New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-07
By JOHNNY EyERS.
Captain of the Boston Braves.

with which TINS article Cta'S' M"o -
greatest baseball machine Of all time
IL was the greatest, both from SCI,
cntifc point Of view and from that OIL
physical ability. | think the Cubs OF
those wears knew more bGsebal! ana
played more baseball than any club IN
fhe history Of the national game.
Charles ". Murphy purchased the
Cubs for the extremely nom nal inquire
Of 100000 plus $4,000 which he pald
James A. Hart for the option on the
club. During the first full year that
he was president-l9OG-the CLUB maze
when Murphy took his place in the
executive chair he found Frank L.
Chance acting as manager. In my pre-
yious article ! explained how Ohhnee
had been made captain OF the Cuos'
and how. when Se.ee retired as man
ager, Chance was advanced 10 ny
nisce. When Murphy bought the c!uo
,bere was no DEFINITE understanding
that Chance would continue as man
arpr. but Murphy evidently deemed IL
odvisable not 10 make any change. ne
sent for Chance and signed nm 10
1,ree-vear contract as manager ~
salary Of $500 & year -.
This was early in the autumn OF
1905. Murphy realized that ne Cou.u
M, hone 10 have the club hn!sh IN
Trst place without making some
changes in the personne! OF the team.
So he sent for Chance. Iogether tne!
discussed the prospects, ana OhSHoS
EXPLAINED 10 him that with th'iu
baseman and some outheld suehsln
lac thought that he had The maKingS
.SaS,,ionsbip OUTFIT Murphy told
~" 10 GO out and get whatever ne
needed.
Weimer Used as Bait.
A. that time Jake Weimer was re-
rJod os on, of the best pitchers IN
81 National League. but Chance real
;zed that Jake had been IN the game
long time and was getting o!d-thst IS,
old for q ball player. he realA]eu
Weimer's value, but hguIeu VhaS
Gould snare the veteran II he could get
49, be wanted in exchange. Chance
6gnred that he had the foundation Ior
aSbampionship club, but needed what
y,;ght he called the superstructore' ne
determined TO use Weimer as tho oalt
to land that superstructure IN Vrhue,
Harry Steinfeldt was then playing
With m. Cincinnati club, and although
Stainfeldt was veteran, even at th"I
awe Chance regarded him as the man
he needed to round out ms lnnelu 81
third base. He Immediately got IN
touch with Garry Hermann ana ar
ranged a trade whereby "elmer Sss ~
90 10 Cincinnati in exchange LOT o'eih-
feldt and Jimmy Sebrlng.
In some way or other this story
leaked into the newspapers before
Chance wanted IL announced. ~ was
inst before the city series win the
White Sox, and we were counting upon
Weimer 10 help US win that series
Weimer saw the stories that ne was 20
be traded and sought out nance 70
have an understanding. lie had mar
rjed a Chicago girl and had made up
rs ,oind 10 settle down in that city.
He figured that after his ball playing
davs were over he would go INTO some
husiness there, and he I'D not like the
den Of being traded.
Chance realized that II We.mer
thought he was to be traded he would
hc practically worthless TO the Cubs IN
the city series. II was then that Frank
for the first time showed the diplomacy
that afterward stood him IN such good
stead. He told Weimer that the deal
had been discussed, but that nothing
definite had been done. lie seid: II
Won pitch winning baseball IN TINS
series / will not make the trade.
Satisfied. Weimer never pitched bet
ter ball in his career than he pitched
against the White Sox in that series.
We won the series, and Weimer won
two of the games for US. Immediately
afterwsrd, owever, he was notined
that the trade had been made and that
he was the property Of the Cinclnau
club.
opment Of the champion Cubs. AS Is
we'll known, Chance never attended the
winter league meetings. AS soon as the
nlaying season closed he always re-
,nrned 70 his home in California. lie
aid the same that year, but LETT WORD
with Murphy that IL il was at all posi-
HE he would like 20 procure, by trade
or purchase, Jimmy Sheckard from the
Brooklyn club.
was AT nv home in Troy just be-
fore the annual meeting OF the Ma
tional League that winter when ! re-
eeiyed q telegram from Murphy ASKING
me TO meet him in New YORK and az
tend the meeting with HIM / OIL. 80
snd he spent hours questioning me rs
aard;ry trades that might be made.
We were stopping at the old Fltth
Ayonus Hotel. and one evening ne re-
turned for dinner and told me that ne
Mad n chance TO get Sheckard, out
,bougbt Charley Ebbets wanted TOO
,avcb FOR him. He explained how anx,
;ous Chance was 70 get the player and
asked my advice. ] replied:
az Chance wants Shecksrd ! would
trade the whole club II necessary 70
get him" ..,..
phoned 70 Ebbets, and they met IN
brooklyn that night. AT 2 O'Clock N
the morning the deal was put througn'
Jim Casey, the third baseman; Ber'
~ rtfnhar Qnn lack MIC
earthly and Bill Maloney, outheiaerS'
were traded 20 Brooklyn for Sheckard,
That was the largest trade on record
an 20 that time. IL was the making OF
~. nfterward famous three "S' out
s.ld composed Of Frank Schultz,
Jimmy Sheckard and Jimmy Sebring
Players Full OF Confidence.
Having finished second in 1905 with
these changes, the players went into
sprins training in 1906 full Of con-
6dence. Never have / mingled with a
more enthusiastic and optimistic bunch
of ball players than those who report
ed al the training camp. Instead OF
the work being tedious and monot-
onous, as IL frequently gets TO be, IL
was a round of pleasure. Hard work
was not noticed, because every member
Of the club was working 20 make the
Cubs a machine that would win the
pennant. -,
There we're no cliques, which do so I
much 10 disrupt the morale Of club. /
All Of the players were friends. In .
the evening we used 20 gather in one 1
room or another and dope out plays
that might help US to win ball games,
and many O. the plays which became
50 closely associated with Cub vic