Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-05
INTERESTING INSIDE
BASE BALL HISTORY
Two Practical Mistakes Made
by the American League
Magnates.

During its brief but notable career OF
base ball achievement the American
League made but two practical mistakes.
one Of which at least would not
have been made if the magnates them
selves had the opportunity 10 go over the
same road again writes Frank Housh in
the Philadelphia Inquirer. Undoubtedly
Mr.. Johnson and his associates erred
when they entered into peace negotiations
with the National League before they
had club installed in Pittsburg, al
though they believed that they We're act
ing for the greatest good for the great
est number. All the conditions for the
success of the American League in Pitts
burg were favorable-just as they had
been in Boston and Philadelphia. Rela-
BILE men with ample financial backing
were not only ready but anxious To
launch the new club. A plot OF ground
within eight minutes trolley ride of 9TH
and Misunderstanding the most centrally
located ground in the country-could have
been had. 1t was this very proposed in
vasion of Pittsburg that probably precipi-
tated the peace negotiations, although il
Is doubtful if the so-caled war would
have been prolonged a day longer if the
Americans had insisted on placing a club
in the Smoky city. With Pittsburg includ-
ed the American circuit would have been
an ideal one, and with a club pretty we'll
up in the race would have been one of
the most profitable cities in the country
But the American League hackers be-
lieving that public sentiment favored a
cessation of hostilities, called the project
off. There is no one in the American
League who was familiar with the con-
ditions who will not admit that the ex-
panding young organization made a tacti-
cal mistake at that time.
After Jennings.
The other mistake was one which the
American League as league could not
have prevented without being liable to
the charge that it was endeavoring to
cripple club member. Hughey Jennings
should not have been permitted to be-
come connected with the American
League In any capacity, because of the
double cross he handed it when it was
struggling for foothold in the first year
of its eastern expansion movement. 1t
will be recalled that in 1901 things broke
pretty badly for the Athletics up to the
middle of the season. There was no
doubt that they carried the sentiments
and Sympathies of the public with them,
but they were not winning, while the
Philies were. Something had to be done
to convince the public that they were
trying to do something to achieve better
results. Jennings was either known per-
SOnally or by reputation to the great ma
iority of local enthusiasts, and it was
thought that if he could be induced to
sign with the Athletics, even though he
was long past his prime as a player, it
would be regarded as an evidence of
good faith on the part of the Athletic
management.
Hughey Was Foxy.
Accordingly an appointment was made
by wire with Jennings. who was then at
Cornell, and President Johnson and the
writer went up to Ithaca to meet him.
From the very first the Old Sport was
impressed with Jennings lack of sin
certify. 1t must be admitted that he did
ment. but on the other hand he did not
give him any reason to believe that he
would ultimately decline his proposition.
He was simply coquetting with John
son for another purpose, using him, as
it turned out, as a lever to get better
proposition from the opposition. He
finally made some excuse to have the
interview postponed until a later hour.
There was no apparent necessity for
this. provided he meant to accept or
refuse Johnson's proposal. and the Old
Sport did not hesitate to tell Mr.. Johnson
that he had his railroad trip for his
pains: that Jennings did not intend to
go with the American League, and that
IL was SOUu DclliIlS lIldl lie NdS tlell
dickering with a National League club.
All this. of course, was surmised. based
upon Jennings Fabian tactics, but the
truth of the deduction was proved later
by results When the interview was re-
sumed, Mr.. Johnson endeavored to nail
Jennings to one proposition. only to be
met by evasive replies, one of which was
to the effect that he could not do bust
ness on Sunday, as that would not be
legal. The fact that at that time Jen-
nj Studyipp law at
plains that luminous legal thought Mr..
Johnson left Ithaca later on without,
however, getting positive declaration
from Jennings either way. But he got
wised up a day or two later when Jen-
nings was signed to manage the Phila-
delphia club.
Failure at First.
1t will be recalled that Jennings was a
dismal failure with the Phillies, and final
ly dropped out of major league com
pany until secured by Detroit to man
age the team put together by Bill Ar
mour, one of the best judges of young
who went down in his own jeans to Sc
cure Ty Cobb. Every base ball fan
knew that the Detroiters had the nu-
cleus of a great team, just as every
one knew that the Providence team of
1855 would win the championship in 1884 |
bar accidents. Frank Bancroft having
the opportunity to profit by Harry
Wrights exceptional capacity for organi- |
cation. 1t did not seem entirely fit
ting that the mer who had been loyal |
to the American League when it needed |
friends should have been turned down |
in favor of a man who had turned it
down when he might have done it |
great deal of good.
Detroit Benefited
The Old Sport never had any use for the |
friends who will hand you a mush when |
the sun is shining. So far as Jennings |
is concerned. he is one of that class of |
friends. His advent in the American |
League was a mistake to every one con-
nected with it. except the Detroit club. |
It marked the introduction of the social |
ed aggressive Baltimore methods" the |
kind of methods that killed base ball in |
Cleveland in the days of Tebeau and kill |
ed it in the Monumental city, and which /
last week was accorded its most agrees /
Sive manifestation in Cobb's deliberate |
attempt to spike Frank Baker. There is |
nothing in common between this So /
called aggressiveness, which has ruined |
in base ball way every city in which |
1t has been tolerated, and the American |
League, which has done so much to puri- |
fly the sport.
Blames All on Jennings.
Cobb was always known as a daring
base runner. who would take all sorts of |
chances, but it was not until he got under
1, f,