The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-09-18
McALEER DEAL. IS
FANS SMALL TALK
By SENATOR"

Baseball men here are placing little
credence in the reports from Boston
that Ban Johnson Is the real purchaser
of the Boston Red Sox.
According to the story that probably
originated in the fertile mind of some
overenthusiastic scribe. the president
Of the league holds nearly so per cent
of the stock in the club in his own
name, and McAleers interest Is not
greater than $4,000 at the outside
That more than so per cent OF the
Red Sox stock is securely locked in the
safe in Ban Johnsons office in Chicago
is not only possible, but most probable,
but this is not particularly significant.
1t will be remembered that during the
early days of the league, when players
and managers were Topping from the
American and National and back again,
no one could tell when the younger cir
cult might blow
Then came Ban johnson with a neat
little idea that the way to avert SELL
outs and other treachery was to have
the president of the league hold ma
jority interest in the weaker clubs, and
so much did this appeal to the men who
had real money in the venture that
IL was passed.
Ban. Johnson gathered up bales Of
papers in most of the cities around the
wheel, and from that day the American
League has been the most successful
league in all of basebalrs annals.
Holds Stock.
Because of the large number of per-
sons supposed to be behind McAleer in
his Boston deal it is not at all unlikely
that Johnson has taken the stock to
his office in Chicago. but that the pres
ldent of the league has personally in
vested in the club is a story that will
not appeal.
McAleer is reputed to be worth nearly
$4,000, made in baseball and other profit
able investments, and he declares that
the greater part of this sum has been
sunk in the purchase at Boston.
No matter how much truth there may
be in the latest report from Boston, ii
certainly appears as though 1t is up to
Ban Johnson TO make some definite
statement concerning the transactions
whereby McAleer transfers his base OF
action from this city.
Last winter when McAleer almost
purchased the st. Louis Browns 1t was
strongly limited that Comiskey and at
least one other club owner in the
American League was backing the pres
ent Washington manager and i'm
mediately from the strongholds Of the
National League came cries of syndi-
cate baseball.
Nothing has done so much to cause
turmoil in the National League as the
hue and cry that men owning one team
are financially interested in rival clubs.
Since its inception the American League
has received faithful services from
secretary, who is associated with
McAleer at Boston, land it would not
be surprising to hear from now on re-
ports that other owners are behind the
Red Sox movement.
The following straight from the
W ashingtonian from Harvey Woodruff,
who is writing series of sketches in
the Chicago Tribune of young players
who are making good in the major
leagues:
when Charles S. ('BuckD Becker
held the White Sox to three hits and
scored a to 1 victory for McAleer's
Senators August last Washington's
baseball population went almost mad. i
1t seemed that every spectator in
stand and bIeacher had some noise
making device and regarded himself
as a personal friend of the young
amateur who was earning his major
league spurs.
October IA, 1880, and thus is not yet
years old. Before he was
called Buck .he was called Stats
That was when he was narrower than
he is now. He attended st. Peters
Catholic School until he was about
fourteen, and then went to work for
his father, who conducts buffet in
Washington.
"Becker's first bid for fame in the
national game was as member Of
the Vigilants, a neighborhood team
which played prairie ball against
other ambitious mines. Its members
usually played for a side bet Of
from SIS to SO a game, subscribed by
members of the club. Salaries were
unknown. The .youngster continued
playing baseball of this kind until
1908, when he signed with Reading
of the Tri-State League at salary
of $3.50 a month and won nine of six
teen games
''The following year he went to Ma
con, Ga, for spring training and on
his return was traded to Youngstown
for a shortstop. He worked in one
game for the Ohio team, holding his
opponents to one hit but hurt hia.
3 4 - .