The Washington herald., 1914-01-12
scheme To KILL
OUTLAWS ABSURD
Impossible to Let Them Shoot
|. Themselves to Death with
Their Own Bank Roll.
BY ADVISING TO JUMP
Unless Organized Baseball Adopts
Stringent Methods All the Stars
Will Go to Federals.
BY ADVISING TO JUMP

Special 10 Ths Washington Herald.
i New York, Jan. u-Those loud bursts
Il OF laughter that fractured the winter
quiet OF the United States Thursday were
occasioned by the story that came out OF
! Cincinnati recounting the brilliant plan
i whereby the organized baseball crowd
was going to allow the Federal League
to "shoot itself to death with its own
4 bank roll"
| The idea Is SO absurd, 80 screamingly
funny. that few persons acquainted with
William Baker. the conservative, shrewd
president of the Philadelphia National
League team. will believe that he Is
sponsor for it, as the reports stated.
The idea as it came from Cincinnati Is
this:
| Advised to Jump.
The organized baseball crowd in future
| Will not attempt to prevent their players
| from jumping to the Federal League
whenever the Federals offer more money.
Instead. the organized people really will
advise their players to jump whenever
| they get a chance, and they practically
will assure them of reinstatement In
organized baseball '.as soon as the Fed
eral League breaks up. which certainly
Will be this summer"
According to the dispatches. the organ
lied persons love their players so much
money. So they are wiling that the play
ers should jump. but are cautioning them
to have the contracts with the Federals
SO made that they will get the full three
years salary no matter what happens to
the league.
In the case of Otto Knabe. the PhiIlies'
second baseman, who hurdled to the
Federals. ii is said Baker told him to
go ahead, kid. but be sure you hold the
Eada 1u A0rlyr to
they guarantee to give you for three
years After their league breaks up you
can come with us. get your old salary.
and you'll be nearly $4,000 ahead"
What a truly brilliant idea
II organized baseball put IL into effect
II would mean the wrecking OF the Ma
tional and American Leagues within two
weeks-perhaps less. 1t would drain
organized baseball Of every PLAYER IL
owned. What player would not jump to
the Federal League II he was offered
more salary than his organized job paid
him. and guaranteed reinstatement by
organized baseball at any time he re-
quested it
Every Player Would Go.
With such condition existing it would
mean that practically every player in
organized baseball would jump to the
Federals as soon as he could get a blank
contract for signature. What would there
be TO hold him? He gets more money |
by going, and he can go back any tim. |
he wants TO. Loyalty might bind him. |
There Is no occasion for It. Aren't the |
organized baseball moguls urging their |
players to jump?
Such brilliant" plan as is credited |
to Baker would mean that long before |
next March the only thing that would |
De left OF organized baseball would be |
a lot OF jobless groundkeepers, sixteen
)ooless presidents, sixteen jobless secre-
taries, large swarm OF jobless ticket
takers, and sixteen fields and grand
stands that never again would ring with
cheers from the multitude-unless the
Federals purchased the stands and
grounds.
Where would the FederaIs get the
money to pay the huge salaries they
would have to offer the organized play
ers TO get them TO jump? Why if il Il
was a certainty that the Federal League
,ould secure all, or even half the stars
n the American and National Leagues
here would be about 1O0.o00 persons fight
ng for the chance to buy the stock of
he Federal League clubs.