Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-22
NEW YORK BALL
CLUB REPORTED.
To Be ON SALE

n JEW YORK, June 2l.-The New
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
If 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 il a
price Of 100000 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 T. Brush. Until assuming his
present position he had no connection
with baseball. Il 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
tiOns in the land, However If Nc
Graw hopes to cut in as the owner
he will have to hustle "A lot to avoid
some one getting i'm ahead Of him.
1t would not be at all surprising If
Harry Stevens, the Well-known cater
er, 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 Eb-
bets without it costing Ebbets a cent
provided he was given a substantial
holding in the clubs stock.
DERCY WILLIAMS, Of theatrical
ago was anxious to get into baseball
Williams made an offer for the Brook
lyn Club. but Ebhets turned down
his proposition. That was the time
the Brooklyn team was going bad and
Ebbets was simply flooded with Of
fcrs to buy out his holdings.
Until John T. Brush came to New
y 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 a mystery. It 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
il 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 stiu held big
part of the clubs stock.
CTNCE the death of Knowles John