Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-09
WHY McGRAW JUMPED
FACTS REGARDING THE MOVE OF
THE FAMOUS oRIoLE.
Was Ready to Transfer the Entire
Baltimore Team to New York
Over a Month Ago.

From Today's New York Sum-
If a scheme Matched several weeks ago
had gone through John ]. McGraw would
not have signed contract to manage
Freedmans New Yorks. but would have
been at the helm of a new base ball club
representing this city in the American
League. McGraw. who has been failure
as a manager in Baltimore, concluded two
months ago that base ball In that city,
whether under the auspices of the National
League or the American League, was
failure. Last winter he set to work to Sc
cure what he believed would be team
capable of winning the American League
championship. He engaged a corps of play
ers whose salaries in gross footed up $780,
900. He notified the Baltimore public that
unless his team was literally supported
these salaries and other heavy expenses
could not be paid. But the Baltimore team,
as managed by McGraw. was a loser almost
from the start. Rows with the umpire on
the field were frequent. and Ban Johnson,
president of the American League. in an
effort to cleanse the sport, was compelled
to suspend McGraw and other players on
frequent occasions. These penalties did not
rifle McGraw, however, until recently, when,
as an excuse for leaving Baltimore to fulfill
his engagement with Freedman, he gave
it out that he would no longer stand the
persecution of Johnson, who was trying to
| wreck the Baltimore team in order to trans
fer it to New York for the benefit of the
American League.
McGraw Planning.
AS matter of fact. McGraw. himself,
planned to bring the Baltimore club. lock,
stock and barrel. to this city more than q
month ago. On June 4, at the Gravesend
race track McGraw was Informed that there
was vacant plot of ground on Manhattan
Island, bounded the west by LIST ave-
| nue.. on the north by 18th street, on the
south by 111th street and on the east by the
| East river. The plot, with 10Th street
closed. is larger than the Polo grounds, and
| when McGraw heard Of it he at once con-
| suited Frank Farrell, known as the pool
room king" who owns race horses and not
| long ago was willing to pay $21S,OOO for the
| Empire City track in Yonkers.
In the preSense of the Sun reporter Nc
| Graw told Farrell about the plot, and 1t was
| agreed that II the ground available
| Farrell would lease it. But upon investl-
| eating matters it was discovered that the
| ground had been condemned by the city
| for public park.
| Farrell stands ready to back me for any
amount. said McGraw to the Sun man.
and II we can get ground we will put
! Freedman out of business. Base ball has
| been bad In Baltimore, and we intend to
| dump that city as soon we can make
arrangements to come to this city"
Unlimited Capital.
| Farrell also expressed the fullest conf
| dence In McGraw and said that he had I'M
limited capital with which to back an
American League club in this city On
Sunday. June 8, John ]. Mahon. president Of
the Baltimore club, who is the father-in-
| law OF Joe Kelley, the well-known Balti-
| more player, came to this city prepared to
look over the plot named above with Far
w hnf hxy hot fir,,n Do. \
| been learned that the ground was not avail
able Other grounds above the Harlem
river were talked Of. and President Mahon
| said that as soon as the right place was
located the Baltimore club would be shift
ed.
1t was pointed out to Farrell that a win
ming club In this city in the American
| League would simply coin money, that the
| American League had the cream of the
playing talent and that the National League
was on its last legs Farrell, who is anxi-
Gus to get into base ball. was ready to
stand for a lease of $4,000 a year and
would also have paid $4,000 for the Balti-
| more franchise 1t was naturally a sur
prise to him. therefore, when he heard yes
| terday that McGraw had Topped over to
| Freedman.
The owners of the Baltimore club intend
ed to unload their high priced players to
the highest bidders. They will incidental
ly lose their franchise in the American
League, for President johnson intends to
place a club here for next year whether
McGraw stays with Freedman or not. Far
rel is not the only man who is willing to
put up the money for a new club, for John
son has several hackers in line and also
has grounds. Several influential men In
the borough of the Bronx have been work
ing the wires to have an American League
club located here. They set forth the ar
gument that with the new through service
Of the Third avenue elevated road the in
| creased trolley service and the rapidly
| growing population above the Harlem river
| an American League club will pay, espec-
| tally If it is a winner. The American
League has already won the fight in Bos
ton, Philadelphia, Chicago and St Louis
where clubs conflict with the National
League, and it remains to make the fina
stroke by planting a club here.
To Have Full Control.
McGraw did not agree to sign with Freed
man until he found that he could not secure
grounds Manhattan Island. He does
not believe that location above the Har
lem river is desirable just yet, but If he
had seen his way clear he would probably
have chung to Johnson and the men whc
have made the American League what it is
In engaging McGraw, therefore, Freedman
has the satisfaction of knowing that he
has taken under his protecting wing g
man who stood ready to drive the Nationa
League to the wall in this city, aided by
been able to WELD mysterious power in the
councils Of Tammany Hall.
| Freedman has declared recently that h
will not tolerate rowdy ball. McGraw, who
has earned the sobriquet Of Muggsy," be-
cause Of his peculiar tactics on the dia
| mond will have to toe the line or cause
the New York club to stultify itself. The
| new manager says he believes that he viii
. have absolute control Of the local team
so that 1t is up to him to keep the game