The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-07
New Owner of the Boston Team
Will Be Out With Them.
To Accompany His Club on Its
First Western Trip.
FEW MAGNATES DO THIS
A. II. Soden Never Took a Trip
With His Club.
Jim Hart and ComIskey Prefer
to Keep Off the Road.

Boston, June THE west will have
a chance to see a real live Boston base
ball magnate, as President John l. Tay-
lor Of the Boston World Beaters, will
accompany his boys on their first west
ern trip.
There should be nothing strange
about the owner of a ball club taking
a trip, but the fact is magnates prefer
to keep away from their hired men,
both at home and away, as a general
rule.
A. H. Soden has controlled the Bos-
ton club since '76 and never took a trip
away from home with his team and he
has often seen then. win the highest
honOrs, and makes tons of money.
The only member of the Boston tri-
umvirate to ever take q western trip
with the club was Director William
Conant in the fall of 1889, when he
went for about half the trip, having a
tip that trouble was brewing, and his
object being to find out some news
from the players.
Mr.. Billings went as far as Baltimore
in ~ to see the big games at the close
of the season, and this is the record of
car fares paid by the owners of the
Boston club for personal trips with
their great teams.
Until a few years ago the manager
had charge of all finances, but Frank
Selee was so slow about turning in his
statements
decided to send along a, business man
aRer, and now the regular manager has
nothing to do with the finances. This
is practically the rule now with all the
big clubs, and has worked very salts
factorily.
Before becoming a prominent owner
in the club, J. 3. Billings would often
take a trip with the old club as far as
Philadelphia, as he liked to wager
small roll on his favorites. This mag
nate was always considered a hard
loser and apt to give the players a saw
age call down, for which they were
ever on the lookout, and on several oc-
casions returned the compliment with
interest. Travelling with ball teams
that you are financially interested in is
not practiced to any great extent Ohm
T. Brush alone of the men who put
money in New York baseball enjoy the
excursions. Gus Abel, the principal
owner of the Brooklyn club, remains
all summer at his home on Cape Cod.
In Philadelphia Reach and Rogers
were never known to take a trip, and
Ben Shibe is dead set against sleeping
away from home at night. Barney
Dreyfuss is the one man who thorough
ly enjoys travelling with his ball club.
He is the most pronounced fan. in the
country, and finds congenial company
with his clever players. Baseball with
DreyfusS is a round OF pleasure, and he
has ever shown consideration for the
small fry, going out Of his way time
and again to help the minor leagues,
ana To-Day mas more influence with the
strong minor association than any 9TH
er magnate in the business.
Jim Hart never travels with his Chi
cago club, neither does Charley Comis-
key. No doubt the latter has grown
tired of the road. for he managed clubs
for years and did a large amount of
travelling Comiskey, however, is one
magnate the public in other cities
would like to see with his club He is
a good fellow to interview and a prize
for the newspaper boys around the cir
cult. Comiskey sends out a story each
spring about his intention to travel
once more and then quits, to take life
easy among the woods and lakes of
the northwest. Charley SOmers, of
Cleveland. is too busy to travel, While
Garry Hermann is tied up with num-
erous propositions at Cincinnati which
prevent any extended trips with his
ball team.