The Saint Paul globe., 1904-01-24
BY BILLY MAC.

If the signs read right G. Tebeau IN
attempting to corner the Western base
ball market has smeared number OF
annoying clinkers along his fellow
magnates' path to success. The head
of the G.. Tebeau Baseball company, un-
limited, may have the Western league
stored away in his strong box, and,
when the 1904 season ends, may sue
ceed in dragging the Eastern league
clubs needed into his great revolution"
but there Is one long season of games
between the capture of the Western
league and the proposed Eastern con-
solidatien, and from this hiatus the
other club owners would sidestep.
Tebeau in his mad chase for revenge
and all possible baseball holdings has
aroused long forgotten thought in
the minds of the fanatics of at least the
Western end Of the baseball world.
When Tebeau held the Louisville and
Kansas City teams few grumbling
protests against syndicate ball were
heard, but now the grumblings are
growing rapidly into a roar and the
roar promises bad times generally for
the dabbler in the baseball game.
In attempting to control two base
ball leagues the Louisville magnate is
making it too strong for even the hard
ened fanatic. Looking ahead the public
can see the magnates switching players
from one team to another in order to
make the race more close and the gate
more prosperous, and the sight is not
q pleasing one.
Last season, though the magnates
worked more carefully. there were
many evidences of the fact that the as
sociatiOn had adopted the syndicate
system. st. Paul had an instance of it
in the Clingman case. When the short
stop refused to play anywhere but in
Columbus, although awarded to st.
Paul, the local club owner emphatically
refused large money offers for the play
er and insisted that he play in ST. Paul
or remain out of the game. Later when
the excitement died down and Middle
Schaefer showed the fans that Cling
man was not needed, Bailey was secur-
ed from Columbus and Clingman was
allowed to get in the game with the
Senators. On the face 1t looked like
a|trade but now Clingman Is again an
nounced as st. Paul property and Bal
ley has been bartered off by Bryce, of
Columbus.
There were many other instances.
Marcan was regular human checker,
cult although the property of the st.
Paul club, and other clubs loaned and
borrowed players in the same manner.
Real Syndicate This Season.
All this was when the fanatics barely
thought of syndicate baseball, but this
season the magnates appear to be more
bold. Watkins to an outsider, looks the
owner of the Indianapolis and Mime
apolis clubs, several magnates are un-
derstood to be interested in the Toledo
team and Tebeau has Louisville and
Kansas City in the association and
Denver in the Western league.
This is the situation, and the fanatics
are expected to hail with delight the
arrival Of each new player, although
they cannot help but know that the
man is loaned to their club only for
time long enough to pull 1t back into
the running. When he begins to be
looked upon as one Of the mainstays.
of the club the syndicate may transfer
him to other fields. and protests from
the fans will not be entertained.
All in all, the fanatics of st. Paul
have but little to look forward to this
season They are expected to support
the game, but the magnates, by their
actions, inform them that their in
terest in the management ends at the
box Office. They are offered syndicate
ball and invited to make the most of
1T, for even syndicate ball is to be de-
MED them by the association If the
Tebeau merger is carried out next fall.
Tebeau's Man Talks of Merger.
For the benefit of the fans who re-
fuse to believe that the merger plan
was not permanently blocked this win
ter, the following from Otto Floto's
column in the Denver Post may be of
interest. Floto is Tebeau's man Friday,
is the prospective manager Of the Den
Yer team, and is slated as the next
president of the Western league. He
says:
''The Western can for this season
maintain its place as a class A organi-
zation by adopting the plan used by
the big league when it dropped from
twelve to eight clubs again. The towns
not represented can be voted, their
ballots being known as dead votes
The Western can use eight votes with
but six teams Next year. when the
contemplated merger between the
American association and the Eastern
leagues takes place, the Western can
jump UP into the high class and rank
as one of, if not the biggest, minor or
ganiZationS."
More About Haskell.
Already a number of the sport col
umns in the western end Of the cir
cult are indorsing The Globe
protest against the dismissal of Umpire
Jack Haskell. From the comment of
the Western writer's one is led to believe
that Haskell generally gave satisfaction
as a judge of plays.
Haskell, however was knocked" by
somebody and Columbus looks the town
that convinced President Grillo that.the
umpire was not capable man. Colum-
bus papers blame Haskell for looking
on the fluid that has never been knock
ed out though many players and UNI
pires insist upon fighting It. They
also blame Haskell for allowing the