Evening star., 1915-11-13

retire from the dictatorship OF the club.
There has been considerable friction
on the board of directors OF the club
and the appointment of Harry Stevens
as sort of supervisor of the team was
a source OF much annoyance to Man
ager Herzog. With the Fleischmann
interests not in active control there are
apt to be some material changes in the
general management of the club.
1t Is very likely that the New York
American League club will have one
OF the biggest plants in either league
Capt. Huston, one of the owners of
the club. spent several days in Chi
cago recently going over the White
sox plant, and he announces that the
new New York plant will be built along
those lines, but with many improve
ments.
II work on the new plant is started
early enough it is just possible that it
can be completed by the time the 1916
season opens next April.
The impression that Walter Johnson
is a hard man to catch was dispelled
several years ago. When Clark Grif-
fifth took charge here and traded Gabby
street to the New York club great
howl went up. for it was believed that
Street was the only catcher who could
handle the speed marvers delivery. Ed
die Ainsmith, however, was not long
convincing the fans that he had some
thing on Street so far as catching John
son was concerned and last season
Rippy Williams demonstrated that
catching Johnson is but an ordinary
feat
Johnson and Ainsmith had become a
famous battery, but with Ainsmith
slated to go elsewhere next season,
Johnson's effectiveness will not be les
sened. any more than it was when he
lost Street as battery mate.
II the plans of the Federal League
are carried out, a special effort Will be
made to put a winning team in New
York. A winner there is expected to
save the league, yet there is never any
assurance of a winner being nodded.
even though lot of stars are obtained
to make up the team.
When the American League broke
into New York, some twelve years ago,
Ban Johnson crippled the Pittsburgh
team with his raids to make the High
landers pennant winner. There was
a splendid aggregation turned over to
Clark Griffith. but it never won a pen
nant and, in fact, no New York team
has ever won an American League
flag.
Championship ball teams cannot be
made to order, and the Feds are very
apt to realize this fact II they enter
New York and put forth the efforts
they are said to contemplate.
Owner Hampstead of the New York
club is one of those who do not take
seriously the threat of the Federal
League to break into New York. He is
credited with the following statement.
which appeared in the Evening Sun
yesterday:
The announcement that the Feds will
locate on Manhattan Island and that
they win build a stadium with seats
for $4,000 spectators Is particularly in
teresting to me-" said Hampstead 'Out
side of securing a site for the plant.
the Feds cannot build a single -decked
stadium for less than $40 a seat A
structure of this kind would REQUIRE a
plot much larger than the Polo Grounds
and to keep the cost of the stands dow a
to $55e,000 II would be necessary to
use the cheapest material. II the Feds
should build a double-decker the COST
would be greater. The grandstand al
the Polo Grounds involved an outlay
of more than 100000, and yet the seat.
ing capacity is only $4,000. We have
looked over the ground carefully and
we are in position to say that availa-
BILE property on Manhattan Island south
of the Polo Grounds cannot be pur-
chased for less than $1.0O0.000.
I'm order to establish new ball
club, therefore, the Feds would be com
PEELED to spend nearly $2.000,0O0, in
GLIDING high-class team. which would