The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-19

ever the features of the Minneapolis
followers Of baseball. = Integrity of
the game' in connection with Mike
Kelley's treatment in Minneapolis is
q subtle bit Of unconscious sarcasm on
The part of tho writer's using words
with more intent to impress the I'M
thinking than knowledge Of the dan
gers Of strangely flexible language.
'sIntegrity sounds well, but in base
ball politics there is little of it. Kel.
ley's sale to st. Louis, his defeat of
the National commission, his lombard.
mcnt of fines, persecution and petty an.
ncyances make up strange history to
rity Of the game
He has been forced even to fight phan-
toms before tribunal avowedly hostia .
to him. He is hailed before this body
on any pretext and is made to bear the
burden of mistakes made by the public.
players, magnates and unthinking writ.
ers. If battery at Fort Smelling.
armed with a long range gun should &C.
cidently drop shell into Nicollet park
curing the progress of a game, Kelley
would probably be suspended and fined
for not preventing it. The whole af-
fair has developed into persecution
and one that has won to it's victim e
support every minded lover of clean
sports in Minneapolis. .:,..
This is one Of the best baseball cities
Ill the United States. The team repre-
senting the city has been a target for
official displeasure and outrageous
bluffs at official disciplining all season
A Minneapolis player opens his head
and he goes to the bench. If he touches
an umpire it means a suspension and
fine. A Tebeau player can drag an UNI.
pre- about the grounds in O'Brien Is
home town and never cent does it cost
'White Wings.' A Milwaukee player
can curse Umpire Owens in disgrace
full manner in Minneapolis, before s
stand in which large number of wo
men were sitting and if Owens reported
it the report went to the waste basket
30 far as publicity Of the fine, if il
was ever imposed, was concerned. Kan
sas City players, another Tebeau town
altho sorry for it, can rustic an nm
rire and draw fines of $40 with a splut
ter of Indignation from Joe D. On the
day of the memorable riot in Minneapo
lis Oyler, who never placed hand upo1
Owens, is heavily fined and suspended
at times when the millers were MAX
Jig their first bid Of the year for tn,
pennant and the team was hopelessl,
crippled by such action. A Thousand
reputable citizens who saw the affai
will make oath tomorrow that Oylel
never touched the big brakeman. TIL.
president Of the league refused to com,
TO Minneapolis to investigate and ex
tuses his conduct on the ground tina
be had indisputatle evidence from her,
which guided him. It came from Owens
perhaps from Bobby Quinn, an inter
csted party to the affair, and other me,
who may have been honest in their opin
len, but forming it from a preiudicet
standpoint. -.
Kelley was made responsible for tn
rcwdy acts of lot of crazy fans who
no matter how much they may hav
thought the team was being robbed
should have kept off the field. The1
came the Owens case in which tn
American association directors, Tebeau
chairman; Havenor, Lennon, Watkin
and Bryce absolved Owens. The ques
ton Of guilt or innocence of Owen
does not enter into the writer's mint
hut the meeting, presided over by re
beau was farcial. The three affidavit
offered by Lyidard and in the securin
of which Kelley had no hand, wer
l thrown out without consideration, thr
the "sterling virtue' Of one F. "
Robinson. He told Of being approach
ed in Minneapolis and offered $40
rerjure himself against Owens. Thi
. looked strong until it was discovere
3 that F. w. Robinson was an alias
r that this fellow was a man of stray
: No such a man is known in Minneapt
Y lis. When he told the directors of tn
American association in Chicago tina