the veteran catcher who developed Amos Rusie i'll the lat. ter's early days. is now running pool room il Chicago.
 Under Manager Hanlon 'Doughnut BilP' Carricl is expected to do better work than he turned out in Washing ton, where the Senators gave him de lirium tremens support.
 Manager Joe Cantillion of the Mil, waukee association club, has made a successful raid of the California league for players. having signed Outfie1der Dunleavy of Oakland. Pitchers Gutter