Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-18
'LAJO|E MAY END
BASE BALL CAREER
Bio Frenchman's Agreement
Expired at Close of Re-
cent Season.
SALARY $1,000 YEARLY
By J. ED aR1LLo.

By J. ED GR1LLO.
Larry Lajoie's base ball career prob
ably ended with the last season. The
big Frenchman has been drawing $1,000
| a season for the last three years, but
| with the close Of the 1915 season that
agreement expired. Connie Mack paid
only half of the amount mentioned. the
| Cleveland club standing for the other
half.
It Is certain that Mack will not re-
tain Lajote. for he intends to build up
| a team with youngsters
| Latoie came into the National League
in 1885, He was a member OF the FAN
River team at the time. The Phtladel-
phia National League club sent scout
there to look over Phil Geier, WASH
ington boy. and Lajoie was thrown In
for good measure in the deal for aeier.
In due time Lajoie became one OF the
most famous of players. George star
lings, who managed the Phillies at one
time was responsible for the placing
Of Lajoie at second base, where he be,
came famous because Of his giacelui
fielding and his terrific batting.
It Is not likely that Lajote Will be
picked UP by any other major league
club, now that he is a free agent. and
he is not apt to go to any minor league,
for his salary demands would De too
high, though he could both play anu
manage team.
Ladoie fs a man Of wealth. He has
drawn big salaries for many years, and
he has been of a saving disposition. ana
is reported to have lot OF MS money
well Invested.
Eddie Plank's aversion to remaining
in st. Louis because OF the neat is not noe
would like to play in the east, wnere
the weather is cooler.
II Fielder Jones agrees to let Plank
go, which he unquestionably Will 90,
the veteran southpaw will not have
any trouble finding a berth with one OF
the eastern clubs. for he Is still a
pitcher who can win a majority of his
games every season.
One might be led to believe that the
world series had been abandoned II the
number of substitutes that some base
ball writer's are offering are taken
seriously.
Bin Phelon of the Cincinnati Times
Star Is the latest to come through with
a proposition. He would have sixteen
clubs Of the two major leagues play.
the schedule to be according to the
standing at the end Of the regular sea-
son.
That plan would have brought the
Red sox and Dodgers together. the
u
Louis teams. the Phillies and the
Tigers, the Braves and the Yankees.
the Giants and Cleveland. the Pirates
and Nationals and Cincinnati and the
Athletics, according to Phelon.
But while such contests will be more
interesting perhaps and give a better
line on the strength Of the two leagues.
vet there Is not to be any change In
title. only that the commission will
make reforms in the matter of the
amount Of the admission fees. which
shall be double those the fans pay dur
ing the regular -season.
In order to be closer to the town and
near the fans who are to give him sup
port, Christy Mathewson has decided
to make his home at Cincinnati. He
expects to- make this change about
November 10, casting his final vote in
New York and then becoming a citizen
of the Ohio city.
Dave Fultz. who is head of the
Players Fraternity, is not satisfied
with the way the National Association
of Minor Leagues is treating his or
ganization.
According to Fultz, John H. Farrell,
secretary Of the minor league organ
ization, absolutely ignores him and his
fraternity and he IN decidedly peeved
about 1t, and proposes to bring about a
change, though he is not telling what
he contemplates doing.
report comes from Chicago that
Lee Fohi is to be dropped by the cleve-
land club, and that iris Speaker is to
be given the position. Speaker is
getting an enormous salary and it is
the clubs intention to put him in
charge Of the team and thus save the
$4,000 which Fohl has been drawing
Speaker, 1t is believed. will make
success as a team leader. and Foil
will be kept as coach of young
pitcher and a scout.
It seems that the Federal hackers
who were supposed to get some money
from organized base ball for abandon
ing their organization have not re-
case to court. The chances are that
| organized base ball will have to ar
range its concessions to the defunct
| league at its annual meetings and
that it cannot act before then. These
| meetings are usually held early in De-
cember. .-.--