The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-11
HAS A PIPE DREAM
Cincinnati Post Asserts That the
American League. Baseball
Race Was Fixed.
Says League Directors Put Strongest
Players in Cities Where OPP
position Was Met.

writers in many years-and baseball beats
any ordinary kind Of dope for inspiring
weird freaks of the imaginat1on-1s the
pipe which the sporting editor Of the Gin
cinnati Post conceived short time since.
The Post opines that the baseball fight
in the American league was fixed; that 1t
was all hippodrome affair, devised to
keep the Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston,
and st. Louis clubs In the front rank
thereby maintaining interest in the four
cities where the American had National
league opposition.
The Post does not assert that games
were thrown by the American league clubs
to keep the enthusiasm of the fans alive,
but maintains that the disposal Of the
stars secured from the older league was
managed by the league directors, so as to
insure strong teams in the four cities
named. while in the other towns clubs UNI
able to put up even respectable ball were
placed. The Post says:
Syndicate Ball, Says the Post.
Strong teams We're placed in Philadel-
phia, Boston, Chicago and st. Louis, while
in the other burgs clubs unable to put up
even respectable ball were placed. Cleve-
land had to take In the stars from Phila-
delphia by force, for had the, league di-
rectors handed over such men as Lajoie,
Bernhard. Flick or Hickman to any of the
teams in the four cities named the race
between them might have been unequal.
That would have robbed the race of in
terest where interest was absolutely neces
sary. In Boston, Philadelphia. St. Louis
and Chicago 1t was a winner or nothing
that was necessary to the life Of the
american, and Ban Johnson that those
cities got just what they wanted.
The American League race has been
a pretty one SO far as four clubs have
been concerned but 1t was fixed race,
manipulated by the baseball syndicate.
Had the race been on the level and in the
National 1t would have created furore
in the baseball world unlike anything in
the past decade. But In the Association,
well, 1t Is looked upon as a huge joke OF
a gigantic baseball trust, a far greater
trust than Ban Johnson ever contemplated
when he roasted John r. Brush and
other National League magnates on the
score Of foreign ownership and 'syndi-
cate baseball not so very long ago."
Now analyze this story, especially that
part of 1t which says that 1.-THE other
towns had clubs unable to put up even re-
spectacle ball" The Detroit team started
off like winner. 1t had what looked like
q very strong com animation, and the gen.
eral concensus Of opinion is that but for
disaffection among the players, the team
would have rema ined near the head of the
ladder. Such players as Mcclure, Elber-
field, Casey, Barrett, Mercer, Siever, and
GLEASON, would De Cdlleu TeSpeCtdDle ny
most fans
Then take Baltimore. McGraw had a
combinatio which looked very much like
a winner on paper. If it wasn't the as
tute McGraw was badly buncoed, for he
was reputed to have one Of the highest
salary lists in the league. Washington
was weak compared to some of the other
teams, but no weaker than q number of
National league teams have been in past
years. Cleveland was In a bad way before
it got LaJoie. Flick. and Bernhard, but
probably the Cleveland management was
willing to pay more for these men than
the other teams. because it needed them
more. Comiskey, with Griffith, Callahan
Paterson, and Piatt all pitching good ball
as they were when Philadelphia lost Bern
hard, would not make strenuous etfor
to get that twirler. St. Louis didn't want
Flick SO much as Cleveland. And so or
through the list The first division teams
were fairly we'll satisfied with their men
and while any of them would have vel
coined such man LaJoie, Clevelan,
was the club which would naturally mako
the most strenuous efforts to get him.
A good many baseball men think thai
Freedmans pulling out Of the New Yori
club was simply the first step in cam
paign for the presidency Of the ,Nationa
league. Freedman, in the opinion O.
these men. will be asked to become thu
head of the league, with Brush still a.
plans Of the two magnates do not miscar
~. -.
This will be a star play, and show t,
the world how strong is Freedman an,
how far he was in the game when he wa
ALTERING on the threshold but a few shor
months ago. while A. G. Spalding wa
after the scalp of the combination whicl
had decided to make the league one BIZ
corporation.
There was a song written once about
cat which, in spite Of fire, flood, or earth
quake, returned always to its own fire
side The name of the feline was no
given In the ballad, but it must hav
been some relatio nto Andrew
PIttsburs Club Intact.
In spite of the stories circulated abou
the inroads that the American Leagu
has been making into Colonel Barne
Dreyfuss' team, the doughty colont
seems to have kept his great aggregate
fairly intact. Dreyfuss says he has al
ready signed pitchers Philippe, Leeve
Doheny. Merritt, Wilhelm. McLaughli
and Falkenburg, as we'll as one othe
whose name is kept secret; catchers Tin
mer, Phelps and Smith; inflelders Leacl
Bransfield, Ritchey,. Conroy and Burke
outfielders, Beaumont, Clarke, Hans Wae
ner and Sebring.
In addition to these 1t is currently r,
ported that Happy jack Chesbro wi
leu the league IN percentage OF VlCtOrle
has affixed specimen Of his chirograpf
to paper provided by Colonel Dreyfus
which paper requires the colonel to d
into his jeans each month for lars
bunch Of green paper. If all these me
stick, the only changes in the Pittsbul
team next season, as compared with Il
roster at the beginning Of 1902, will
the loss Of Tannehill O'Connor and Davi
and the addition. of a few colts who w
be tried out and retained If they NAL
good.
O'Connor left the team some mont
ago, and Davis was put out of the gan
by a broken leg early in the seaso
Tannehill was told to roll his hoop O
of Barney's yard just as soon as the la
game was played. Barney says tn
fanny was naughty boy, and that tt
little pirates couldn't slide down the &c
lar door five minutes at a time witho
fanny starting a hair-pulling match.
The king of southpaws will In all pro-
ability play in Ban Johnson's garnet her
after. -
Bobby" Wallace, the great shortsto
declares that while he hasn't signed wi
the browns for 1903 as yet, he is as got
as landed, and, anyhow, intends remain
ing in his present position. -
II wish to declare once for all, - sa
Wallace in a letter to friend "that w
play with the St. Louis American Leag,
club next year. Mr.. Hedges and I hal
agreed upon terms, and VIII sign Il
contract just as soon as am in the n,
ton. No other man in baseball can reat
me-