The Washington herald., 1908-01-12
TWO NATIONALS sign
Jerry Freeman and Mcbride
Send in Contracts.
SATISFIED WITH THE BERTHS
Big First Baseman Thinks Washing
ton Has Obtained Good Ball Player
in Kansas City ShOrtstOp - Garry
Hermann Predicts Coming Season
VIII Be ReeOFd-breaker.

Jerry Freeman, the Minneapolis first
baseman. and George Mcbride. the Kan
sas City shortstop. are the latest Wash
iRgtOn players TO send in their signed con-
tracts TO Joe Cantillon.
Freeman sent a long letter, in which he
said that he is In hrst-class shape and
ready for the opening of the preliminary
season He says that Washington has
obtained a good ball player in Mcbride.
and he believes that the Kansas City star
viii have no trouble in giving satisfaction
at shOrJstop,
Mcbride also writes that he is in per-
feet condition and says that he is glad
10 come TO this city, as he is a close
friend Of Cantillon and believes that he
viii like his berth with the Nationals.
Thus far not a single complaint has
been made on the salaries that have been
offered, and Cantillon hopes by the end
Of the month to have the name of every
member OF the club to a contract.
President Garry Hermann, of the ma
tionsl commission, has optimistic ideas in
regard to the prospects of baseball for
the coming season. In a recent letter the
Cincinnati man says;
F'Baseball has never known a more pros
porous or more satisfactory season than
that Of the year 1907. Despite the poor
weather which marked and marred the
first six weeks of two months play, the
season proved a prosperous one from a
financial point Of view, and a highly ex-
citing one from an artistic point of view
So well were the various leagues patron
ized that / do not believe that one circuit
went out of existence during the year
This is quite different from some years
ago, when any number of Fourth of July
leagues did business until about the. mid
die Of the season, and then passed peace
fully out of existence.
II believe that the present year holds
even greater prospects for baseball than
there were results in 1901 Through the
instrumentality Of the national commit
tee and the National Association OF Minor
League Clubs, the various baseball in
terests are being drawn closer and closer
together in a more friendly cooperation
with the natural result that evils are be
ing eliminated and beneficial features
evolved that cannot but work to the best
interests Of the great national game
Naturally. there will he little differences
from time 70 time but these can be set
tied without strife and difficulty because
Of the legislation that has been enacted
for the expeditions and satisfactory han
ding Of all controversies that may come
up, whether between leagues. clubs, or
players.
''In my opinion the races in both the
National and American leagues will be
more exciting in 1905 than they were in
1907. It is plain that the weaker teams
on both circuits have been strengthened
more than the stronger ones, either by
trades or by the addition of the best
minor league talent obtainabe This
means that the second division teams Will
be tougher propositions i'm 1903 than they
were in 1907, a fact which win add inter
est TO the races in the respective leagues
and possibly will unmake champions that
figured as leaders during the past season.
And with closer races than heretofore
the patronage is certain 10 be greater
than ever"
There IS no getting around the fact
that the Chicago White Sox will present
a more formidable team next season than
last. The acquisition of Fred Parent and
the announcement that Fielder Jones will
again manage the former worlds cham
pi0ns puts the team in the reckoning for
the next pennant race. If Comiskey is
fortunate enough TO pick up good
pitcher TO help out Smith and Walsh. or
TO have one Of his twirlers who once bad
the ability but has been OF his stride re-
gain ii, the Sox viii be a hard bunch to
beat out next season. The change of
cities will be Of great benefit to him, and
1t is generally acknowledged that when
right Parent is the peer Of any infelder
in the business. He was invaluable to
the old Boston club when Jimmy Collins
won pennants. and showed his true prov
ess during the worlds championship series
with Plttsburg in 1904 With a new and
winning team Parent can be looked for 10
again be a topnotcher, for he is stfn
young, and all he lacked in Boston Of late
years was ambition.