The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-20
Jim Gilmore
Tells Just Hon He DdN
Admits Federal League Was
Doomed Before Peace
Was Declared.
FORMER OUTLAW LEADER
DESERVES HIS SUCCESS
b, ". y.

b? W. ~. MACVECV.
Just plain Jim gilmore now! II used
10 he Fighting Jim. but the handle broke
OF short when the Federal League sur
rendered to organized baseball. A quiet
hammered. quiet voiced chap this auon-
dam chleftain OF outlaw bail. Rut any
one who mistakes his apparent moiesty
for lack NJ seif-assurance has another
guess coming.
James A. gilmore is = suave but
fcfceful taiker; a man OF resource as
well as OF force. Vie holds the golden
key TO life. the recipe Of success. He
knows how to cement acquaintance into
friendship: how TO retain friendship
through common adversely. And he
Possesses that mark of true genius which
enables the favored Of the gods to turn
defeat into victory.
Gilmore will 20 down as the Napoleon
OF baseball history. He met his Water
loo. hut met II after he had shaken his
world to the very foundations. He went
aown with the respect u esteem OF
those colleagues whose fortunes had
been impaired by G!lmore's mad scheme
Of baseball ambition. Those same men,
whom he ~cajole,l and exhortcd 80 reck-
lessly to assault the inpregnable mcne-
tary entertainments OF organized base
ball are his best friends to-day, They
laugh now at their former folly. But In
Gilmore they see only u friend whose
misguided fancy led them OFT the paths
- 1900 lY,Sftaca Nas nfNs Inn
stood ready to sacrifice himself when a
chance OF atonement presented itself.
Toward the close of the 1913 baseball
season the writer sat through "A game AZ
Washington Park with the late Robert
II Ward and James A. Gilmore. Fight
ing Jim mad just finished "A n
haranguc on the possibilities of a new
lighting system. for which Mr.. Wa~i
had paid $4,000. revolu,ionizing the
great summer game.
YIN. there. IL better than medicine.
said the pr-sldsn: of tn. Tip-Tops NO
matter how blue | may Ice he can roll
the clouds away
GILMORE" he continued in a chatting
tone, could take your bank roll out o.
! your poke, aud argue YOU into the belief
that he had don" you a great service. l
like his exubeiL n ! love his en-
thusiaSn. re is straight rs a die I
WOlll bd'h WV WIN "'' i
thing | possess
rS,ot dcscriptlon fits the case. In ms
promotion OF the Federal League James
\. Gilmore mad" n business mistake.
, Vet he is man enough 10 admit the ftct
frankly. Nn one more than nc re-
GREETED the financial losses Of the men
Z he Interested in his revolut onJry plans.
| His sincerity OF pnrnose IL best attestei
by the fact that his late associates IN
-. I,ft .,.t1l.l s,ip, Ia engage, IN
business in this city a business more
at,ed TO his powers o. imagination thar
In. upl!ft Of the baseball slaves.
~ should he extremely sorry said
Gilmore yesterday, III ! thought ndSt-
ball would be permanently injured by
, the recent war. No one loves the famt
more than I. No one is more solicl'oAs
for its general welfare and us con
.inued growth in popularity with W'
public. ,
~ comfort myself that Indirectly ]
hay. been the humble means ~ iinproV'
ing b~aseballs future. our ight mas nn'
new life and strength into organize
baseball The old galne had run dowr
some. Il Used"d stimulus. " needed
new blood. II needed men like COZ. i'up'
part. capt. Huston. charlie Neeshinan
Phil Hall and Percy Haught"n' Il "1
crowd that controlled the game wtI'
ms, a bit too yord!d. There w'l" m"i
in the game who had no business there
certain undcsirables who threatened ~
good name. These the fight has elm
mated" ,.
Gilmore is OF the opinion that l"l'
will prove the greatest season IN I'M
history Of the sport 20 date.
'Everyth.uE combines to arouse th'
iu.eres, Of tho fans. New faces ar
coming from the Fedora, League" sai'
Inc. ''The public already has begun Il
sneculate on the possibility of OUTLAW
tam. unknown in fast company. uphold
ing tliair end with the long established
heroes OF the National and American
leagues. \ wonderful distribution o
the surplus talent has been erected
The prospective cinlnaign VIII "pe'
with the best balanced fields imaginable
Eor the next few years l." come TO maj
yldua! team will have , walkover.
Gilmore confesses to two great mis-
takes.
II thought there was plenty of roor
for three major leagues SAID ne -
admit ! had the wrong perspective
Judged from apparent conditions in chi
cage. There was the North S'de, = cit
in itself. without baseball. Nov ! ~
convinced I allowed myself 10 b" wo
fully mistaken. ! 'honsht the ".Sspa-
plny.r , much abused chattel. ! DID no
know the soul of the diamond afhlct
then.
ether. l. no room for three maio
leagues. There is no public dcnlahd 70
more than two. Take u from mo, thor
will never he room for more than NV
n,st class circuits, And ~" pity nee
ID. wasted az tho downtrodden paNel
THE reserve clause of the playing COZ
tract. TO which | objected. * vitality In
portan, TO clean promotion ~ the spor
y, ,,tc1,I not ia r the moral sense 4