The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-12
LENNON WILL FIGHT
PRESIDENT OF SAINTS DOES NOT
WANT CONTRACT JUMPERS
IN AMERICAN
WILL CLOSE BALL PARK GATES
Local Magnate VIII CaII>Games on
Before He Permits "Rubber-
legs" to Play in
ST. Paul.

The American Association of Profess
sional Baseball Clubs will not do bust
ness with ball players who deliberately
break their signed contracts If the word
of George Z. Lennon, president of the st.
Paul Baseball club, carries any weight
in the deliberations of the Hickey league.
Lennon is against contract jumpers
first, last and all the Time and though
the organization claiming st. Paul In its
circuit may be handicapped this season,
the president of the st. Paul team DOES
not believe that a single contract jumper,
no matter what his worth, should be al
lowed to play in the American.
TN tell you right here" said the st.
Paul magnate yesterday afternoon, that
/ will not vote at any time to give our
club owners the right to play men who
have jumped their contracts. l do not
want the association to do business with
a single contract jumper, no matter how
good his record as ball player, and j
will fight any proposition to do business
with these men right through to the fin
ish.
Will Close the Ball Park.
"Ill go farther with you and say this:
Amy time any club owner in the American
association tries to play proven coz
tract jumper at Lexington park, the
gates of that park swing shut.
Il do not mean to say that l will not
play my club against any club that has
signed contract jumper, but do mean
to say that / will not play my club
against a team with rubberleG in its
lineup.
THE contract jumpers will not play at
Lexington park, and this statement goes,
too.
II know that if we let down the bars
we could get a lot of good men, but
we have men fast enough without letting
M
in the Western league that I could use
just at the present time, but 1 will do
without them and take a chance before
! will enter into any plan to do business
with these men who refuse to respect
their signed contracts.
Il don't want a contract jumper on
the team, for all contract jumpers look
mean and contemplate to me, and l don't
want any men of that strips on my pay
roll.
Some Of the men who signed with me
and then jumped have good records III
the guides, but l am glad that they jump
ed. They may be good players but /
want men working for me who are honor
able enough to respect agreements they
signed-aEd signed at their own terms.
Il might be able to give St Paul
better ball team by entering into this
suggested plan of taking in contract
jumpers, but L believe that the St. Paul
IL L
show a dub team before they would APP
prove of my taking in men who have
no GS-Sect for business agreements.
THE contract breakers cannot do bust
ness with the American association az
long as my voice in the matter counts
for anything, and l mean every word
that L say, too"
Lennon With HavenOr.
This talk by the president of the st.
Paul team means that he will stand side
hHrc cir with ha nix ara emf
in fighting against the proposition to let
down the American association bars to
the contract jumpers.
The whole trouble is seemingly started
by George Tebeau, the shreWd leader of
the Louisville team. Tebeau has signed
Bob Schaub for the Colonies. Schaub
has attached his name to two contracts,
for the Toronto people claim that he
signed with them long before Tebeau
started making him offers.
Tebeau now has Schaub on his list but
Magnates Lennon and Havenor are on
record. and and, the jumperaif he is real
bic will be started in the directors room
of the American association.
Tebeau, always shrewd is already
planning to hold Schaub, and he has ap-
prently won President Hickey over to his
side, for Hickey has written to several
of the magnates suggesting a war
against the National Association of Mi
nor Leagues.
According to Tebeau's way of thinking
the time has arrived when the American
association should pull out the swords
and cannon, bury all talk of fair play.
and turn loose in an attempt to make
the association of peanut leagues look
IKE badly chewed dime stacked up
against the national debt
Schaub may be fast man, but he is
only one man. Tebeau may need him. but
Ieoeau can save the finish of the Amer
lean association by eliminating his war
speeches.
Association Gfrnn1-
The American association Is strong
enough in its present condition to feel
certain of a successful season. and il
has the fans with it. A misstep now
means that although several of the teams
may be strengthened, the fanatics will
see the American lined up side by side
with the pirates of the Powers organiza-
ton. and that the fanatics at least the
St Pull supporters Of the game, win not
In declaring against the Tebeau plan
PRESIDENT Lennon is again showing the
st. Paul fans that he is trying to give
them just what they desire. Lennon
wants to give st. Paul the best team
possible, but he refuses to improves his
team by taking in contract jumpers.