Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-01
SPORTS OF ALL SORTS
Ban Johnson on a Flying Visit
to Washington.
PLEASIN G. REPORTS
BIG GAMES IN FOOT BALL WORLD
NOW LOOMING UP.
Britt Lost to Cans on a Foul - Many
Bowling Battles-Gossip Of
the Race Track.
PLEASING REPORTS

President B. B. Johnson of the American
League paid Washington flying visit Sat
urday. remaining in the city only three
hours, and then returning to his home In
Chicago. His trip east had to do with the
Washington club and after a consultation
with the directing heads of the Senator's.
Mr.. johnson departed well pleased with the
local situation. In short conversation
with a Star reporter. Mr.. Johnson said:
THE stockholders of the Washington
club recently held meeting and 1t was
agreed to assess the stock one dollar and
half share This action will place enough
money in the treasury to pay off all the
clubs Indebtedness and enable it to start
the season next spring with clean slate
The way the Washington club has been
handled the past season convinces me that
1 have at last secured the right men to
look after the club and by the end of next
season base ball will be on a splendid basis
in this city.
Salaries were entirely too high here in
Washington when the position which the
the Senators occupied throughout the sea-
son is considered. Everybody will concede
that the Athletics of Philadelphia are a
pretty strong aggregation, yet the Wash
ington pay roll was within few dollars of
that of Connie Mack's team. There were
several players on the Washington team
who deserved all they received in the way
of salaries, but there were also several who
failed to earn their salt and they will not
wear Washington uniforms next season.
There may be an entire new outfield, as
Manager Donovan says he will manage
from the bench most willingly if any of the
youngsters can GUST him from right field.
Donovan did splendid work in the field to-
ward the end of the season. and there is no
criticism coming regarding him as a mana
ger.
''The infield worked well toward the end
of the season. and Manager Donovan is
willing to bank his reputation on Second
Baseman Mil making his mark next year.
The pitching corps is all right. and the
Washington directors have thought so much
of Wolfe that only this week they paid
the New York club 81 900 to retain his serv-
ices.
1.-The Senators will be taken south in the
early spring and all the youngsters will be
given a good trying out. About six weeks
before the opening of the season the team
will return home and play exhibition
games with the National League clubs, who
will also be returning home from the south
about that time. These games will give
the Washington people a chance to see
teams they have not seen for six years, and
the contests will assuredly prove attractive.
Then there will be the big college teams
to play with. and altogether the spring ex-
hibition games here should be very lively.
Il forgot to mention the fact that there
are several trades pending between the
Washington club and other teams of the
American League, but in none of these
transactions will the local organization lose
any of its stars. This information I have
given out all comes from the officials of
the Washington club, and will doubtless be
as pleasing to local fans" as it was to
me.
Regarding the American League season
just closed 1 can say without fear of con-
tradiction that it was the best in the his
tory of the organization both from the
playing and financial end of the game. Just
what will be done as to a shorter season
next year and adopting rules to improve
batting cannot be said at this time, but my
views on these subjects are SO we'll known
as not to be worth repeating. Considerable
missionary work is being done in both the
American and National Leagues toward the
abolition of the foul strike rule and the
adoption of a post-season series between
the clubs of the two organizations, and
good progress is reported from all direc-
tons"
Mr.. Johnson then took hurried departure
from the New Willard and caught the Z
o'clock train for the west.