Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-11-12
NOVEL PLANS FOR
new BIG LEAGUE
Promoter Fletcher Is Simply
Dealing In Baseball Talent.
HAS LITTLE PERSONAL MONEY

His Schsre Is 10 Sign Star Players,
Place Ten on Each Club and Then
Sell Franchise TO Wealthy Men--6aIi
Tossers TO Receive $4,000 Bonuses.
On ID. A. Fletcher's gift of CAB de-
ponds the success or failure OF the
proposed new baseball league, which.
If 1t becomes reality. will be rival
to the two major organizations now
In existence
The promoter is not at All backward
about explaining ais scheme 10 any
one VINO is curious to know 1t. In
substance it is something like this:
Mr.. Fletcher docs not claim to have Il
large personal fortune. nor does he
claim to har backing enough now TO
finance such venture. although he
says be has interested enough wealthy
men in the pian to give Kim good
start
His FIRST move Is 30 get the sigma
tures of enough big league stars to his
contract so that ne will not have to
worry abort lack of high class ball
players when the time comes. AL this
Tall he will hustle arownd amcng the
athletes and try to persuade them to
sign. His contract. the present one.
Is In the nature OF an option, and
there wall be another one when or IL
the league maseriaiiaes.
VIII Give Them large Ronus.
When a player signs the option he
signs AN agreement to put his sigma
ture on the either contract when IL is
presented to aim in February. and for
this second signing he will receive a
bonus of $4,000. That sounds like
lot Of money when you consider the
nunber of players who will receive
bonuses bssa in reality ltiisnit so much.
IL man rried ITO buy the men out
right from the major league club own
get for less chan THAT sum Instead
of making useless offers to the mag
mates for rheir services Fletcher buys
the players from themselves. and $780,
600 is the purchase price.
1t Is Fletcher's intention TO get signed
options from about eighty of the best
major leaEuers. Then he will divide
the eighty into eight teams OF ten
players each. filing out the teams with
Glass A men and youngsters from the
college. etc. OF course these latter
will not get in on the largest bonuses.
When be has gathered his men he Will
go TO wealthy men in each city which
he intends TO invade. show them the
club they can have II they will pay
the price and tell them just how much
it will cost.
Fletcher's Clever Scheme.
For instance. Fletcher might take a
list composed Of overall, Brown.
Sheckard. Schultz, Hoffman. thinner
man. White. Walsh sullivan and Tan
nehili with a few youngsters thrown
in, to Chicago capitalist, sell this list
to him for $4,000, pay the bonuses
out OF this SUI and have some left for
himself. The purchaser. of course,
would have 90 expend another $780, 900
or 100000 for a ball park. At the
latter figure he would be Investing
s350.0o0. MIR. Fletcher figures that
there are several wise capitalists, wise
TO the value of a baseball franchise,
who would willingly part with $500, 900
II they could own major league club
In a city like Chicago. In other towns
his method OF procedure would be the
same.
The chief difficulty confronting
Fletcher Is 10 convince the players that
they will not get into any trouble by
signing provided the league should fall
through lie contends that he viii
have so many stars signed up that the |
powers Of organized baseball could not |
suspend or fire all of them without |
disrupting the present major league.
Claims He Has Stars Signed.
At present the promoter is said to
have the signatures of many Of the
best men In the game. There Is no
doubt he is In earnest and that $4,000
in a lump is mighty good looking
thing to the average athlete. None or
the Cubs lis in on the venture despite
Mr.. Fletcher's effort to land them.
They are too busy just now counting
the receipts from the worlds series.