The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-29
STRANGE RULE OF
MAGNATE TAYLOR
BY SAM CRANE

New York. August Z.-There have been
cratic ball players-loads of them. There
are the Bugs Raymonds, the Rube Wad-
dells in the present ranks of the pro-
fessionals, and there were others of their
ilk in the old days of the game. There
have been also magnates who have been
known as having erratic personalities If
not considered as being in the fresh
class.
The last baseball magnate to spring
sensations one after the other in present
and more recent days of the sport is
John I. Taylor, owner of the Boston
the Red Sox.
When Magnate Taylor released what
was considered one of his most valuable
player assets, Cy Young, in a trade where
by his club secured Jess Burkett, fandom
gasped in wonder. Then again the sud
den shift of his managers in various
years caused no end of talk, but his most
recent action in getting rid of Harry
Lord, his team captain, and considered
by many good judges to be the best third
baseman in the country, was a deal that
startled the DdStDdll NOllu POSolbiy HUI z
than any other of the strange and I'M
accountable transactions he has made
in his entire career as a magnate and
club owner.
No deal seems too surprising for Mr..
Taylor to spring on an unsuspecting base
ball public. His team may be going
along at top speed and with penant pros
poets that any other owner would think
the best and most profitable thing to
thnr, IN, fFx, hn
whole winning fabric will be disrupted,
as appeared to be the case with the Red
Sox when Lord was given the bounce.
That the team, a winning aggregation,
was suddenly shifted into a loser was
shown by their four straight defeats by
the Chicago White Sox Immediately after
the surprising deal was contaminated.
There was not manager in the Amer
lean league or the National, who would
not have Jumped at the chance to Sc
cure the discarded third baseman, and
Frank Farrell, owner of the New York
Americans, has been reported as saying
he would give $4,000 cash for Lord. There
are other owners who would go even fur
Their than Farrell.
Third basemen of the calbre of Harry
Lord do not grow on bushes. They are
very hard to get, and when club Is
fortunate enough to secure one 1t holds
on to him like grim death.
John l. Taylor Is man Of whims
and moods. He wants to be the boss and
woe betide the player on his club that
develops a spirit OF independence. Man
ager Fred Lake dared to have mind
of his own and It was the blue envelope
for him. And so 1t has been with others
in Tayor's employ.
I hope there was method in John l..
Taylor's apparent madness in his most
recent deal, but one class to baseball
and It's many inside workings. hates to see
winning aggregation like the Red Sox
thrown to the dogs by whin1.
l, therefore, with many Others hope
that Mr.. Taylor had deep, good and suf-
hcient reasons for Harry Lords dismiss
sal
ANY club owner has a perfect right, no
doubt, to control his club and team as
he sees fit, but the great baseball public,
that supplies the needful and has made
baseball the glorious sport and pastime
that it is, deserves some consideration.
That should be baseball law, unwrt,ten.
perhaps but solid.