The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-22
MACK TALK PART OF
HIS PLAN TO SELL?
Bakers Retirement Tale Said
10 BE Willy Comics Way
Of Playing safe.
FAIL TO RAISE McGRAW

at Trappe. Md. would indicate that
Connie Mack's prize slugger Is not 40
very, very dissatisfied with road life
after all. To friends Baker has inti-
mated hat I've might return to the game
N unable to resist tire call, but that
the club which secures his services must
bid more than he is worth.
Remark Of such n nature II true
would Indicate very clearly that condi-
lions In Philadelphia. rather than low"
OF rustic life. had prompted the home
run hero to become a holdout. And by
the same line of rcas oning tho trouble
might he found in the parsimonious pol
ley of Connie Mack.
For the last Ave years Mack has
piloted a remarkable team. In four OF
those five years he won American League
%pennants; three times he won worlds
championships. Yet he never made
much money. Last year he was thou
sands behind.
Mack never was accused Of carrying
a high salaried team. Those close to
him say he decided to relieve himself
Of Eddie Collins. Chief Bender and Eddie
Plank because ne considered their salary
demands exorbitant in view Of Philadei-
phia's lack of enthusiasm. In other
words. his old Athletics were too good
for the town. Through the construction
Of a new club. II is pointed out, Connie
hopes, to arouse Interest once more. A
team Of high salaricd stars failed to
pay a cheaper collection Of new faces
would be quite as much at home and
would not make the American race 30
lopsidod as IL has been for five years.
From Maryland comes a story hat
Bakers top salary with the Athletics
was s4.5OO. IL his Is So then the
Trappe farmer has just grounds for
complaint. There are few men IN base
ball more valuable to a team than
Baker. Iris speaker gets his slS,0oO
The salaries OF cobb and johnson and
many others make $4,000 look like "A
bush league salary. one of the catchcrs
OF the New Norks is said To receive
$1,000. A dozen of him wouldn't begin
to make a Baker.
a prominent man Of organized base
ball expressed the belief to the writer
yesterday that Connie Mack announced
Bakers supposed retirement a. part Of
an understanding with the player to
prepare the Philadelphia fans for j.
Franklin's transfer elsewhere.
Il am convinced said he. that Baker
wishes to get away from the quaker
cityt | do not believe that he intends to
desert the game at this time. lie is
right in the prime Of lifc, lie "a a clean,
careful liver and hould be good for
ten years to come.
IL Baker will play elsewhere Connie
Mack should not stand between him and
u career with the New York club. No
one is more popular here. not even Ty
cobb Baker would lie appreciated IN
New York and the owners OF the local
club would no doubt pay Frank a SALARY
that would make him conteuted with ms
lot. II Mack intends to part with hs
sluggcr ho should give New York first
chance
Tillie Senator's y.si, to Sew y.rk
at this particular time Is interpreted
by McGraw's friends IS an omen Of
good. iu spite uf Scaafcr's assertions
that he j. through with the same many
believe ne Nii he someWuclc oil the
Giants infeld this year. once before
he came back t. McGraw after a sup
posed permanent retirement,
But the most mystitN.H@ part ~ II
all is McGraw's behavior. The oiIi Q
failed To get m response from the
manager AZ all last week. secretary
roster sent no less IMAM ha4i a uOHtl
Cablcgrams. MCGTdws presence here
is greatly desired for some reason and
what IL more natural to suppose than
Ina Shafer's visit has something To
do with the concern Of the Giants
officials?
Rumors of peace in baseball ara
afloat once more. II is said that an
emissary uf ORGANIZED baseball con-
ferred with Robert IL. ward and James
A.. Gilmore in Iino'urst a short time
ago and that tentative plans for a re
adjustment were discussed at leu-th.
This 81, ~ once more REEVES the pos
sibility of the sale of the Cuus to
Charles Woeghman and the disposal
of a National League franchise to Rob-
crt II. Ward.
There does not appear To be good
reason for any such speculation. Ban
johnson Is now I'm California and John
Is. Tcner will start In - few days for
the same State. Surely these two Great
forces of organized baseball would
wish to he on hand II r. rcudjustmert
were In order. There Sens very Little
reason to believe that the Federal
League meeting in Buffalo this week
will concern M but the independent
maguates.