Evening journal., 1915-08-25
Baker WON'T PLAY
FOR CONNIE, HE SAYS
Says Salary Demand OF Ath-
letic Leader Was Not
Enormous
DENIES HE IS TO JOIN
ST. LOUIS FEDERALS

The truth concerning the differences
between ]. Franklin Baker and Connie
Mack is bound to come out some time,
and possibly sooner than some may
think if the home run hitter is correctly
reported by the Chicago Daily News cor
respondent. The writer ran across Baker
in Baltimore during the past week. He
found Baker in company of a lawyer
and young pitcher named Enright, and
Frank not only talked freely, but said
lot of things that nave not heretofore
been published.
Il want to play ball and ! am going
to play" Baker is reported TO have said,
as he slammed his fist down on the
table. 1T will never be for Connie
Mack, however. / am about to take
steps now TO make him show his hand. l
hold a letter locked in my vault which
he wrote to me before ! signed a three
year contract, and which | believe will
free me from my obligation. He urged
me to sign, saying if at any time | was
displeased / could quit.
81 did ask for more money, because
| was tied up to a ridiculously low
salary and wanted more money because
made Connie Mack lot of the money
he is now letting slip away from him.
NV demands were not enormous. Presi-
dent Comiskey offered Connie Mack
$4,000 for my release. Mack was OBJ
stinate and would not sell. He said he
would keep me out of baseball. Well,
he won't; that's a cinch.
''I am going to play somewhere. The
Federal League looks good TO me, and
] am ready to talk business. One law
yer has told me that Connie Mack's let
ter will release me from that three-year
contract. At any rate, | will be free
after next season. am a young man
and can wait if the courts so decide.
am going to make a move now and see
where l get of.
81 am making almost as much money
playing semi-professional ball as
would have made with Philadelphia. The
difference will not amount TO more than
a few hundred dollars For instance,
we played a town Of 1000 inhabitants
recently and there were 1000 paid ad-
mission. How is that? OF course the
entire town did not turn out, but the
fact that was playing third base drew
many from the nearby towns. an
not saying this through conceit, but
stating facts.
81 am batting over 400 in the league
and have hit six home runs in thirteen
games. I played Saturday and did not
get hit in four times at bat, drawing
two passes. I have a fine farm, live
well and will continue to do so, even il
Connie Mack keeps me out Of organized
ball will Join any league or any clut
II they meet my figures. but | want to
play in Chicago.
ut has been said that I am obligated
10 the st. Louis Feds for 1917. Thai
is not true. No one has any promises
from me- Nothing would please me bet
ter than to be with Joe Tinker. have
been told he has a good ball club, and
I want 10 be with a good club"
This would seem to indicate two
things that have been denied: First
that Baker was made dissatisfied by the
sale of Eddie Collins to the Chicago
club. since II reduced his prospective
earnings with the Athletics by from
$1,000 to $4,000 a year, the amount usu
ally picked up in the worlds series, and
second. that he is considering Fedora
League offers. AZ latest, Baker will b.
freed from his contract with Mack al
the close Of the season Of 1916. and un
less he seeks legal help before that time
it seems. by his talk. that he plans tC
wait until the expiration of his Athletic
contract before making a jump. Bakel
is still on the sunny side of 80 ant
being sober, Industrious fellow, h
should have a few years of good bal
playing left when he is able to take ad
vantage of the big offers. But will thu
big offers still bc open to him, and viii
he still be able to clout the ball as o.
yorel Two seasons of minor league bal
may make como difference in Baker
batting, but he is such a natural hitter
that he is likely to prove pretty good il
the Federal League if he concludes Il
cast his lot there. But with Comiske'
ready to pay so much for his release an,
Bakers preference to go to the team
which secured Eddie Collins, it will b
no surprise 10 see Frank line up Will
the White Sox when he resumes playin:
ball.