The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-04-20
HEDGES DROPPED 100000
IN TURNING DOWN MATTY
Owner Of St. Louis Team Had
Star Pitcher Signed But
Released Him.
HE NOW REGRETS HIS ACTION

| thiSiSo' Apill oV- Dlu you cnaps
ever know that I'm the sizzling sum
mer of 1902 / had Christy Mathewsor
lined UP to play with my team?" re-
marked Col. Hedges, proprietor of the
st. Louis Browns, "A few days ago.
ITS a fact. | had Matty and his
old battery mate, Frank Bowerman. ]
did n little figuring with some of my
associates in the American league al
the Annex in Chicago and figured il
out that my foolishness in permitting
That's a conservative estimate, too
More than likely, my loss was $780,
| 00C."
I'm not Kidding Bob. but would
give pretty nearly the entire team you
turned over to me for Matty," chimed
in Jack OConnor.
Further proof, my good Jack. that
YOU are a managerial wizard" replied
the busy boss Of the Browns. "Wait-
CIR. the smokes. please. But, continu-
ing. I had Matty, and as have al
ready remarked Bowerman as well.
Even without them it was a mighty
good team I controlled and 1t was
making a rollicking fine bid for the
pennant. Eventually you know, we
ran second. That's where / had the
last laugh on McAleer. The first team
Ban Johnson and I gave him almost
finished first and die finish second. The
last >,ne Jim Rad, for me allrIbst
finished last, and did finish seventh
1T was i'm midseason that landed
$1,000 of my money. We were winning.
but we were not getting much recog-
milton from the press or public. Just
about the time I was going to bring
Matty on. Johnson said it would be
best to wait until the following spring.
as those contract jumping shrieks of
the st. Louis public were making him
vince. ! admit that also heard
them. and consider the recent opera
Mr.. p. Short gave us far more tune
full.
TWAS along in July that Matty
wired me that he just must come
west. He tackled on TO the end of his
Hi'i'f. NHiNll..l am uullt SURF Il
have filed away somewhere, that Mr..
Blank was getting more unbearabe
with each new day, and that he was
anxious to skip out. | told him TO
wait until spring, as 1t was for the
best, and that I would explain 10 him
the first time ran across him just
why Johnson and myself didn't con-
sider it feasible to bring him on just
yet.
'Well. the season finally closed, just
as seasons always do, and pretty soon
the two leagues got together in Gin
cinnati to bring the war to close.
That famed peace document was
drawn up. and pretty soon each one
OF the sixteen presidents, save Bush
and myself. had attached his sigma
turc to It, Johnson and Somers argued |
with me how much IL meant to have |
peace declared. They urged me to
leave Mathewson and Bowerman i'm |
New York. as Brush would then sign |
and IL would next take only my j. |
Hancock to have everybody i'm both
leagues secure stylish quarters on
Prosperity boulevard.
81 weakened. / released my hold on |
and Bowerman: signed the
paper and Brush did likewise. Then
hey had peace. Would. though that
had held Mathewson. McAleer
wouldn't have had nearly so many
ailenders If Matty had been with him
1t the time. Why, we would have
Won the 1908 flag. cocksure, If Christy
lad been with us.