The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-03
COMMENTS OF Mr.. HEDGES
HAVE PROVOKED CRITICS.
kett-Padden Manifesto Anger Tow
~Cittes-Secret Of Popularity.

Mr.. Hedges of the st. Louis American
League Club seems to have got himself
In a pretty pickle over his famous Il will
sell Padden and Burkett" manifesto. For
st. Louis baseball w~riters-who claim that
they represent those fatuous individuals
yclept ~"tanS"-gave the smiling young hui
man icicle quite a dressing down for dar-
ing to say that he would sell the pair Of
players.
Then Mr.. Hedges very properly denied In
St Louis what he said In Cincinnati. and
stgmatlzed himself as q probable fool II
he would say any such thing.
Now the Cincinnati newspaper gentlemen
TO whom Mr.. Hedges made the Paoaen-
Burkett announcement are taking umbrage
at his ST. Louis denial. Mr.. hedges mas
his residence in Cincinnati and does his
baseball business in ST. Louis. HIS posi-
tion Is not by any means comfortable; BE
ing a fire under HIM. At home in Cincin.
natl they are fairly burning MIN up. Next
time Mr.. Hedges gets reaoy to sell a player
he will cogitate a good hlc before he turns
his tongue loose.
II you would form Judgment from what
those expert baseball writer's say. Burkstt
aforesaid fatuOus fan, while Wallace 10
regarded as an ideal player. 1t may be
hand and a sweeter disposition-in public
than Burkett- He may be ten to one a
more valuable ball player. But If Burkett
did as Wallace did. knowingly. signed a
it in spite OF hades and tide water. instead
OF repudiatlng it when by SO doing he saw
ne mor had a chance to make a little moro
Just how that well-meaning sucker" the
fan. can hold his faith in baseball when
men like Wallace repudiate their secret
contracts is more than any thinking man
can explain. Whatever faults Of depOrt-
ment Burkett may possess, his word Is bet
ter than the absolute bond of such men as
Wallace. But integrity Of personal char
acter seems to be of little value these days,
compared with a con- smile and a strong
arm.
act are not all OF Mr.. Hedges's troubles.
That most eminent sporting writer. Ben
tamin Stuart Muckenfuss, whose glorious
GSsnomen reminds one OF the Twelve
Won der Abe, has been laying the iron OF
criticism to the scared soul Of the unhappy
young club owner.
Mr.. Muckenfuss has been telling Mr..
Hedges. in sonorous periods, that his team
Ii punk" Burkett Is played out. Padden
armless, Heidrick legless. Mccormick eye;
and sudhoff no good, according to the I'M
partial Muckenfuss. Then the versatile
Muckenfuss, who plies the lash of criticism
as man-of-all-work to his worthy business
and sporting rival. Mr.. Robson. displays
his absolute and lively knowledge Of the
ing Mr.. Robison's .Three-Eye League team
to the skies. Judging from last years rec
ords. Mr.. Robison's baseball balloon will
need all the hot air the ambipulmonatic
Mr.. Muckenfuss can pun into it II 1t is to
rise high enough to give the grass worms q
good chance to see It,.
The afflicted Mr.. Hedges consoles his
shrewdly beset person with an adaptation
of the celebrated Rogerian epigram on Law
yer-Player Ward. which says "Muckenfuss
ers at League Park. but he is very much Of
sportsman's Park" r.P. Mca1LLidAN.