New Britain herald., 1916-12-28
THREE CLUBS MAY
HAVE new owners
Pirates, Cards and Robins Sale
Is Latest Baseball Gossip

New York, Dec 2S.-Before the
opening of the 1917 season three Of
the National league clubs may have
changed ownership. 1t has been
learned from very reliable source
that negotiations for the Dodgers,
Pirates and Cardinals have gone very
| much further than the public has
been allowed to know
While Charles H. Ebbets maintains
that no definite offer has been made
for his handsome stadium and the
champion club Of the National league,
and Furthermore, that he has not re-
| ceded one jot or title from the origi
nal valuation set when he appeared
more DESTROYS of getting out of base
ball than his present attitude would
indicate, a certain influence close to
the inside maintains that no less than
three interests are after the Robins:
Besides rival syndicates, James d.
Gaffney, former president OF the
Braves and his associates In that
venture are ready at any time to talk
straight business whenever Mr.. Eb-
bets cares.
Barney Dreyfuss, too, has set a
rather stiff valuation on his Pitts
burgh property. This, like the Eb-
bets estate Of Flatbush, is situated in
a part of the city where real estate
values have increased by leaps and
bounds. If organized .basebalPs i'm
mediate future were guaranteed, it is
said, neither Ebbets nor Dreyfuss
might secure q, fancy price, even if
they did not realize their original
figures.
Demand Clear Coast.
"Plenty of desirable people Of sound
financial standing,' declares an official
of the National league club, would be
willing to invest either in Brooklyn or
Pittsburgh If the coast were entirely
clear.
But they prefer to await develop
ments of two possible crises-the
strike threat Of the players for pre-
sumed contract rights and the suit Of
the Baltimore Federals against or
gained baseball. Both these points
should be cleared UP definitely within
the next month or six weeEs-cer-
tainIy before the schedule meetings.
If organized baseball wins. as 1T is al
most sure to do, and the owners do
not take advantage of the fact to
raise the prices, I would not be at all
surprised to see Messrs. Ebbets and
Dreyfuss retire from the game. I'd
risk a. hat that a transfer of the
Brooklyn property will be effected be-
fore the opening of the next season.
O. H. Wathen, president of the
champion Louisville club of the
American Association, would purchase
the st. Louis National league club
from Mrs Helen Hathaway Britton if
this lady magnate were inclined to sell
at reasonable terms Mrs. BrittOn,
however, has so far refused to listen to
reason. 1t is said the seven male club
presidents of the National league have
urged her to dispose Of the Cardinals
or institute a more liberal policy
toward rebuilding for mutual benefit.
Mr.. Wathen, it is understood, has
also sounded out Barney Dreyfuss on
the Pittsburgh franchise. He prefers
St. Louis to Smokeville as q base Of
major. league operations, however, be-
cause it is nearer his home and bust
ness. Wathen is a wealthy distiller Of
Louisville, an old-fashioned magnate,
who loves the game for sports sake
and who gets more pleasure out of the
success of the club than from the
financial RETURNS