East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-09-08
Sports
CLUB OWNERS OPPOSE
CORNERING MARKET
IN BASEBALL STARS
SPORT OF TRYING TO BUY \
PENNANT Is COMING IN
FOR HARD RAPS.
BY GEORGE n. HOLMEs-


| Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
NEW YORK, Sept. S.-The grand
little sport of trying to buy pen
ant so lately instituted in the AM
erican league, is in for drastic bit
Of Legislation when the magnates
oongregate around the Hot Stove
this coming winter, unless something
goes awry, Ban johnson is going to
have his work cut out for him in
smoothing over some of the deals
that have been pulled off in his cir
cult this season, it is said on excellent
authority. Several club owners, par
ticularly in Washington and New
York, are going to present some
mighty strong arguments against a
few magnates with a lot of money
being permitted to corner all the
stars in the league and make a one,
two or three-sided affair Of the race.
The first week in September finds
three teams in the American league
stil in the pennant hunt-Boston, /
Detroit and Chicago. Each of these
teams has been reinforced by recog-
nized stars this season, bought from
other American League clubs. with
the result that they have been way
out in front most of the season ana
the fans in the cities whose stars
have been sold, are sore. And they
can't be blamed. According to this
theory, John D. Rockefeller could
bring pennant to Cleveland every
year.
In justice to Detroit. however. it
may be said that President Navin
didn't unloosen. the purse strings un-
til he was forced to in self-defense.
Charles Coniskey of the White Sox,
whose sportsmanship has never been
questioned, started the merry little
war of dollars by buying Eddie Col
Inns from the finally embarrassed
Athletics for $4,000. When Collins
didn't add the necessary punch to
make the Sox a penant winner the
Old Roman went out and paid s1O,-!
000 for Eddie's former teammate,
Eddie Murphy Still there was
wrong, and Comiskey took
Memo Iiebold from the Cleveland
Club at the waiver price To top off
this amazing bit of baseball financ-
ing be bought Joe Jackson from the
same club for a price said to be ap-
$4,000. Its a question
the Old Romans ambition
10 bring a pennant to the South side
,ans hasn't run away with his judg-
nent
President Lannin of the Red Sox
licked in with $4,000 for Jack Bar
y Immediately after Collins was sold
o Chicago, and lately he bought Sam
Agnew from the Browns for $4,000.
.astly, the Tigers bought Bill James
rom the Browns at reputed price S
+ $4,000. a
There are several cities in the /
ohnson loop that needed bOlstering C
Ip, and one Of them is New York. '
RUPERT and Huston, the new owners e
re making game effort to do it,
nut they're getting little help from
he league. Another is Washington.
md another is st. Louis where n
Branch Hickey is trying to build up i
team in accordance with the time \
IGNORED method. Naturally, letting q
hree. clubs corner the market isn't .
DING to, make any great hit with y
american league supporters in those
tiles. The howl raised in New York
) still echoing.
Not only does it make the fans in
he unlucky cities temporarily sore,
ut it destroys what is far more es
entail to the game - public conf =,
ence in its honesty and sportsman
hip, and it is generally accepted that
porting rivalry is the heart OF the
anne. A
One Of the many remedies suggest
d for this latest evil lis not to let
ny club dispose Of a player to an A
ther club after June 2-or after the
cal peannant chase gets started.
/ is practically certain that some A
hing will be done, I'M any event.