Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-05-01
HICHLANDERS z
YEARS IN NEW YORK
Of Original Team Not One
Member is in Major
League Ball Today
CLUB HAS HAD
EIGHT MANAGERS

II was Just a dozen years yesterday
, since the American League pulled off
its first game in New York. The met
ropolitan invasion of Ban Johnson
marked The beginning OF the end Of
the bitter baseball war which had
been waged between the National
League and the interloper on the ma
jor league preserves. The Baltimore
club, which had been managed by
John McGraw was dropped at the
close of the 1902 season, to make way
for New York. just as Milwaukee,
Minneapolis Buffalo. Kansas City and
indianapolis had previously been
shunted out Of the new league in or
der that the franchises could be
awarded to larger cities. The en-
trance to New York in 1903 was the
last of these changes, and the john
son organization has since stood pat.
Joseph w. Gordon was the head of
the New York club when it played its
first contest on the home grounds.
April 30. 1908, and Clark Griffith was
the manager. The Highlanders. as
the New Workers we're first called be-
cause of the location Of their home
plant on Washington Heights. were
a fairly classy bunch. but not quite
good enough to realize the fond hopes
of the metropolitan fans. They met
and defeated Washington in the first
pastime on the home grounds, win
ming by a score Of TO .. with Jack
Chesbro pitching. Any club was
good enough to whip Washington in
those days. however.
The Highlanders finished their first
year at the bottom OF the fourth di-
wilson. having been beat out by
Jimmy Collins Bostonians, Connie
Mack's Athletics and Armour's Clevc-
land Club. Not a single member OF
the Highlanders' aggregation Of 1908
is now left in organized baseball OF
major league calibre.
The Highlanders we're long handi-
capped, financially. by the inaccessi.
bility of their plant which was locat.
ed at One Hundred and Sixty-fiftt
streets and Broadway. The subway
station at that point was something
less than a mile underground. ant
elevators we're required TO carry tn,
fans up and down. There were onl,
two lifts" on the job. and some
times from fifteen to thirty minutes
elapsed before the bugs could bl
transported to the surface. This oh
stacle TO the success of the club fin
ally brought about the abandonment
Of the old park, and the club played
at the Polo Grounds. for which tn,
Yankee management paid the Clan
owners the neat sum of S55. 700
year. The old plant has been dis
mantled and cut up into building lots
The Highlanders finished second {,
Boston in their second year, bu
slumped to sixth place in 1905. The!
finished second to the White Sox il
1906, but in the next three years they
we're fifth. eighth and fifth, respect
iNely. In 1910 they returned to sec
ond place. trailing the Athletics. bu
we're sixth in 1911, eighth in 1912
seventh in 1918. and sixth last year.
Frank j. Farrell became the presi
dent Of the club in 1907 and held tina
post until this year. when the clul
was sold to Col Rupert, a wealth!
brewer, and Capt. Huston, a contrac
tor who made his pile in Havana.
Since 1908 the New York American
League club has had eight managers
Clark Griffith held the job until 1908