Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-25
SPORTS OF ALL SORTS
National League Politicians a
Hindrance to Base Ball.
JEALOUS OF JOHNSON
IN READINESS FOR
GEoRGEToWN's BIG MEET.
Good Golf at Palm Beach - Nelson Is
Lighter Than Corbett-New
Orleans Races-Notes.

consideration there is not better verSed
newspaper man in the country than Joe
Villa of the New York Sun. In addition to
being interesting writer he is a close
friend of several prominent magnates and
probably knows more about the inside
working of the national game than any
other man in the country not actually con-
nected with the sport In recent issue
of the Sporting News Mr.. Villa had the
following article. which will prove inter-
esting reading to close followers of the
game. He says:
1.-THE gathering of the magnates of the
big ball leagues in New York recently
meant much to the national sport. The
wire-pulling, scheming, crafty gentlemen
who compose the National League put their
heads together first with the idea of in
vestigating the alleged charges of dishon-
esty that have been filed against Pitcher
John Taylor. This whole rumpus over
Taylor is the result of jealousy and pique.
Our old friend, James A. Hart, started
the ball rolling in order to square the
Chicago Nationals for their defeats at the
hands of the Chicago Americans.
We were robbed" shrieked Hart, and
'Robbed?' exclaimed the base ball pub
lie. How?
We were sold out' chorused Hart and
Seee. John Jones told Jim Smith that
Brown that Jim Green heard two policemen
say that Jack Taylor informed somebody
else that he got $500 for losing a game of
ball! We will never play the American
League team again!
Aimed at American League.
THAT gave some Of the other National
League men a cue Throw mud at the
American League. Create a suspicion that
the games are not on the level and the
fight for public patronage is won! Sacri-
flee Pitcher Taylor and pat Hart on the
back! But Hart was not the inventor of
this bold, bad policy. If / am not in error,
it was that prince of sportsmen, Barney
Dreyfuss of Pittsburg, the man who once
fell on his knees in Andrew Freedman's
Broadway office and begged for his base
ball existence But that is another story
that will prove good reading some day in
another screed from my pen
Barney DreyfuSs is the discoverer of the
plan that the National Leaguers have been
scheming over for some time. Early last
year when the two league races were well
under way of Barney's stockholding
supporters in Pittsburg Ralph Davis by
name. If am not in error. sent out broad
cast the bold statement that the American
League race was fixed for the New York
team to win the pennant. Barney dictated
the article-a common proceeding for him
in the smoky city. if what he says on
Broadway to the other magnates is true
and Davis stood for it. By diligent hustling,
Barney. Davis & Co. spread this impress on.
and even the weakened Pulliam, acting
under Barney's orders, fell into line with
insinuations and inuendos. until thousands
of base ball fans all over the country were
sure that the prediction would be fulfilled
CAN Paid Admissions, Too
When the Bostons and New Yorks there
fore lined up for the deciding games In
New York city to settle the championship
of the American League. the Dreyfuss ru-
NOR had become so thoroughly worked into
the minds of people that they went to
American League Park-25000 of them, and
all paid admissions. too-fully prepared to
see the trick pulled off.
How Dreyfuss, Pulliam, Davis & Co root
ed for the New York team to win And
how John T. Brush and John J. McGraw
rooted for the Bostons!
1 firmly believe that if the New Yorks
had won the championship of Ban John
sons league. Brush and McGraw would
have been chased out of town by the force
of public opinion AS 1t is. they escaped by
the margin of one game The refusal of
Brush and McGraw to play either the Bos-
tons or the New Yorks put the base ball
public of the metropolis next to the fact
that the National League champions were
afraid. The winning of the American
League pennant by the Bostons proved that
Dreyfuss. Pulliam, Davis & Co. had
Ananias beaten a city block Yet in the
face of such a fiat failure the dirty work
goes on.
In defense of the honesty of base ball. I
believe every square sportsman who han
dies pen or pencil should turn his best eff
forts. A writer who even hints at crooked
ness in base ball without sufficient proof
to make his assertion good should be theor-
eticalIy blacklsted. A magnate who al
lows reports to be circulated to discredit
the integrity of the sport should be ex-
comrnunieated-if 1 may use the word-for-
ever. Yet what can be expected from some
of the cheap skates who have succeeded
in breaking into the councils OF the ma
tional game within the last ten years?