The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-04
JOHNSON DIPS
INTO The TANGLE
Speech Thru His Chapeau Marks
His Entry into
Kelley Case.
BY o'LoughIIn.

. Ban Johnson is out today and insists,
as predicted iii these columns yester
day, that the expulsion of Kelley from
the American association was a black
listing from all the trust baseball clubs
of the country. - :...- d.. .
Mr.. Kelley is not free agent to
sign anywhere he wants. said Johnson
He is under double wraps, so to
speak. In the first place, / do not think
that Kelley can play anywhere unless
he is reinstated, and should be declared
eligible to play, he still will have to
get his release from the st. Louis club
The fact that Kelley was not ten
dered contract does not make any diff
ference. The national commission has
decided that tender of contract is
not necessary at a certain date. He is
reserved just the same. - g..
According to the rules of this nation
al commission, Kelley is free man to-
day, as the St. Louis club neglected,
the reserve list. But the rules of the
national commission under the John
sonian administration are something of
a joke. Players are blacklisted, but if
they are good men they are recalled
from the outlaw league whenever one of
the big league clubs needs bracing up. 1t
is no trick at all to get man on the
pure list so long as he can play base
a resolution or law will be placed on
the books and made retroactive to
catch Kelley. He is not under wraps,
the big Cincinnati reporter who has
gained the leadership in. the American
league evidently not knowing that st.
Louis had failed to reserve Kelley, as
the commission rules require. ...--
Another question Minneapolis fans
are asking is, "Why is Ban johnson
Init 3rto =.
first time he has dipped into American
association affairs.
Vote Was Unanimous.
Mike Cantillon told the writer in
Chicago Sunday that he was not in
favor Of expelling Kelley-but the
vote was unanimous. Watkins voted
for the expulsion, as did Bryce and
Armour. And the funny part of this
ground that "the magnates could do
them.'' The "evidence'' offered at
Milwaukee was not such as would call
for the conviction of anyone. There
was too much straw man about it,
Robinson is still believed to have been
a myth. The local magnates, or once
magnates, declare that Robinson the
virtuous, the high-minded resident of
Minneapolis, who told Of repulsing the
advances Of a private detective in Min
neapolis to get him to make a false
affidavit against Owens, was not a
resident Of Minneapolis at all, but
Milwaukee man picked up for the oc-
casion. Tebeau is reported as hoping
that Kelley would appeal to the ma
tional committee and BE reinstated.
O'Brien is quoted again as entertain
ing high regard for Kelley and sorry
that it was necessary to discipline him.
This sort of affection is similar to that
Of the alligator for the nigger baby
who had fallen into the river
Kelley Wants Settlement.
Kelley is. still undecided as to his
first step. He will first attempt to get
possession Of the $1,000 due him from
the Minneapolis club for services last
season. He may go thru the formality
OF appealing to the National commits
sion or, he may take the matter into
the civil courts. His friends in Min
neapolis are at a white heat over the
Sunday action and lurid language char
acterizes their utterances The general
opinion is to the effect that the mag
mates at Chicago made the mistake of
their lives in blacklisting Kelley. and
that Mike Cantillon, coming to- Min
neapolis to succeed a local directorate,
made serious mistake in not going on
record at that meeting as unalterably
opposed to the drastic measures adopted.