New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-14
Fighting Spirit of Chance,
with Discord Rampant,
Delayed Crash.
SLAGLE FIRST OF
OLD TEAM TO 60
Activities of Reulbach IN the
Players Fraternity Blamed
for His Release.


Chance, Tinker and myself that he
would give the players $4,000, to be
divided among them, II we won the
championship. At that time we were
apparently out of the running, as
have already mentioned. | think that
Murphy was Just trying to appear
generous, figuring that he would never
have TO separate himself from that
10000
After we won the championship
Chance, Tinker and myself called his
attention to this promise. He looked
at us with blank expression on his
face, as if he had forgotten all about
it. When confronted with the evil
dence he said that he couldn't give up
the money, as the National Commis-
sion prohibited it.
To his surprise, the commission gave
him this privilege" Then he insisted
upon the right to distribute it among
the players as he saw fit He released
three men and discharged another be-
fore making the divvy; Jimmy Slsgle,
Carl Lundgren, Andy Coakley and
Johnny King were counted out, while
Harry Thomas, then Murphy's secre-
tary, and now president of the Cubs,
was declared in.
SldRle was the UTst Ol bHo VIZ CNSS
to 90. He was released to Boston,
and then followed Coakley and Fraser,
but neither of these latter two could
be regarded as of the first family.
| Scarcely had these three men been let
out when Carl Lundgren, one of the
veterans, was released to Brooklyn
and from there went to Toronto.
steinfeldt Forced to Sign.
In tho spring of 1911 Harry Stein
tract until he was forced TO do so.
He had his choice of signing the con-
, tract or withdrawing from baseball.
He signed. But he had slowed up to
: such an extent that during the season
| he was sent to Louisville, II memory
serves me right, and from there went
to Boston. Incidentally, he was the
/ Arst of the old Cubs to die, and with
! his passing one Of the finest and
cleanest baseball players the game has
ever known crossed the great divide:
Subsequently "King" Cole, now with
tho Yankees. and Artie Holman were
traded to Pittsburgh for Tommy Leach
and Lefty" Leifeld. That was In the
summer OF 1912, and Hoffman was not
/ notified of his release until the CUBS
were about to entrain for the East;
! in fact, they were so dilatory in giving
him his notice that his grip and trunk
we're already on the train and were
carried East with US.
Overall, through a misunderstanding
regarding his salary, refused to- JOIN
| the Cubs in 1912, and q day or two be-
fore the city series against the Whlte
Sox Mordecai Brown was notified OF MS
I release to Louisville. We were all SIT
I ting in the clubhouse when Brown was
notified, and Chance, showing that ne
knew nothing about it, remarked; ian
. you beat it?"
7 Shortly after the series Chance was
/ let out as manager Of the Cubs. lie
was still retained as a player, how
ever, principally because Murphy be-
| lieved that il Chance was let go out
right he might be taken up by the Chi
! cago White Sox, and this would infiu-
ence Chances many friends in Chicago
and be the cause of their switching
| their affections to the American League
club in that city.
1t was then that I was offered the
| position of manager. | steadfastly re-
fused to accept until was convinced
that Chance was positively through:
Even then I was not on the best Of
terms with Murphy, for two years pre-
yiously, when ! was i'll practically the
whole season. Murphy telegraphed to
| Chance, the team then being in Pitts
| burgh, to suspend me without pay, as
| was Of no use to the club while III.
When Chance received this telegram
! he read it to Hoffman and Sheckard.
When ! rejoined the team | was told
about it, but Chance refused to carry
out Murphy's orders.
! When I accepted the position as
| manager of the Cubs Chance realized
that had had nothing TO do with his
being ousted, for he knew that ! was
| not on friendly terms with Murphy.
He and Charley Williams, then secre-
tary of the Cubs, who quit his position
to become secretary OF the Chicago
Federal League club, and myself were
seated in q downtown cafe in Chicago
when Chance received the check for
his share Of the stock that had been
sold to Harry Ackerand. This was two
or three days before stepped into the
/ position as boss.
The next of the old Cubs to pass out
was Joe Tinker. tried my best to
/ have Tinker continue with the Cubs
under my regime, for knew that with
I Tinker at short we stood an excellent
! chance of winning the pennant. Since
then | have been convinced that II
I Tinker had stuck we would have won
the pennant. But Joe saw q chance to
better himself, and he cannot be
blamed for accepting II. So he went to
Cincinnati as manager Of the Reds:
Following in order, Jimmy Sheckard
was sent to St. Louis. This was done
against my wishes, but II was Sheck-
ards large salary that caused the SHIFT
/ The last to 90 was Ed Reulbach.
believe that he went because he had
= always been an advocate OF a players
fraternity, such as Is now In existence
For this reason Murphy had long been
opposed TO Reulbach: He tried TO per-
suade Chance to let Ed 60, but Chance
insisted that he (Chance) had nothing
to do with the politics Of baseball, but
was employed 70 put winning team
on the field. Chance knew that Reul-
bach was a good pitcher and refused
TO let him out. Reulbsch was traded
for Eddie Stack.
Then came my case. Every one is
! familiar with that. because il hap
pened so comparatively recently. do
/ rot care 70 90 into details about that,
for the National League realized that
was absolutely justified in the stand
that took and guaranteed me my sal
airy in full. .
To this day have never received
official notification from Murphy of my
release. The Boston club assumed my
contract, which still has four years TO
run in full. II called for $4,000 annual
salary as a player and $4,000 additional
as manager. James E. Gsffney assumed
the entire responsibility for the $780,
/ 900 per annum and gave me bonus Of
1000 for signing.