New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-11
SALE OF YANKEES
STILL HANGS FIRE
Negotiations May Not Be
Completed Inside of
Two Weeks.
COL. RUPERT ALMOST
SURE TO BE BUYER
Huston Would Welcome Connie
Mack if He Is Willing to
Leave Philadelphia.

There seems 10 De no prospect of the
completion of the negotiations for the
sale of the Yankees for a week or
more. On the other hand, the POSSIBLE
ity of an eventual sale to Colonel Jacob
Rupert. jr., is brighter than ever.
1t was Captain 7. L. Huston himself
who fixed the time limit. IL believe
that it will be two weeks before any
thing further can be done regarding
the purchase of the Yankees" he said
yesterday.
AS the matter stands now" he
added, nothing tangible has been done
and it will be necessary TO wait until
Colonel Rupert returns 10 this city
from French Lick Springs, which will
be in about two weeks.
Gas a matter of fact the proposition
has not progressed very far. 1t is still
in that stage which in Spanish we
would call conversations. which means
just what the word implies-that it is
being discussed, but nothing definite
has been done; in fact, negotiations
have been little more than opened. We
have not even discussed the salient
points in connection with the deal. lei
alone the many details that must be
arranged before it could materialize."
The captain was asked as to what
the prospects were for a sale
"That is a hard question TO answer"
he replied. 1--WE have done very little
so far, but ! can say that prospects
are favorable. Still, we have not gone
deeply enough into the matter to have
bitches arise. No price has been men
toned as yet. ] do not know how
much the present owners want nor am
| in a position to state what we are
willing 20 give.
"As far as the stories about Connie
Mack 60, the fact is that Mr. Mack has
not been mentioned in connection with
/ the deal in any way. For my part. how
ever, would welcome Mack. even TO the
extent of allowing him to purchase an
interest in the club if there was any
chance of bringing him here. How
/ Colonel Rupert would feel regarding it
u cannot say, because we never dis
cussed the matter. but ! guess there is
no doubt that he'd be pleased to get
Mack If there was possibility of in
ducing him to leave Philadelphia.
I'VE have not progressed far enough
/ to talk OF terms, so don't know where
/ these stories of 100000, s450,O0O and
100000 come from. Colonel Rupert
and myself come under the category of
baseball fans. We both are enthusias-
n
should like nothing better than to be
interested IN the New York American
League club.
/ "lf Colonel Rupert is successful in
/ purchasing the Yankees. whether | am
connected with the deal in any way or
not, ] want to say that baseball in gen
eral and the American League in par
ticular will have 10 be congratulated
{ upon having such a fine man identified
with the sport"
an Johnson, active engineer of the
/ deal, was a bit more laxative yester-
day than at the beginning of the meet
| ing. but he is still firm in his new belief
that baseball is suffering from too
much publicity. "The newspapers dis
covered these negotiations and an
nounced them prematurely." he said.
"I'm afraid the progress of the deal has
been retarded as a result. In swinging
a deal like the sale of the Yankees pri-
vscy and secrecy are essential. Pub
/ licity frequently interferes and serious
~ hampers negotiations"
IL is pretty certain that from now
until the deal goes through or fails all
the wires will be underground ones.
Harry Hampstead said yesterday that
TO definite arrangement had been made
yet for the Yankees TO play on the Polo
Grounds next season, but that IL was
understood that they would use the
field. The Polo Grounds belongs to the
Coogan estate. and permission has to
be secured from the estate in order TO
rent the grounds to any team besides
the Giants.