The Saint Paul globe., 1902-07-30
FREEDMAN AND BRUSH
THESE TWO MAGNATES PLANNED
THE BALTIMORE RAID
President Barney Dreyfuss and the
Brooklyn Management Were Not in
the DeaI-Burden Of Censure Must
De Borne by McGraw, Mahon and
Kelley.

Hasty fanatics who are styling Nc
Graw the Benedict Arnold of the base
ball world are apt to consider the
Baltimore deal a carefully planned at
tempt on the part of the National
league to wreck the younger organiZa-
ton. 1t is not fair to include all the
club owners in what was, as is becom-
ing more and more apparent, a deal
planned out and executed by Brush
and Freedman. The Sporting Life in
discussing the case says regarding this
part of the episode:
"The National league has been
widely and hastily cenSured, as a body,
for what was no doubt planned and
executed by a mere faction on it's own
responsibility. That all of the clubs
were not in with the deal is evident
from President Dreyfuss' strong dis
approval of it, and from Brooklyn'S
protest against the appropriation of
certain players on whom it held prior
claim. The fact appears to be that
MeSSrS. Freedman and Brush conceiv-
ed, financed and executed the deal,
with the aid of McGraw, principally
for the purpose of strengthening their
respective teams, and incidentally
proving to their constituencies their
Willingness to spend their money lib
orally for that purpose. Under the
circumstances the benefit to the Ma
tional league or injury to the Ameri-
can league were bound to only sec
ondary considerations.
I'm this move MeSSrS. Freedman and
Brush acted within their legal right to
purchase where they could find a mar
ket. The morality Of the attempt to
wreck a club of rival league in mid
season is one more of the many queS-
tons raised by the acts of both leagues
in state of fierce war. But there can
be no question among right thinking
men as to the turpitude of the sellers.
The burden of censure in this trans
action must be borne by Messrs. Ma
hon, Kelley and McGraw-the first two
named for selling out in their position
of trust, their league and fellow stock
holders; and McGraW for acting as
the agent Of a new employer in deal
calculated to not only throw down the
city to which he owes so much of his
baseball success, but to despoil the
personal friends who Loyalty supported
him, backed his schemes, financed his
club, and made him a present of the
very club stock he used as a lever to
accomplish his selfish purposes and
their overthrow. And so once more
through a player has the cause of the
players received a fearful blow.
Summing up all the effects of the
Baltimore coup, more good than harm
has after all been done. AS before re-
marked, the American league has been
very materially benefited by the
change in the Baltimore situation
heretofore the one weak link in a
strong chain. 1t has, moreover, been
rudely but effectually enlightened as
to a serious situation, put upon its
guard for the present, and placed
upon it's mett1e to meet futSre emer-
gencies. The old, and hitherto supine
National league profits Immediately by
enhanced prestige with it's own con-
stituencies and with the players at
large; and it will profit still more in
the future if the infusion of new blood
shall materially strengthen such i'm
portant strongholds as New York and
Cincinnati"