The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-15


usual sight to see players in uniform
making bets with men in the audience.
These deplOTable conditions. unknOV.a
TO the present baseball generation,
caused all sorts Of rumOrS TO circulate,
rejecting against the integrity of the
players. Accusations against players
and club officials were freely made,
sometimes with, but generally without.
cause. The temptations to players of
that period were great. and while no
doubt some games were deliberately
thrown, yet i know that the vast ma
jority Of plaE-rs during those dark
days were ScrupulOusly honest. and
were more devoted 70 their profession
and the national game, than TO these
gambling influences. The public be
came disguised, as il always viii when
the honesty of any athletic sport is
questioned The attendance dropped
away. and the baseball grounds in sew
eTal of the large CitiCs became simply
an exchange for the gamblers tO-carTy
on their business.
Sport Is Reorganized.
In 1875 these conditions became in
tOlerable. professional baseball was at
deaths door, and many predicted its
ultimate collapse. In this crisis an in
cident arose that resulted in an entire
reorganization of the baseball govern
ment. and as usually happens, a man
person of William A, Hubert, after
ward president of The Chicago club. Mr..
Hubert was a lover Of baseball and a
very strong character, and later DEM
Onstrated that he was in every way fit-
ted to cope with the many evils that
had grown up in the game. l was con-
WINGED that if he could be induced to
take an active interest in the game,
professional baseball could be raised
from its then demoralized condition and
placed on higher plane.
Chicago Man to the Front
In the winter of 1873. through the
kindness Of a mutual friend, first met
Mr.. Hubert in Chicago, at which
meeting I first explained the democrat
lied condition of the game that il was
in the hands of the gamblers, how
nauseating these conditions were to the
self-TespeCting players of that period.
and how difficult il would be to change
the condition, because Of the strangling
hold the gambling Influences had on
the sport. ] explained that in my opiu-
ion there was no man then connected
with the game who was strong enough
TO lead it out OF the wilderness. and in
behalf of the game, in behalf of the
honest players of that period, i'm behalf
Of the great baseball public who were
much interested in, but had became
from, the game because of its
take an active interest in the sport,
throw his personality into the breach,
and take the lead in a reorganization
Of the national game. Mr.. Hubert eX-
planned that he was much interested in
baseball. and, while a member of the
Chicago club. he was not its leading
spirit. but might become so if he could
give his fellow members any rea-
sOnable assurance that Chicago
could secure a champion team.
lie explained that. as. he
would be considered "A new man
In baseball, in order to give him the ne
cessary influence and prestige in a ma
tional legislative way, il was absolute
~ essential that the Chicago CLUB have
a winning team, and if that could be as
sCred. he would take the presidency of
the Chicago club and do his best to
place the game on a higher basis. This
was to be on one condition. that ] would
accept the management and captaincy
Of the Chicago nine, select such players
as I wanted. assume the entire respOn-
sibility Of the playing end of the game,
and if possible bring the championship
10 Chicago. The position was accepted
hen and there and the compact was
made He was soon aftcTward elected
president of the Chicago club, and, at
my request, made his appearance in
Boston in June, 1875. to close contracts