The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-16
He Wanted to Try to Get S..
600 of Purchase Price
from Hampstead.

hold-out with the New York Giants.
When the Federal went out Of ex-
istence," Kauff says. 1.-The Giants again
made strong effort to get me. went
to the office with John McGraw and
talked things over with Mr.. Hampstead.
l agreed to sign a contract with the
Giants at the terms they offered, which
wero satisfactory to me. And again
! fulfilled my part Of the contract in
fixing my signature to a contract
for which they had agreed to pay me
$4,000.
II told them that wanted to have
chance to see Mr.. Sinclair, to see IL /
could not get part Of the purchase
money. This was not uncommon ar
rangement among ball players. Frank
Baker wanted $4,000 Of the purchase
price from Connie Mack before he
would sign with the Yankees. Sim
clair received for me, SO understand,
$4,000. The amount may have been
overstated, but 1t was a fortune, at
any rate. 1t seemed to me no more
than fair that l should get part OF
this huge purchase price. / had my
mind set on $4,000 as a reasonable
figure.
mo doubt l will be criticised as a
money grabber, but. believe me, ball
player has only, few chances to grab
any money. no one criticised John
Evers when he got SCI, 1000 as a bonus
for going with the Braves. Why should
l have been criticised for my demands
considering the great amount OF money
that Sinclair was getting for me? He
is a man many times millionaire. He
had more money in any one of a dozen
banks, no doubt, than l will ever have.
II knew enough to know that with
the passing Of the Federal league the
days Of the big money were largely
over and that probably would never
get another chance to get such a
bonus.
1.-THE New York owners agreed not
to have any dealings with Mr.. Sin
clair for two or three days until I
could have a chance to see him and
try to get my share of the purchase
money from him. But l hadn't been
out Of the Office fifteen minutes when
the affair was all settled with Sin
clair. Naturally l couldn't get any
money out Of him then.
II knew enough to know that with
trouble. I think the newspaper men
in New oYrk are inclined to burlesque
a fellow little more than is neces-
sary. have always tried to treat
everybody fair, and while there is
probably no Ill feeling on their part
toward me, appreciate the fact that
they have made me appear like a
swell headed gink who was altogether
too big for his shoes. Now. perhaps
I did talk too much at times and per-
haps do give wrong impression.
But to my way Of thinking l am not
swell headed. I don't aim to be. l
am confident, very confident, and
wouldn't give much for a BALI player
who wasn't. I am confident and ag-
gressive on the diamond because l
consider that l ought to be in order
to be good player. And that lets
me out.
Kauff Says Cobb is Best.
"These claims that would beat
out Ty Cobb are bunk. l have been
quoted as saying so a good many
times. But am willing to admit that
Ty Cobb is the greatest player on the
diamond by long shot. Even II /
was as good as ne is he would beat
me out, for he has much more ex-
perience than I have, so these fake
claims are ridiculous. have said and
I still say that won't admit to my
| co1f {bo{ onp ho1l ,,Jayar ~, Tho AoiJ
can do things that can't do, for
want to be as good player as can,
I have good natural eye and am fast
on my feet. I love to play baseball,
have always loved It; why shouldn't
I become great player II ] am lucky?
That is my ambition; I admit It and
I will try as hard as I can to equal
Tv Cobb or anybody else. But l know
that I have a long ways to go first
and. of course, I may never realize
my abition.
"a lot Of people have claimed that
my record in the Federal league was
bush stuff, but they don't know the
Federal league. don't believe the
National league was more than ten or
twenty per cent stronger than the
leading Federal league clubs. ! don't
know as the Brooklyn Federal league
team last year wouldn't rate with al.
I most any of the National league teams
\ We had a pretty good team, let me tell
you, even II we did finish In the rut
lon account of internal disagreements
and a number of other things. But
II the Federal league wasn't over
strong it was strongest Of all In the
pitching department. and a fellow
who batted 300 and over had to keer
moving right along, let me tell you
"That makes me think I could dc
as well in the National. Perhaps
can't, but won't admit It even to my.
self, for It's against my policy to ad.
NIT defeat before am down in the
dirt and can't move any more. DOM
think the pitchers, as they average
up in the National league. are q whole
lot better than those, we had to face
lin the Federal. There were some
4 good hurlers there. and II / could hi
against them why can't hit agains
those In the National? For hit jus
as we'll against the, best as agains
those who were not so good. Thel
II again. 1 always play best when I hav,
!, competition. II you are in the lea,
n you can soldier along and. take thing
easy without meaning to do 80. Blu
II there are bunch Of good live hit
tiers right beside you all the time yol
, will keep, digging your toes into tn
i 4 49, * A