The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-12
How Mike Kelly
 Sold For $|O,OOO
Purchase of Great Player by
 Boston Club Aroused Anger of Old Time Chicago Fans

VI O1U llulC OIIfCdSO rdliS
 In his new book, Americas Ma tfonal Game A. G. Spalding gives an account of the sale of King Kelly, the original s1O,O0O beauty, by Chicago to Boston in the late sos. He says: ''The first time I had to do with the selling of players was in 1887. had withdrawn from active partici- patton in the game as player, but was president of the Chicago White Stockings, at that time the finest team of ball players in the world. AL though the traffic in ball players un- der the National Agreement had been in vogue for some time. had never looked with much favor upon 1t. rather from sentiment than any other reason, I suppose, for I knew that such changes usually benefited clubs and player alike. The newspapers had made much ado about the arbi- trary authority given to managers along this line. It had been quite generally denounced by the press; and the public, influenced, no doubt, by the changes rung on such headlines as Slave Traffic. Another Ball Play CT Sold, etc, had come to regard the practice as awful.
 ."The fact leading to my personal introduction to the system are as fol- lows: The White Stockings were re- beating in Chicago the history of Bos- tons first professional club. The play CTS were so capable that they were expected to win every game. It did seem almost impossible for them to lose. Twice in succession they had captured the championship penna1t; i; the prowess of the team was known throughout the land, and praises of the individual performances of An rymple, Gore, Clarkson, Pfeffer, Mc- Cormick and Sunday were on every body's lips
 Now experience had shown that the keeping of the same players to- gether for too long a time is preju- dicial to the interests of the game. had learned that lesson in my notice of the effect of the four years or successive championship victories gained by the Boston team, and felt that the time had come for a change in the personnel of the Chicago nine. I was we'll aware that patrons while appreciating good players. do tire of seeing the same faces year after year. and do enjoy the introduction of new blood into the team. And so I de- cided to let some players go. But what ones? That was not so easy to decide
 q de1iberated on the matter for some days, and finally persuaded my self that King Kelly was the man to sell. In arriving at this conclusion, was not led to the determination entirely by the certainty that Kelly would bring the most money. I knew, of course, that he was as popular abroad as he was at home, and would sell for lot of cash. I also was aware that there would be a sad, sad wall when it was made public that the "King'' was to go. But there were imperative reasons prompting his dis posi-. So one day I preached the sub ject of the proposed change to Cap tain Anson, asking him if he could spare Kelly.
 '.sspare' him? Sure Spare anybody was the reply.
 q then cautioned Anson to say as felt that this matter was one which would have to be han dled with gloves. Sol sent for Kelly and asked him: M
 Kelly, how would like to go to Boston to play?' =
 "I don't want Boston in mine; Chicago's good enough for me-
 :. Well, you're good enough for Chi cago, too,' I said, But if there should be something nice in it for you, would you objectH Wouldn't you like more salary?'
 wouldn't Kelly like more salary ? Well, I guess
 What salary would you go to Boston forT I continued.
 .'He thought a moment, then said, almost as if ashamed to ask for it. -Four thousand dollars %
 He was receiving s3.O00 at Chica- go. which was the limit in those days.
 T think can get you $5,00o.' said
 "He beamed all over at the pros- pect
 Now, Mike I said, you don't care how much we get for your re- lease?
 :" If you get me s5oOo I don't care if you sell me for a hundred thou sand
 All right. Now keep mum and let me conduct negotiations: and re- member, if you get letter from Bos- ton asking your terms it's 5000, not $4, ,000'
 q took the matter up with the manager of the Boston club, telling him that King Kelly might possibly be secured. He bit. In a few days I got a letter asking the price. I re- piled that s10.000 would purchase the King. He couldn't wait to write. He wired me Terms for Kelly accepted, ana the sale was IIlduG.
 Meanwhile Kelly had also been re- ceiving telegrams and got his contract for three years at $5,000. It was un- derstood between us that he was at liberty to play the poor baseball slave act to the limit. He did his part with such splendid effect that I soon had the whole press of Chicago ap- plying to me names that, to say the least. were far from complimentary. To. these attacks I replied by having the check received from Boston pub lished in fac simile in the Chicago pa- pers. I had learned to know the value of good newspaper advertising and it came good and plenty as long as Kelly remained to weep and wall over his sad fate in being sold away from the city he loved so well.
 But the other members of the team soon caught on. and I found myself besieged by players begging to be sold into slavery that would help them to redouble salaries After a while the reporters got the right of it, with the result that a system which helped player and club alike was shown to be not so one-sided as it has been some times supposed
 Subsequently, Clarkson, the White Stockings superb pitcher, was also sold to Boston and later Gore went to New York, but we overdid the matter a trifle. and lost the pennant