Evening star., 1915-01-09
ORDER GENERAL RAID
Big Leagues Active In Quest of
Federal Stars.
MARSANS NEXT TO FLOP
Yankee Agent Plans Trip to Cuba to
Sign Up the Out
fielder.
MARSANS NEXT TO FLOP

NEW YORK, January 9.-"Get every
man you can," is the order sent out all
along the line by major league clubs
to their agents. who have hit the trail
to capture the stars of the Federal
League. Organized base ball has de-
cided upon the biggest player raid since
the beginning Of the war with the Feds
Club managers. secretaries, scouts and,
In one or two cases, club presidents are
scurrying here and there In the effort
to sign every man available. following
the decision of the national commission
few days ago to institute such a
plan Of action and thereby fight the
Feds with their own weapons.
The peregrinations Of Charley Her.
zog, manager of the Cincinnati Reds,
brought him to New York yesterday
So far the former third baseman of the
organized balls agents in the grand
forage. as one stanch supporter Of the
National League chose to call 1t yester-
day. Herzog arrived incognito. but
was encountered when he appeared in
the corridor of a large hotel-rot one
of those on so-called Base Ball Row
He admitted the general nature of his
purposes. but would not divulge the
names of the men he came east to ne
gotiate with.
Donovan Hits the Trail.
1t was learned from an authoritative
source that Manager Wild Bill Dono-
van of the New York Americans Is one
OF those engaged in the same sort Of
service as Herzog. When Bill left
town Thursday carrying a dozen blank
contracts in his inside coat pocket he
said he was going to sign some of my
men," He said nothing about new men,
out that can be read into his remark.
Among those who will be visited by
Bill is one very well known player now
under contract to q Federal club. and
Bill has free rein to offer sufficient In
ducements to redeem this big gun, just
as he got Ray Caldwell back into the
fold Wednesday. 1t can be said. how
mem member % Of s the New % Yorss. K a'' q -''"ef
Armando Marsains, former star out
fielder of the Cincinnati Reds. Is now
practically certain to wear New York
uniform this year. This misguided
Feds and then was tied up by the
courts. is ready to sign q contract with
the local club as soon as one Is Of
fered. Terms have been agreed upon
of the American League, 10 pulling the
strings to have the waiver matter fxed
up SO that Marsans can be taken out of
the National League-his case has gone
that far.
Carded for the Yankees.
A representative Of Capt. Tillinghast L.
Huston. one Of the new owners Of the
New Yorks, is in Cuba right now talking
it over with Marsans, who is spending
the winter playing first base for the Ha-
vana club Of the Cuban National League.
Reports frcm the island tell OF his put
ting I'D a sensational game at the init al
corner, where he is almost certain to
play for the New Yorks when the cluD
gets him. Capt. Huston himself Will see
Marsans in Havana about two weeks
from today and tender him a contract
to be signed. The captain will sail for
Cuba week from tomorrow in COM
pany with John McGraw to stay sew
eral weeks, and says he will return
with a contract binding Marsans TO MS
team.
The majority of the work done by the
scouts of organized base ball in the
present raid will be kept quiet as long
as possible, nothing being announced IN
any cases until the men have actually
signed contracts. as in the case Of Ivy
Wingo, the catcher who jumped from
the Cardinals to the Feds and back
again. Charley Herzog. who did the
work in the Wingo case. said yester-
contract several days before the fact
was made known to the public.
At least twenty men now on the
roster of Federal League clubs are
sought by organized base ball For
obvious reasons it would be impolitic
to give the full list of names. but play
ers of the stripe of Benny Kauff, the
Indianapolis outfie1d sensation, are in
cluded in it. However, no player will
be tampered with to whom organized
base ball has not some legal claim
which is sure to be recognized in the
courts. With the exception of Hal
Chase and Heine Schulz nearly every
player who jumped to the independents
in the latter part of the 1914 season
will be approached. All such legally
belong to organized ball by virtue of
the 1915 option clause in their 1914
contracts.