Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-12

ter the National league magnates be-
gan to show how they could play base ball
politics by admitting Lucas and his st.
Louis club 20 their circuit. OF course,
Lucas jumped at this chance and the
Union association received its death blow.
Lucas continued to lose money in the
Mound City. where he tried to buck against
Chris Won der Ahe's famous ST. Louis
Browns and in 1887. practically ruined. he
threw up the sponge. The admission Of
Lucas to the National league, by the way,
was vigorously opposed by A. G. Mills. the
president Of that organization. who finally
resigned and N. e. Young was elected his
successor.
Il was five years after the death Of the
Union association that the Players league
was formed for a desperate struggle for
public patronage. This movement re-
suited from a disagreement between the
National league and the Brotherhood over
the players contract and reserve rule and
John r. Bush's CLASSIFICATION scheme. which
involved a general reduction In salaries.
The Brotherhood leaders were John NJ.
Ward, then captain and shortstop Of the
Giants; Buck Ewing. Tim Keefe, Roger
Connor and Jim O'Rourke, also OF the New
York's; Edward Hanlon Of the Pittsburgs.
Mike Kelley of the Bostons and other
famous stars. The Brotherhood pledge was
signed by practically every National league
player. Financial hackers were dug up in
eight ~cities-Albert L. johnson, the late
Cleveland street railroad magnate. headed
the list. r. B.. Talcott. a ~well-known Wall
street broker; the late m Van
Colt, General e. A. McAlpin and f. B,
Robinson backed the New York club. In
Brooklyn Wendell Goodwin, e. F. Linton
and others were interested. John Addison
was the Chicago hacker, while the Wagner
brothers put up the coin In Philadelphia
In all more than 81. OOO.O 900 was subscribed
to start this stupendous undertaking and
when the season of 1890 opened there were
new clubs in Boston, New York, Brooklyn.
Philadelphia, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburg
and Cleveland.
Bereft of flrst-class players, but with
a fortune to spend in fighting the move
ment, the National league gathered In a
raft OF young talent and then proceeded
to take the reserve rule into the courts.
Wards case was tried in New York county
and the decision was In his favor. There
were conflicting games all along the line
except Buffalo. In New York and Brook
lyn alone five games were played each day
at Brotherhood park, now the Polo
grounds; at the New Polo grounds, later
called Manhattan field; ct Washington
park, the home of the Brooklyn Nationals;
at the Brotherhood Eastern park, in East
New York, and at the Brooklyn American
associations plant at Ridgewood.
The conflicting schedule soon killed public
interest and the crowds every way
dwindled until ~deadheads predominated.
In midseason It was a foregone conclusion
that the rival leagues would lose all kinds
of money. The Boston Players league club
won the pennant easily and was made up
of these players;
Pitchers, Radbourne, Gumbert, Daley.
Kilroy and Madden; catchers, Mike Kelly,
Morgan, Murphy and SWEET; Dan Brouth-
bases; Arthur Irwin, shortstop and man
ager; Hardie Richardson, Tom Brown and
Harry Stovey, outfielders.
Players Get Cold Feet.
In September the Players league, as a
unit, bought the Cincinnati National league
club for $4,000, but the Redland fans
turned their backs. The Players league
hackers now had cold feet and were ready
to capitulate, although as a matter of fact
they did not know that they had the old
league breaten to a fragile. A. Q. Spald-
ing and C. H. Byrne were the big men in
NnG NblAOldi INA6 NC IA 0Jo 6Aa ttG
soon as they got the Players league back
ers into a conference the fight was at an
end. The National league knew how to
play base ball politics with the usual
shrewdness, and in the following winter
the Players league was sold out. The
players ran to cover as fast as they could
and when the season Of 1891 opened the
rival clubs in New York, Brooklyn, Pitts
-. - CL4.A-. H.A A.o- =,
Cleveland and Buffalo had been purchased.
while the Boston and Philadelphia Play
ers' league\ clubs were turned over to The
American association. This arrangement
lasted one year, when the National league
organized a twelve-club circuit and alb.
sorbed the American association.
Andrew Freedman became dictator of the
National leagues policy in the course OF
time and proceeded to order a reduction
Of the big circuit to eight clubs. Accord
ingly Baltimore and Washington were
Topped off in the east and Cleveland and
Louisville were dropped in the west. This
fatal move was made in 1900 and afforded
the American league, headed by Johnson
and Comiskey, a chance to grow. johnson
and Comiskey had changed the name of
the Western league and forced the Ma
NShot leo6hS " GRANT them u chicago
franchise, AS a result the American league
circuit that year was made up Of Chicago,
Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleve-
land, Buffalo, Kansas City and Mime
apoiis. The league was so successful that
Johnson and Comiskey, backed by C. w.
Somers OF Cleveland, proceeded to ask the
National league for the Washington and
baltimore territory. The request was
coldly turned down and the American
league promptly withdrew from the Ma
tonal association.
War was declared and a new American
league circuit was arranged with clubs
In Chicago, Boston. Detroit, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Washington, Cleveland and
Milwaukee. The National league clubs
were raided for players and a barrel OF
money was lost by the older organization.
In 1902, with the war still raging fiercely,
McGraw sold the Baltimore club to the
National league and signed with the Giants
also bringing Bresnahan, McGinnity, Gil
bert and McGanL to the Polo grounds
This was a body blow for the American
league, but another club was placed In
: Baltimore and the schedule was completed
with much success.
Fortunes in New York.
Bent upon making a clean sweep. tn,