Evening star., 1908-01-17
DeIehanty, Shipke and Free
man Sign the Papers.
DEL WRITES FROM TAMPA
Shipke Wants to Be Regular and
Not a Volunteer.
PROMISES TO HIT BETTER
Races at New Orleans-Knotty
Problems for Golfers-McFarlan
After Nelson-Bowling

Three additional contracts arrived IN
President Noyes mail this morning ana
they will be coming n fast from now on
Those received this mo ming were rom
Delehanty Freeman and Shipke Inc
players are all signing through Manager
Cantillon this year, and the contracts are
then forwarded to the clubs headquarters
in this city.
Manager Cantillon has sent out some
peculiar contracts TO- his men to sign
this spring. and the chances are that good
base ball will result. Nice little advances
have been distributed. but all have
string attached to them in the way OF
drawbacks in the case of bad behavior
The way the boys with regulations as
grouches have been signing this year in
dicates that Sir Joseph has been giving
out nice. juicy plums, but only their best
efforts throughout the season will enable
them to get the uit
With DelehantyS contract was long
letter. dated at Tampa, Fla. Del says
the weather is something grand and is as
good as the month of May in Washing
ton.
tnued Delehanty, TO hit few and hear
how the balls sound on the bat. | haven't
tasted drop of liquor or smoked cigar
since the 1st of November and am not
going to until the 18th of next October
and perhaps not then. l am getting so
good am afraid l am going to die
Little Shipka is pleased with the con-
tract sent him by Manager Cantillion. and
is anxious for regular job on the team.
You know | pleased you last year with
my fielding writes the little third basa
man, and | am going TO make some one
hustle to beat the band to push me out
OF my place on third. The opposing twirl-
ers worried m a great dsal IN the nrst
~ Of 1aS l.
ally taking shots at my head, but toward
the end l felt more confidence in myself
and was able to locate the ball better as
II sailed up to the plate. l think this
season the pitchers will be letting my
noodle alone. which will give me chance
to hit the ball with more freedom At any
rate,>I am going to try my very best to be
a regular instead of a volunteer
A note IN Chicago papers says:
Pitcher Eli Gates has received his con-
tract from Washington, and it calls for
a salary of s.. iG0. This is satisfactory to
Gates, but he is a business man and wants
a slice Of the purchase money, which he
has heard is sB.0o0 Washington bought
Gates from the Oakland (Cal.) club
Nothing is known of this at headquar-
Iers here. but 1t reads all right and is
probably true. Gates is probably one of
those fellows who swallows everything II:
sees In some papers as gospel truth, while
in fact the reports a bout salaries and pur
chase money should be taken with a grain
of salt. 1t is dollars TO pennies that Gates
received rothfn fng like s2.i00 in the coast
league last year, and he had better grab
il without hankering after slice of the
purchase money. Gates is touted as a
first-class pitcher and several teams Were
after him last fall, but it is doubtful If
5000 was paid for his release.
President Pulliam of the National
League has given out the following inter-
view. which will prove interesting reading
. to all the base bal enthusiasts:
''Notwithstand.ng the little business de-
preston we are going through, the
promise for a great base ball year was
never brighter. / expect this year to
eclipse last year which was the best that
organized base ball has known in thirty
two seasons.
lone reason for the growth of public
interest In the sport during the past five
years is that the game is at last work.
ing under a proper system of government.
J. The national agreement and national COM
mission aim to extend the square deal
70 club owners and players alike, and
10Th sides realize this The players have
good cause to know the value of this
state o: things, for they are now receiving
larger salaries than ever before. although
there is no base ball war on and no signs
OF one in sight. The club owners fully
understand the motives of the national
commission, and those OF them who are
on the level are pleased with what has
been done. The tricky owners don't like
IL. As TO the unfair owners / only
gay that sooner or later we will get them
and get them good
with the coming OF the other big as
sociation into the field the National
League was raiGed OF its players, and 1t
deserved to be. because CT its actions at
that time. it treated the American
League with contempt, was arbitrary and
arrogant with the players. who, after all.
make the game and not the so-cal,ed
.nagnates, and adopted a you-be damned