The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-10
SPORTS
LENNON WILL FIGHT
St. Paul Baseball Magnate Will Not
Consent to Transfer to
His Club.
Will Take Matter Into Court and
Insist on Enforcing Ten Year
E. Agreement.

President Lennon. of the st. Paul base
ball club is ready to go into the courts
and fight the American, association to a
finish on the proposition OF transferring
the ST. Paul franchise to Chicago or any
other city...s. i - Il - ( |
The situation briefly, is this: When the
American association was organized all
the clubs signed ten-year agreement de-
signed! to prevent a majority OF the CLUBS
from forcing out one man against his con-
sent. At the close of the season OF 1907,
however the club owners: got together and
compared the seasons gate receipts. find,
ing st. Paul at the tag end of the list.
Immediately after the organization Of the
league, the possibility of encouraging los,
ing towns was discussed, and the owners
made a verbal agreement not to object to
the transfer of their teams if the. yearly,
balance sheet showed deficit. This
agreement was recalled at the end Of the
season, but Lennon made a strenuous
fight, and finally compromise he was
given a certain time to secure a down.
town baseball park. The st. Paul coun-
Gil refused to give Lennon permission to
erect a frame structure within the fire linn
it's. :.
Then Hickey went ahead with his plans
to put the ST. Paul club in Chicago. This
week a conference was held in Chicago
between Hickey and Lennon. Briefly the
result was that Lennon declared that he
was not through trying to secure a, down
town park. Hickey insisted that time
enough had been given and pressed Len
non to sell. Lennon finally declared that
eunleSS he was left unmolested until he
thought all hope Of securing new grounds
was dead, he would ignore the verbal
agreement made year ago. and take the
matter into the courts before consuming
to a transfer.
The association is against Lennon to a
man with the exception Of Johnston and
W1lmot of Minneapolis, but the st. Paul
magnate is in an ugly mood and says they
must show him.
One league. with twelve clubs, may be
the outcome Of the peace conference be-
gun at Cincinnati yesterday.
At any rate. there will be peace be-
tween the magnates if there is not a con-
solida ton. This has been made certain
by the first days conference.
The joint conference went into execu-
tive session at p. m. Presidents John
son and Pulliam were made the fourth
members Of each committee of the Amer
lean and National leagues, respectively
The eight representa- ives were the only
ones admitted to the conference.
The conferees were in session until al
| most Z O'Clock, when a recess. was taker
| until p. m. They went to another room
in the hotel where dinner had been or.
dered for the party. and an executive SEES
sion was practically continued while they
| were dining. Messrs. Hermann, Robi
son, Hart. Pulliam. Johnson, Comiskey
Killilea and Somers were alone during thu
| afternoon. but Robert l.. Hedges of st
Louis. Barney Dreyfuss of Pittsburg ah'
| some friends of Chairman Hermann, tn
host. were with the peace commissioner
while they were dining. The sitting the1
was with closed doors, with a, crowd o
sporting editors and baseball men on TIL
outside.
The peace commissioners we're inter
viewed as they passed into the privat
dining room. and stated that no actio
had been taken on anything but that the
had discussed during the afternoon in a
informal manner all the questions in dis
pute between the two leagues. They ha
not yet agreed on the extent or even tn
character of an agreement that would
proposed for the ratification of their re
spective leagues. and until that point
reached they would be unable to decide 0
the order of business Or what -questio
should be taken UP first. All the conferee
> were emphatic in stating that there. ha
ben no bitter words passed during tt
afternoon and that the feeling was rnuc
better than when the doors were opened
and some, who hod no confidence
reaching any agreement when they assen
/
there would be a peace agreement. Or
of the conferees said that the change
opinion during the session had done vel
, much toward promoting mutual conf
dence.
IF the American league baseball sta1
jump back to the. National league, it,
good by high salaries,' said Perry Wei
den, the big first baseman yester1a.
discussing the peace conference in Gil
cinnati. Perry then went ON to- cite.
= few parallel instances in baseball hstor
D II can remember two or three baseba
e wars myself said Perry. Il figured
one, and during the progress of the f1gl
I received the largest salary I ever g
for playing,-$2,50 500 season and $50
bonus. was kid then and the none
/. Hooked as big as a house.. Now. if IL
=. men who have jumped from the Nation
to the American jump back again. it W.
i wreck the American, and as soon as Il
= American is out of the way. the old'
league Will chop the salaries down to tt