The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-15
FoRG0T 4 LETTER, LOST sloo 900.
Clark Grfnltb's story OF How the American
League Expanded.


Clark Grin1ths story or How the American
League Expanded.
According to Clark Griffith the manager
Of the New York Americans. the failure Of
A. H. Soden Of the Boston National League
club to remember certain letter was the
direct cause for the expansion Of the Ameri-
can League to it's present prosperous cir
Quit
1T was when the Ball Players Protective
Association had been completely organ
ized," said Grif the other day. that
committee consisting of Charley thinner
Hugh Jennings and myself was appointed
to wait upon the National League at
meeting in this city The American League
was only minor affair out West in those
DAYS and nobody ever eeved that it
would amount TO anything. For that rea-
son the National League was the real base
ball autocrat and the PLAYERS association
knew that its committee had a hard task.
After much dickering and wire pulling
the National League magnates finally
consented to hear what our committee had
to say. Harry Taylor went to the meet
ing with us, az he was the attorney for the
players protective association. TAYLOR wasa
good talker and for several hours he pointed
out to the National League men what the de-
mands OF the players protective associa-
ton were Then John I. Brush got up and
with his characteristic elaboration. said
While ! have heard that there il an
organization Of the players am not wholly
cognizant of the fact and beg to he en-
lightened.'
knew then that we we're up against II
and that we would be turned down cold.
1t did not take the magnates long 10 decide
that they wanted nothing to do with us and
that the best thing to do was to defy the
Protective Association 10 do it's worst
This information was carried to our com
nittee. for we had Withdrawn from the
star chamber in the meantime and were
waiting for news down in the hotel cor
rdors Naturally we were very much
disappointed and want ed Just one more
hearing before the magnates left for their
homes so thinner who was cb airman
Of our committee. wrote II note TO A IL
Sodsn who was presiding az the meeting
upstairs, and asked him II the League
would grant Us another audience, as We
wished 10 make "a few additional points
clear The note was handed through the
door Of the star chamber 10 Uncle SICK
Young who promptly passed IL up 10 Soden
The latter glanced at the envelope, read It,
contents and quickly thrust II into has coat
pocket In an hour the League adjourned
for good and the smooth mdgnates came
down into the corridors
Did the player. get another rundown"
,.e usKed Nut the paguateS would not
talk thinner and Jennings wanted 70
know what We were gong to do about 1t
So | just took the bull by the horns and
hunted up Soden.
ma ,,,,,, cot "a latter from us asking for
another confereuceH ! asked.
No I did not" was Soden's reply. 1nen
after ii moments hesitation Soden began
slapping his pockets IN turn. Why, come
to think of IT, did get letter. raid he
with apparent confusion. Here u IT, How
stupid Of me, Why. | forgot all about II
Too bad it's too late. but the league has
adjourned"
thinner and Jennings asked me what course
e. pursue / said
-''There'a nothing left but to declare var
on the National League
so in less than two hours va had tele-
rraphed oh over the country 10 the players
OF the National League not TO sign con
tract until they heard from III
The American League men. including
Ban johnson. had been watching things
very closely. and when they found that We
had declared war on the National League
they got busy ! arrived in Chicago SOW
eral DAYS afterward and | was asked TO at
tend an impromutu meeting Of the imeri-
c,r Ioneua at one Of the leading hotels
/ vent out Of curiosity and was warmly
welcomed johnson a Co. soon convinced
me that they had the money 20 expand their
circuit and that they Intended 10 fight the
National League 10 finish Then they
iiimrad ont and signed the cream Of the
Rational League players who had been
ordered not 10 do business with their old
clubs because Of the slight on rcd TO the Pro-
tertlve Associations committee. Tho war
begun in that manner was disastrous for some
ue0ple. among them Sodcn. who with his
partners in the Hub have lost 100000.
figure. therefore. that Soden could have
probably saved this amount had he re-
membered the note in his inside pocket