The Washington times., 1909-05-19
SOME THING WRONG
AMONG NATIONALS
Unexpected Sale of Ganley
Hits at Serious Internal
Troubles.
MANAGER UNABLE
TO HANDLE MEN?
Indications Are That Several
Players Are at Odds
With Him.
BY THOMAS S. RICE


Bob Ganley's sale to the PHILADELPHIA
Athletics for the waiver price is pretty
conclusive evidence that there is some
thing radically wrong with the internal
WORKINGS OF the Washington ball club
Manager Joe Cantillon has always
been strong for Ganley. and supported
him last year when there was a gen.
eral demand on the part OF the Wash
tngton public that Ganley be sold or
traded because of the serious let-doxn
In his work in all departments except
sacrifice hitting. Cantillon stoutly in
sisted that Ganley was one Of the best
men on bis roster and that under no
circumstances woald he be allowed 70
leave Washington. When GanIey and
Burns had the fight in St Louis, which
resulted In Ganley breaking two Of
Burns ribs with a bat and putting out
OF commission one OF the best pitchers
in the league, Cantillon accepted Gan
ley's version OF the affair and used sll
his authority 90 clear GanIey's skirts.
Ganley Still Valuable.
This spring Ganley was as much Of a
favorite with Cantillon as ever. and the
manager was enthusiastic over the
prospects of the little fellow becoming
one of the greatest and most useful
outfielders in the American League.
There were various stories that Ganley
had not been behaving himself. but
CantIlon apparently took no notice of
them. When the team finally reached
Washington. Ganley was not playing,
which was said to have been due to a
break iR training at Toledo After that
blew over Gauley got into the game and
has been the only Washington man
whose work this season has been any
where near consistently good. He has
been a hundred per cent better than
last year in the field and at the bat,
and the roasts had been turned into
praise He seemed fun of life and
energy, and the listlessnesS and indiffer-
ence which characterized him last fall
when Cantillon was standing by him
were absent.
Now Ganley, this suddenly rejuve-
mated and valuable asset is turned over
TO another club. and there is no out
fielder with Washington that is as good
as Ganley when that young man is go
ing at the rate he has shown this sea-
son The only deduction Is thai per-
sonal relations between Ganley and Can
tillon had become so strained that they
could no longer work together.
Much Talk Of Factions.
for Donohue. Cravath. and Altrock. did
not expect to remain in Washington all
the season, because the rancour Of his
row with Ganley had never died out.
The trade Of Burns to the White sox
might haye been expected to bring
peace. but there have been all sorts OF
stories that the club had become divided
Into factions. with Burns and GanIey
leaders These era rau
and disposing Of both men may have
been cantillon's way OF clearing the at
mosphere. although thereby the club
loses two Of it's most valuable players.
The talk that Unglaub and Freeman
may be shuuted 70 the minors or put on
the major league market sounds better
since Canley has gone. CnglauD is an
extremely talkative person with strong
ideas OF his own. who would not hest
tate TO run counter to Cantillon or any
BODY else when be thought he had a
grievance or merely took a different
view OF an ordinary topic. That two
such minds as his and CantillOn's should
clash Is not at all surprising. Free
York about too many orders from the
bench may be taken as a hunch that he
Is 70 get the skids, especially since the
club nov has another first basemsn in
Donohue.
Something Wrong.
That the players are deliberately quit
ting on the pitchers is hardly conceiv-
able. AT least. a sportsman with any
sense Of fairness or decentness hates TO
give that matter thought. but many fans
cannot keep that idea out Of their heads.
Certainly. something must be radically
wrong when men Of the caliber OF
Burns and Ganley are allowed to 20
elsewhere without the exchange Of talent
equally or even nearly as good.
The extent TO which personal FRIEND
ship and harmony among the players az
fects the work OF a ball team Is not al
ways as great as might be supposed
from the vast amount OF newspaper
space devoted 10 that edifyfng subject.
That harmony cuts a lot OF ice in many
Instances is perfectly true, but 1T is
also a fact that vigorous and even
vicious personal animosities between
players themselves or players and man
ayers have not kept some teams from
winning championships. Ty Cobb's siz-
zing career OF scraps when he Grst
Joined the Detroit Tigers. tie omen ots-
sensions that existed among the Chicago
White SoN when they were In their
prime, and the knOck-down and drag
out fights between the old Baltimore
Orioles are instances tending 10 upset
much Of she sweet peace chatter of
course, all Of these were winning teams
ana Individual contentious among losers
would count far more. but hardly
enough 10 warrant the letting out OF two
Of the best men on a club.