The Washington times., 1916-01-27

80 - = - =
to the Giants with a far better reputa-
ton. He had won five doubleheaders in
the American Associa ton, and was
known as an Iron man." However,
he had overworked his arm with In
dianapolis. and he quickly dropped out
OF sight.
Two more Cubs have been canned by
Manager Joe Tinker, Pitcher Hogg 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. If he fails, Tinker will not pay
a cent, and will send him back to sit in
Harry Sinclair's office. Seaton is a ball
player, but Sinclair owns no ball club.
Seaton injured his arm while with the
Brookfeds, and it Is doubtful If he will!
make good. SO Tinker takes no chances.
Captain Huston Is going to shoot
ducks" down on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland for few days. One of the
ducks" he Is supposed to shoot is j.
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 or
fered contract for one year calling for
$500. Furthermore. this contract Will
- l,A
Huston does not intend to keep Baker
unless he makes good. Like other mag
mates. he is through hooking up tenn
!, peramental men for lengthy terms.
Smiling" Bill Donovan hopes that the
Yankees will get Baker. Ee believes
that the slugger will round out a great
infteld and allow Maisel to blossom into
| a wonderful outtielder.
| IF we have Baker on third" explains
the masked marvel in the golf pool
| tourney. "Peckinpaugh at short. Gedeor
| at second. and Ptpp on the first corner
| with Malsel, Magee, and High in the
outheld next season. you can wager tnal
the Yankees will make life miserable
| for three teams | can name.
! Gedeon Is most promising, and / look
| upon him to be fixture. Maisel ha!
| shown me that he can be the best out
fielder in the business. and l feel ne
worry about shifting him to the garden
| If Baker joins the squad. he will have
| q good chance of getting into the world
| series next autumn, much better thar
| II he were to stay with the Mackmen.
| 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. Bresnahan has threa tene,
to sue for it. Weeghman says tina
Rogers contract isn't worth the pape
it's printed on" 1t must be a regula
baseball contract.
Although the birth of our nationa
game goes back to January %, 1857. it
birthday will be celebrated in NeN
York on February 9. winding up tn
big schedule meeting Of the Nationa
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
ries of thousands of old stars who nov
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 fun boards Will
playing shortstop or the outfcld.
On January %. 1857. a meeting wa
held in New York and baseball wa
fairly launched. Twenty-Five club
We're represented al, and an amatcu ',,u
what was termed the New Yor
game" Before that time a kind G
baseball was being played IN many sec
tons, especially i'll New England.
1857 the old Trimountain club was az
ranized in Boston to play the Nc,
York game" That was the first teal
In New England TO play anything. li..I
the modern game. 1t Played all IL
space in the center of the city. 1t
still there. but now only amateur team
| At that New York meeting the ol
code Of rules, dating back TO lS45. wa
adopted. but changed in a, most ,ir
portant particular. Instead of pla,
ing until one side or the, other ha
scored twenty-onc aces" or rum
rine innings had to be Eiayed: TIL
Baseball spread like wildtre in lSi
teams playing II as far West as Rocl
ford. H.. which was, pretty close
the wild and woody then. Indeed, IL
Rockford Forest Citys were the cla
baseball was being played in San Fra
cisco, the fans taking to it with gret
fervor.
| In 1850 the Excelsiors. of Brookly
, n. Y, made the first long tour to
made hy any team. visiting Troy A
| bany. Newburgh Buffalo. Rocheste
s Philadelphia, and Baltimore. The WI
between the states interfered with o
ganized baseball, as it was then o
f ganized though much of it was play
} by soldiers in winter quarters rig
through the war. but in 1866 the n
g 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
i States playing amateur baseball Fro
r then until now the game has progress
5 wonderfully. and the National Leag1
I will celebrate this beginning OF bas
4 y