The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-12-08
American League Made by Lax
joie, Just as Feds Hope John
son Will Make Them
SCHEME DIDN'T WORK,
HOWEVER, IN 1890
Players League Failed, Starting
With More Popular Support
Than Outlaws Have Now
BY HAROLD Y. WILCOX.

bI HAhOLD y. .HILJpA.
B It's safe bet that some portion OF
history devoted TO baseball wars is
y going 10 repeat itself within the next
year. But just what portion is ques
ton that is more OF poser than that
y put by the old flirting sphinx that the
historic Greek met on the road home
In the rosy days OF the real Olympic
games. ..'
The American league felt its way
around In the outer darkness for many
moons before Ban Johnson and his
I fellow-pioneers thought OF capturing
the National leagues pet performer.
Then they hooked Larry Lajoie, the
greatest ball player OF his day, and
the American league was made. Even
\ tually II became the greatest or base
ball organizations, and that is the pin
nacle on which IL is perching today.
After a dozen years OF peace, along
came the Federals, a pitiful specimen
'4of a baseball league. After signing
up lot OF has beens" that look as
good In the movies as they do at frst-
hand at the ball park. and bunch OF
lesser lights that nobody wanted 10
see. anyway, Pa Gilmore and his at.
ftaches stole some of Old Ban John
sons choicest stun and kidnapped Wal
ter Johnson. This big moundsman is
not the pre-eminent figure that Nap
Lajoie was in his warning days, but
he answers the purpose, and the out
4 laws certainly expect him TO pull
them through even as Gear Bancroft
was pulled through when he was on
the outside looking in. History re-
peats itself quote the Feds, and point
with glee to happenings OF dozen
years ago. .#..
But their memory is not long
enough. There Is another bit OF bel.
ligerent history included in the me-
moirs of baseball days that are gone.
and that particular passage in the
record OF diamond doings tells OF an
other invading league, backed by
numerous plutocratic angels" to
whom the player-idol OF the fans
hurdled in focks. And that new
league was based on an appeal that
would bring the whole-hearted sup
port of every fighting union fan in
the country.
But before the time for a second
season arrived. there was stampede
OF players back TO old masters, the
story of which would rival a feature
yarn based on the battle OF Bull Run.
Incidentally, the things that really
broke this league were dwindling at.
tendance at the parks for both outlaw
and organized baseball, and slump
in discipline on the teams that dis
gusted everybod' concerned.
The outlaw organization referred TO
Is the Players league. secretly organ
:. t~n in, he xuint ar ~ 1890 and qtartad
on its disastrous way in 1890. There
are, of course, many points of dissim-
ilarity between that circuit and the
Federal league. One of them was that
that league was based on a revolt OF
the players against one-sided con-
tracts and what was termed peonage,
fact exactly suited TO appeal TO the
thousands of enthusiastic union men
who delight to pack ball parks. The
Feds would be very fortunate, indeed.
II they could present some such issue
for consideration next summer,
But there are many points OF re-
semblance between the Players league
and the Feds. The Players league
expected success because II had sue
ceeded in enrolling a large number
of the diamond stars OF the day. 1t
failed because the public became dis
gusted with the bitter controversies
that were carried into the papers, and
because conditions made the enforc-
ing OF authority by umpires aud man
ayers impossible. Today the Billings.
gate that is being hurled back and
forth between the organized and out
law camps is tending TO have a very
similar result, and last summer II was
very evident that discipline was SUI
fering severely in all three OF the In
terested leagues. IL is safe bet, too,
that discipline Will take the count on
more than one occasion next year be
fore time for the world series is
reached.
Yes, history will repeat itself. no
I matter which way the goddess of for
\ tune Jumps in this piquant baseball
war, but the dope, based on the hap
4 penings of years that are past, is a
1880 proposition.
3 The story OF the rise and fall OF
i this Players league is very interest
fng. II was secretly formed In 1889.
by officers OF the brotherhood" head
ed by John NJ. Ward Backers for an
eight-club circuit and sites for parks
IN each National league stronghold
were secured.
On Dec. is, 1889, the Players
league was permanently organized
with q 10-year co-partnership between
the clubs. Players were given equal
places with the capitalists on the
board OF directors. The reserve clause
was abolished, and absolute one-year
contracts, with renewal clause, were
adopted The circuit was composed
OF Boston. Cleveland. Brooklyn. Phila-
delphia, Chicago. Pittsburgh. New
York and Buffalo. The usual number
OF Injunction suits were successfully
defended. and the season opened with
every prospect OF lots OF popular sup
port
In short time, however. the play