The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-09-30
No Danger of Another Baseball Wa1

Kelley of the Bostons and other ia
nous stars. The Brotherhood pledge
was signed by practically every Ma
tional league player.
In all more than 81. o0o, 600 was sub
scribed to start the stupendous under
taking. and when the season OF 1890
opened there were new clubs in Bos-
ton. New York. Brooklyn. Philadelphia,
Buffalo. Chicago, Pittsburg and Cleve-
land.
Bereft of first class players. but with
fortune to spend in fighting the
movement, the National league gather
ed in 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.
The conflicting schedules soon killed
public interest. and the crowds every
way dwindled until deadheads predom-
mated. In midseason it was a fore
gone conclusion that the rival leagues
would lose all kinds OF money. The
Boston Players league club won the
pennant easily.
Players League Goes Down.
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 beaten to a
fragile A. G.. Spald.ng and c. H Byrne
were the big men in the National
| league in those days. and as soon as
| they got the Players league hackers
into conference the fight was at an
end. The National league knew how to
play baseball politics with the usual
shrewdness. and in the following win
ter 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, Pittsburg and Chicago
had been consolidated: Cleveland and
| Buffalo had been purchased, while the
Boston and Philadelphia Players. league
clubs were turned over to the American
| association. This arrangement lasted
one year, when the National league or
ganized 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. Accordingly Baltimore and
Washington werc Topped off in the east
and Cleveland and Louisville were drop
ped In the west. This fatal move was
made in 1900 and afforded the American
league, headed by Johnson and Comis
key, a chance to grow. Johnson ant
Comiskey had changed the name of tbs
/ H. w
tional league to grant them Chicago
franchise. AS result the American
league circuit that year was made VI
of Chicago, Milwaukee. Indianapolis
Detroit Cleveland. Buffalo, Kansas Cit!
and Minneapolis. The league was 81
successful that Johnson and Comiskey
| backed by c. w. Somers Of Cleveland
, proceeded to ask the National leagu
for the Washington and Baltimore ter
| ritory. The request was coldly turne'
. down, and the American league prompt
ly withdrew from the National asso
citation.
War was declared, and a new Ameri
can league circuit was arranged wit
clubs in Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Phils
delphia. Baltimore, Washington, Cleve
|. land and Milwaukee. The Nationa
league clubs were raided for players
and barrel of money vas lost by tn
older organization. In 1902, with tn
war still raging fiercely, McGraw sol
the Baltimore club to the Nations
league and signed with the Giants, ais
!, bringing Bresnahan, McGinnity. GilbeI
: and Mccain to the Polo grounds. Thi
was a body blow for the America
league. but another club was placed l
Baltimore, and the schedule was com
pleted with much success.
4 Invasion of New York.
o Bent upon making a clean sweep. til
American league men decided to invad
New York. They found a hacker
e Frank ]. Farrell. who spent $4,000 &c
t new grounds before he could play
1 game of ball Beaten all along the lin
: then, the National league before til
e season Of 1903 began was ready to su
9 for. peace. Garry Hermann had pul
: chased the Cincinnati National leagu
n club and was big factor in bringin
k about a settlement The peace pas
was signed. and the two leagues the
d settled down in perfect harmony. Sine
a that incident professional baseball hs
: enjoyed wonderful popularity Pract
d caIly all of the major league clubs hay
coined money. The worlds series eac