The Washington times., 1916-01-27
JOHNSON CHARGES BAD FAITH.


to the Giants with far better reputa-
tion. He had won FIVE doubleheaders in
the American Association, and was
known as an Iron man." However
he had OverwoTlSed his arm with In
dianapolis, and he quickly dropped out
Of sight.
Two more Cubs have been canned by
Manager Joe Tinker, Pitcher Hogs and
Outfielder Kniseiy have been released to
Memphis in the Southern Association.
They have tried q new wrinkle now.
Tom Seaton, the former Philly twirler.
has been sold to the Cubs on condition
that he make good in the spring prac-
tice. II he fails, Tinker will not pay
q cent, and will send him back to sit in
Harry Sinclair's office. Seaton 10 a ball
player but Sinclair owns no ball club.
Seaton injured his arm while with tho
Brookfeds, and 1t Is doubtful II he will!
make good. so Tinker takes no chances.
Captain Huston is going to shoot
ducks" down on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland for q few days. One of the
ducks" he Is supposed to shoot is ].
Franklin Baker, who has his habitat at
La Trappe. Before leaving the metropo-
lis the Yankee magnate would neither
deny nor affirm the rumor that he was
to make one final play to obtain Baker
for his team.
The Yankees alone are seeking
Bakers services. Connie Mack has made
no overtures to him, and all other big
league clubs are fighting shy of him.
II he fails to join the Yanks. he will
have to report to Connie Mack, or re-
main on his farm for another season
until his Philadelphia contract expires.
According to Huston, Baker will be OF.
tered q contract for one year calling for
$500 Furthermore: this contract will
Huston does not intend to keep Baker
unless he makes good. Like other mag.
| mates. he IL through hooking UP tenn.
, peramental men for lengthy terms.
Smiling Bill Donovan hopes that the
Yankees will get Baker. He believes
| that the slugger will round out a great
| infteld and allow Maisel to blossom int
| a wonderful outfielder.
IF we have Baker on third" explains
the masked marvel in the golf poo
| tourney, "Peckinpaugh at short, GedeOT
at second, and Pipp on the first corner
with Maisel, Magee, and High in thu
outneld next season. you can wager tina
the Yankees will make life miserable
| for three teams l can name.
| Gedeon II most promising, and lOol
upon him to be q fixture. Maisel ha!
| shown me that he can be the best out
heIder in the business, and feel n,
worry about shifting him to the garden
| II Baker joins the squad, he will hav
| q good chance of getting into the world
series next autumn, much better thai
II he were to stay with the Mackmen.
1 ~0
With Butch" Schmidt announcing hi
retirement from baseball, the Brave
are going to make a bid for Ed Kon
year. Ed Gwinner, the Pittsfed mag
| nate, has been seeking to palm OF
Kohey on the Giants, but has failed
Now he has turned his attention to tn
Braves.
Charlie Weeghman must have bee
kidding Roger Bresnahan along. for h
has now refused to pay the Cubs 19l
manager for the remaining two years o
his contract. Bresnah0n has threatene
TO sue for It, Weeghman says tina
Rogers contract isn't worth tie pape
it's printed on" 1t must be a regula
baseball contract.
Although the birth of our nationo
game goes back to January e. 1857. 1t
birthday will be celebrated in Ne'
York on February 9, winding up tn
big. schedule meeting of the Nations
to be given by the National Leagu
this year will attract baseball me
from all sections Of the country and
certain to awake echoes in the memo
read with joy of the deeds of Ty Cob
and Hans Wagner, but like to thin
Of those other. older days when It wa
fashionable to wear full boards Will
playing shOrtstSp or 9gsz the GT ;na.id
held in New York and baseball wa
fairly launched. Twenty-Five cluL
were represented and an amatou
league organized. These clubs playe
game" Before that time a kind {
baseball was being played In many SCI
tons, especially in New England. l
1857 the old Trimountain club was al
ganized in Boston to play the Nc. Nc,
IN New England TO play anything ~
the modern game. 1t played all u
games on Boston Common, q histor
space in the center Of the city. 1t
use 1t for baseball.
At that New York meeting the ol
code Of rules, dating back TO lS45, ";
adopted, but changed In a most IN
ing until one side or the, other hi
scored twenty-one "aces," or run
rine innings had to- be played. Th
has never ohaIiged since that day 80,
teams playing It as far West as Rocl
ford, Ill, which was pretty close
the wild and woody then. Indeed, Il
Rockford Forest Citys were the ella
Of the West in 1851. Three years lat
! baseball was being played in San Fra
cisco. the fans taking to it with gre
! In 1850 the Excelsiors. of Brookly
3 N. Y, made the first long tour to
: made by any team. visiting Troy.
l bany. Newburgh, Buffalo, RochestG
8 Philadelphia. and Baltimore. The W
between the states interfered with O
ganized baseball as it was then o
{ ganized. though much of 1t was play
o by soldiers in winter quarters rig
: through the war. but in 1855 the n
Q tionai convention had delegates fro
st. Louis. Louisville. and even fro
several cities in Canada. Two yea
. later there were 237 teams in the Unit
Il States playing amateur baseball. Fro
+ then until now the game has progress
8 wonderfully, and the National Leag
n will celebrate this beginning Of bas
II ball next month in New York.