The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-15
BARNEY DREYFUSS
HAS HIS FLING
Says There Will Be No
American League in 1905.
THE FOUL STRIKE DISCUSSED
Smoky City Mogul Replies to Presi-
dent Johnson's Figures on
the Subject.

PITTSBURG. Pa. Jan. I5.-"The
American League will be good and will
use the foul strike rule i'm 1904
There Will be no American League in
1905
Barney Dreyfuss is said to have made
these statements to friend. Coming
from one supposed to know all the ms
and outs OF baseball IL sounds ominous-
ominoCs so far as the interests of the
American League are concerned. Mr.
.Dreyfuss supplemented his second state
ment by the remark that he had already
made a bet with Willie" Keller that
this would be the last year of the
American League.
The first statement. that the American
League would eat its own words and
would go along with the strike rule as
before seems to indicate that the Ma
tional has something on the Ameri-
can and that the younger league will
not kick over the traces.
American Must Toe Mark.
That the American League is not in
any position to stand n resumption Of
hostilities. that it is in much worse
shape than is the National is believed
by all the National League magnates.
and they rest content in the knowledge
ttoA the League care not pre-
cipitate war by doing away with the
foul strike rule. Voting to do il is one
thing. but doing il is another This
probably gave President Dreyfuss the
confidence which made him make the
assertion that the American will return
meekly TO the foul strike rule when il
comes time to play ball
From different angles come little tales
OF those three days spent by the lead
ers Of both the American and National
Leagues cooped up in the Laughrey
Club. near Cincinnati. II would appear
that Ban johnson and Barney Dreyfuss.
who hate each other most cordially. had
several little settos. none of which
tended TO heal the wide breach already
existing between the president OF the
American League and the owner of the
thrice Champions OF the National
League.
IL seems from what has cropped out
that Johnson several times brought up
the foul strike rule question. and just
as many times was he called by the
Pittsburg man. and called hard.
Some time about the glad New Year
Johnson delivered what he termed a
''broadside" into the ranks of the op-
position by sprinsing a list of facts
and figures. tending to show that the
foul strike rule had hurt the American
League game. His statement was as
follows:
Johnson's Figures.
In 1908 there were rs shutouts or
'whitewash' games in the American
League, against IS in 1902, a difference
Of ~ against action. In 1903 there were
~ games ending in scores Of to 0.
against such games in 1902. differ
ence of 10 against action. In 1908 there
were D games ending in scores of to
!. against % in 1902. difference OF 6
against action. Total runs scored last
year. $50: this year. 1855: loss of Isl
in runs. Total hits last year 1O.33s:
this year. 1854. a loss OF T51 in hits
Total bases stolen last year. LBS: this
year, LIZA a loss of "a in the extremely
interesting part of base running. Last
year 30 players batted over 800; this
year there were only Is"
During the Laughrey Club session, Mr.
Dreyfuss said to Johnson:
"I was much interested in that dope
Of yours. and took the trouble 20 look
into It. About IS per cent of the close
games to which you object as detrimen-
tai to American League interests were
won by pitchers who were taken from
the National League. II the pitching Is
too good for the American, I guess
there will be no trouble about placing
any OF them in the National II IS alb
surd to say that close games are not en-
5oyed- Let a home club open series
bv winning to 0. or 2 to l. extra inning
games and the stands will be filled dur
Ing the balance Of the engagement Any
time any American League can pick up
q pitcher who can shut out team ev-
cry time he pitches I'll wager that he
will get all kinds of money"