Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-22
NEW YORK BALL
CLUB REPORTED
To Be ON SALE
Harry Hampstead May Dispose of
Giants for Record Price-Team
Is Biggest MOney-Maker.

n FEW YORK, June 21.-The New
IN York National League Club is
on the market Rumors that the
Giants were to be sold have been rife
for some time. It can now be said,
upon the best Of authority, that the
club will change hands before the
present season comes to a close.
Harry Hampstead, the president Of
the club, is the representative of the
Brush interests in the club, which
holds a majority Of the stock. Hemp
stead is said to be willing to sell out
II he gets his price What price has
been put on the club is not known.
The New York Club has a thirty
five years lease on the Polo Grounds,
and, as the club has been a wonder
full moneymaker ever since McGraw
was made the manager Of the Giants,
It would not be at all surprising II a
price of S1,e00,0OO was asked. The
last few seasons the Giants are re-
ported to have cleared up an average
Of 100000 a season for their owners
Harry Hampstead, the president Of
the club, is a son-in-law of the late
John 7. Brush. Until assuming his
present position he had no connection
with baseball. It is now said that
the heirs of Brush are anxious to dis
pose Of their holdings and Harry
himself is not averse to getting out
OF baseball
IT has always been said that If the
Giants were sold, Manager McGraw
would be given a chance to raise
enough money to buy In the club.
There is not a question but what the
New York Club, as it stands to-day,
is one Of the best business PROPOSE |
lions in the land. However, If Nc
Graw hopes to cut in as the owner
he will have to hustle q lot to avoid |
some one getting in ahead OF him.
II would not be at all surprising II
Harry Stevens, the well-known cater |
err was the new owner of the Giants |
with McGraw posing as the ostensible |
owner Harry has been trying for a |
number Of years to get a hold Of
some good big league club.
He made a number of offers to |
President Ebbets for a slice Of the
Brooklyn Clubs stock. In fact, be- |
fore Ebbets built Ebbets Field, Stew |
ems offered to build the park for Bb- |
bets without 1t costing Ebbets a cent,
provided he was given a substantial |
holding in the clubs stock.
DFRCY WILLIAMS, OF theatrical |
L fame, is another who a short time |
ago was anxious to get into baseball. |
williams made an offer for the Brook |
lyn Club but Ebbets turned down |
the Brooklyn team was going bad and |
Fbbets was simply flooded with Of
fers to buy out his holdings.
Until John T. Brush came to New |
- York. the majority Of the stock |
in the New York club was owned by |
Andrew Freedman and Richard Gro |
ker But under Freedman, the club |
was a big loser, so that Brush got |
the controlling interest in the club |
rather easily
Whether Freedman and Croker are |
still stockholders is mystery. 1t Is |
likely that they hold some stock, but |
not enough to give them controlling |
interest.
That Freedman and Croker did hold |
considerable stock up to a few years |
ago, at least was made plain when |
It was reported that the late Fred |
Knowles, then the secretary of the |
club was to be let out. Knowles |
was always looked upon as the rep |
resentative of the Freedman Croker |
interests in the club after Freedman
had stepped down from the presi |
dency.
When the report went the rounds !
that Knowles was to be forced out, |
Fred took a hurried trip down to |
Florida, where Freedman and Croker |
were then sojourning, with the result |
that Fred did not lose his Job. It was |
said at the time that this proved that |
Freedman and Croker still held big |
part of the clubs stock.