Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-18

promised to play with me ~ he goes out at
all as a professional. / think he will play.
In addition I have Mike weldy Of last years
Superior, Neb., team. who is now In LeaY-
enworth. The last outhelder Is Hamilton
Patterson OF Belleville, Ill, and there be Is
at present.
''That brings me to the pitchers. l still
have Podge Alloway and Oscar Graham on
nv reserve list. Alloway Is IN petersburg
Ky, and Graham in Oakland. Cal. l may
call neither. For a promising new one
have Harl Johnson OF last seasons sioux
City team. Johnson Is in looks a ringer
for the famous Lajoie. He Is an immense
fellow. and strong and clever. I expect a
lot Of him. He is living at Rockwell CITY
Ia. during the winter. Other pitchers
signed are also all new men to Omaha.
There is Duke" c. r. Carter OF the Seattle
club last year. now in Seattle. Then have
Glen wilkins, who played with Des Moines
last season. He is in Glenwood, Ia. Last
is Tom O'Neill who began last year with
the Baltimore team, went to the Milwaukee
Western league team later and hurt his
arm during the season, so was out OF the
game for the last two months. He is IN
Jamestown, Pa. I shall keep my eye out Tor
pitchers. There will be any amount OF good
ones loose during March and April, and l
shall be careful to select a good stan.
ct am very glad to see that the American
and National leagues are about TO make
peace. 1t will be a great thing for the
game II they do. All this business OF con-
tract jumping has been a black eye to the
sport. L think that treaty as arranged will
certainly be ratified by the National league
at its meeting next Monday. The four west
ern clubs will compel the eastern ones that
are holding back to ratify. l think that
Boston and Philadelphia have already agreed
to this. In tina event New York and Brook
lyn cannot hold out very well. II they do
though, and knock the whole thing in the
head. I believe the four western clubs Of
the league will go In with the American
and make Il a ten-club league. Cincinnati
and Pittsburg would be the two new clubs,
as those in Chicago and st. Louis would be
consolidated"
As might easily have been surmised, a
great roar has come up from Boston, New
York, Brooklyn and Philadelphia National
league magnates over the settlement, or,
rather, the peace terms adopted at Cincin-
natl. Soden and Billings want the Amer
lean driven out of Boston; Colonel John l..
Rogers wants the American driven out OF
Philadelphia. and all his players returned;
Andy Freedman and John T. Brush want
the American prohibited from entering New
York. and also want big Ed" Delehanty
and one or two Others who had decided to
Jump American contracts to play with
Muggsy McGraw's collection during the
summer. And OF course Ebbetts is willing
to help his associates get what they want.
To a man thus far out west 1t looks as II
the kicking magnates will have to be salts
fed with what they have got. And they
are lucky to get even that. While the Gin
cinnati meeting resulted in an all-around
victory for the Johnsonites, It is also a vic
tory for base ball. Wherever the American
has established itself it is firmly en-
trenched, with the possible exception OF st.
Louis. In Boston and Philadelphia the
National was driven to the wall last season
and no signs Of recuperation have appeared
in either city. Long before the last season
was ended the invasion Of New York was
decided on and at no time has there been
any reason to believe that the American
had changed its plans. Therefore the
chorus OF objection that goes up from the
disgruntled eastern magnates is without
effect. On the other hand. the peace pact
will operate to establish stability and con-
fdence for the business end of the game
Just what these men are most in need Of.
Respect for contracts is more vital to the
purse Of the magnate than respect for ter
ritory; but even this latter is provided for
by agreement that there shall be no further
changes without due notification and con,
sent. AS the circuits are now made up
Chicago, Boston. New York. Philadelphia
and st. Louis will each have two clubs
l Cincinnati, Brooklyn and Pittsburg will b.
r single in the National, and Cleveland, De.
troit and Washington in the American. This
arrangement is apparently stronger thar
the ten or twelve-club circuits proposed b.
the amalgamators.
} 1t is not at all difficult to believe that tn,
5 Cincinnati compact will eventually be &C
{ cepted by the rebellious fasteners, for tn,
! very good and sufficient reasons that a
. present it seems the only way OF ending tn
5 war, and they are more deeply intereste,
[ than anyone else can possibly be in tn
r establishment of peace. 1t is out of al
' reason to ask the American to abandon wha
1t has won by two seasons OF aggressive
competition. and experience has shown tina
, the American has not lost it's capacity 70
. further invasion. Pittsburg is lying at tn
mercy of the Johnsonites, and may easil
9 be entered another season. But the matte
. OF territory is Of secondary Importance, tn
status Of the players coming first. Whe
t the raid was first begun the National rank
were depleted Of stars, and although Their
= has been some retaliation by the olde
: league the American has suffered little /
g comparison to the injury II has inflicted
= II contracts are to be respected, non-con
g ficting dates arranged and games at HON
C interchanged. the National gains far NOR
I than 1t loses by the failure OF the Ameri
5 can to abandon territory It has occupie