New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-19
Report from St. Louis
Says Oil Baron Is Trying
TO Buy Cardinals.
MAGEE SEEMS SLATED
TO PLAY OUTFIELD
Donovan VIII Doubtless Give
Charley Mullen a Trial
at Second Base.
By FRANK O'NFlLl..

Harry I Sinclair refuses n remain
cut Of the baseball news. When he Is
not selling players for fabulous sums
to crippled major league teams he IS
naned as prospective purchaser OF
club. From the banks Of the Father of
Waters comes the report that Mr.. Sin
clair has asked for price on the ~.
Louis Cardinals and that # the price
be right he will purchase controlling
interest in the club.
Nh Sinclair is confined to his bed At
the Hotel Plaza and could not be inter
viewed last night. but word was re
ceived from St Louis that Schuyler 7.
BrittOn. part owner OF the Cardinals,
admitted that he had been negotiating
with the oil baron, and al the latter rs
request Mr.. Britton said that he mad
quoted his price. Just what figure ii
was is a matter Of conjecture, but ~ ls
safe 10 say that II approXlmated S3oO.-
600 That was the amount demanded
by the Brittons al the National League
meeting when Otto Stiefel and Phil Ball
made an attempt TO purchase the club
prior TO their buying the Browns
There is some doubt, however. re-
garding Mr. Sinclair's intention 10 buy
the Cardinals. This is evidenced by the
fact that he disposed OF Lee Magee 70
the Yankees and Benny Kauh. Bill Rar-
iden and Fred Anderson TO the Giants.
lie made determined effort TO pur-
chase the Giants, and when Harry y.
Hampstead named prohlbitlve price
for controlling interest Mr.. sinclair
threw up his hands and called the
whole matter of. OF course. he may
have made these sales &c disarm the
club owners Of the two major leagues,
but in doing so he certainly robbed his
batteries Of their heaviest guns. Still,
Mr.. Sinclair has 3 corps Of high grade
ball players at his disposal, and they
would 20 a long way toward bolsterlng
up any club in the leagues.
Just the other day M. Sinclair said
that he had abandoned all idea Of be
coming club owner. but the lure of
the game is strong, and Harry Sinclair
is not the man to sit by and not satisfy
mis- desires.
When the New York Yankees return
from their training camp this spring
Lee Magee will undoubtedly occupy one
OF tNe oNkle4u pOSillbh0. " 444t WIN
the Cardinals he played right field, and
he tried his hand there with the Brook
lyn Feds until he found that he was
needed more in the inield. He and
Hughic High are reasonably sure Of
getting the call from Wild Bill DonO-
van TO play centre and left fields, re
spectively, and even al this early date
1t is not entirely rash 20 predict that
Gilhooley. who had a trial with the
Yankees in the Farrell regime, viii win
his place in right field over Doc Cook.
The acquisition Of Magee has les
sened the need for j. Franklin Baker
materially. If the batting ability shown
in the Federal League be accepted as
criterion, Msgee is the equal, az least.
of the Trappe slugger. When with the
Cardinals, too, Nagee was always well
up in the list.
With Nagee IN centreheld. Donovan
will give Charley Mullen a chance to
prove his worth az second base. We
have the word OF Johnny Evers. Sher-
wood Nagee and several other high
grade players who toured the country
with the sll-star team last fall that
Mullen will develop into the best, or
one of the best. second sackers in the
game. Mullen took TO the position nat
urally. the players said. and made din
cult plays with the ease of tried vet
eran. lie hit the ball on the nose and
TO great distances.
Ban johnson promised Cap Huston
and colonel Rupert his assistance IN
building up the Yankees, and his Ell