The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-26
Catcher Lewis Armstrong
Leaves the Saints Suddenly.
Signs to Manage the Fort Scott
Team.
NOT WORRIED
Says Recreant Catcher Will
Have to Return.
Talk of Trade for Earl Green
of AtchisOn.

nal office today from the Fort Scott
Tribune states that Captain Lew Arm
strong. captain and catcher of the To-
peka baseball team. is in that city and
has agreed to remain and manage the
Fort Scott team. and that he would to-
night leave for Oklahoma to sign up
new players.
Armstrong left Topeka yesterday af-
ternoon for Fort Scott, stating to Sec
rotary Logan of the association before
leaving, that he would be back in To-
peka this afternoon to catch in the
game against lola He made it an
especial point to assure Mr.. Logan that
he would not go off and leave the To-
peka team without catcher.
This morning Manager Alberts re
ceived the following telegram from
President Shfveley from Kansas City;
Have traded Armstrong for Green on
basis stated" That may explain Arm
strOng's action, if it is as the telephone
message stated it.
YESTERDAY afternoon Mr.. AIberts tel
ephoned to President Shiveley at Kan
sas City that if he could get Earl
Green, Fort Scott's outlawed first
baSeman and a sufficient money con-
sideration to buy John Schrant of Sc
dalia to catch, he would let Armstrong
go to Fort Scott. Last night President
ShiVeley was in Fort Scott and accord
ing to his telegram made some sort OF
a deal, by which Topeka's catcher goes
to the Giants and Earl Green comes
here.
But then there is another factor
which tangIeS UP this theory. 1t was
stated in the message that Armstrong
said that he needs no release from the
Topeka team; that he came there and
agreed to manage, and thai no trade
has been made If that is the case
there will be trouble. While Arm
strong was not under contract with
Topeka, he is covered by what in
baseball parlance is known as stlpu-
lations and agreements" which gives
Topeka almost as good a claim as If
the player were under contract In
fact, says Manager Alberts, it puts
player into such a place that if he
goes off and plays somewhere else
without his release, he is liable to the
blacklist and suspension law.
Armstrong is scarcely the kind of
a played to deliberately run away
from his team, after promising that
he would be back Adding to that
Shiveley's telegram, it is pretty. safe
to say that a trade has been made
himself free at once to go ahead and
play with Fort Scott President
Shiveley will be in Topeka tomorrow
morning and at that time the COM
plete particulars can be had.
If a straight trade was made, Arm
strong for Green, then Topeka is the
loser. If a premium sufficiently large
to help out in buying another catcher
Schrant's calibre, then the Saints are
the gamers. Fort Scott has no strings
on Schrant- He belongs to Sedalia.
But Hornaday does own Green and
can do with him as he likes. When
Alberts telephoned Shiveley that
Green and Schrant would be taken for
Armstrong, he meant that with Green
must come a sufficiently large money
consideration to buy Schrant- Wheth-
er Shiveiey misunderstood or not is a
matter of conjecture. That he has
made a trade of some kind, his tele-
gram indicates plainly. Manager Al
berts knows nothing more about the
matter than that He says that his
sanction makes the deal final and
that he will not let Armstrong go un-
less he betteTS his own team. He ex-
pected Armstrong back for the game
this afternoon When asked about the
whole matter he treated it with a
smile and this:
That amt worrying me. If Arm
strong wants to go, let him. He has
accepted money from me. / have the
receipts. That is all the contract
need to suspend him. You can just
bet that he won't sign any players or
do any playing in any league which
plays according to the national agree
ment If he leaves here without a re-
lease Several times We offered him
the contract to sign it, and some ex-
cuse or other was worked up by him
in order to stave it off. I have evil
dence that he has tried to go with
him. If he leaves u.s. he won't pIav
ball any place else. and Wen put the
ban on him all right. The trade
which Shiveley speaks of making was
done on the grounds of d conversation
with me over the telephone. I am
willing to give Armstrong for Green, !
but I want enough over to help out in
buying Schrant- Further than that /
have not seen Green yet. The tele- /
gram which I have is all that know
about the matter. Further than that
President Shiveley cannot make the /
trade. 1t has to be sanctioned by the |
board of directors of Topeka assocfa- |
ton. and until that is done it is not
valid. Now you can see just where /
Armstrong is at. Just let him go if 4
he wants to. He's not hurting any
body but himself. Wen play ball /
and every day. and all summer
In the event of Armstrong not COM /
ing back in time for this afternoon. |
Lining was instructed to be ready to I
go into the cage Manager Alberts |
was scheduled for Innings place ini
the right garden.