The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-26
TEN CLUB CIRCUIT
PRESIDENT JOHNSON WOULD LIKE
TO TAKE IN TWO MORE
CLUBS
CLUB OWNERS MAY OBJECT
American EIagnates Do Not Appear
Anxious to MingIe with
Messrs. Brush and
Freedman

CHICAGO, Feb. 3.-If Ban Johnson
| has his way, the circuit of the American
| league will be increased to ten clubs
! by the addition of New York and Gin
c1nnati. Johnson spent yesterday in ST.
| Louis. He made strenuous efforts to keep
this flying trip secret. He left Chicago
! Sunday night with Tom LOTUS His
ostensible purpose in going to st. Louis
was to talk over the plans for the new
| ball park in that city with Hedges and
| the other members Of the syndicate con-
trolling the ST. Louis club. His real OBJ
| ject was to confer with the representa-
tives of the New York and Cincinnati
| ball clubs.
This conference may have resulted in
| the framing of a deal whereby New
York and Cincinnati will jump to the
American league. The formal announce
| ment will not be made until the spring
meeting in Detroit March 5, and it may
| not be made then, as certain men in the
| American league may block the deal
Although none Of the men directly IN
| terested in the transaction Will tax. 1t
| is a fact that JohI /on mas been dlcKer-
| ing with Freedman and Brush for the
| last three weeks. The delay in perfect
| ing the deal has been caused by the IN
| ability of the men most interested to
| agree on terms. FreedmanS injunction
| suit against A. G.. Spalding will come up
| for argument on a writ of demurrer next
| Monday If Freedman loses the case
| he will undoubtedly do business VITA
! suit Both men are anxious to join forc-
es with the American league, but certain
men in that organization are opposed
| to expanding the circuit py the adI1ls-
| sion of New York and Cincinnati as long
! as Freedman and Brush control these
clubs.
! johnson himself is not an ardent ad-
| mirer of Freedman, and dislikes Brush,
| but he realized the value of the terri
tory they have to offer, and Is Wiling
to accept them, providing they agree to
! his terms. These terms were discussed
at the conference in st. Louis yesterday,
| but it does not follow that the deal was
closed The trouble is that Johnson, de-
| spite his admitted strength and inf1u-
ence. cannot swing certain club owners
| in his own league into line. The Senl-
ment in the American league IS undls-
putedly in favor of invading. New York,
| with the provision that there be two clups
in Gotham playing nonconhlcung
! schedule and working in harmony.
Men like Comiskey and Sommers want
| to see the National league operating on
! an eight-hour basis, with an American
| league team playing on Manhattan field
| in New York. These men hgure uhat
| Chicago, New York, Boston, PmladeIz
| two big teams, providing the playing
| dates do not conflict. Many of the Ma
| fiona1 league magnates entertain the
| same opinion, and the indications are
/ that the two big leagues will eventually
get together and frame up a pew ma
tional agreement.
An American league magnate sized up
the situation fairly well yesterday In a
! few tersely worded sentences:
| johnson is down in St. Louis looking
| after our interests, but L don't believe
| he will tie UP with Freedman and Brush
! Just now. Ban may want to turn the
! trick, but we club owners will want to
! think the matter over very carefully be-
| fore we indorse such a deal. What we
want is two eight-club circuits, and that
| is whv we want to see the National
! league people get together and settle
! their differences. Then it will be time
enough for US to break into New YORK.