Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-18
CHICAGO CUBS ARE
READY TO START
WITH VETERANS
Ban Johnson and Frazee in
Bitter Row Which May Make
Trouble in Organized Ball

Chicago, Dec. 1S.-The roster for
the coming season of the Chicago Ma
tional League team has been so far
completed that it was said to-day at
the clubs headquarters Manager
Mitchell would probably enter the
pennant race with the same players
he had at the close of last season,
with the addition of Grover Cleveland
Alexander, star pitcher.
Thirteen of the Cub players now
are in the United States service, but
the management expects that nearly
the opening of the baseball season.
Unless Manager Mitchell .1akes
some trades. it was said, the lineup
at the start Is likely to be:
Alexander, pitcher; Killifer. catch
er: Merkle. first base: Kilduf, second
base; Hollocher. shortstop; Pick. third
base; Flack. right field; Paskert. cen
ter field; Mann, left field.
Vaughn, Douglas, Tyle~ and several
more pitchers probably will be on the
bench, besides Infielders Deal, Zeider,
Workman and McCabe.
The Johnson Frazee feud that
threatened to disrupt the major
leagues at a time when harmony
among club owners is the crying need
OF the hour. burst forth afresh yester-
ecy when the owner of the worlds
champion Red SoX unlimbered his
heavy artillery upon the American
League potentate.
Frazee's pointed retort is in re-
sponse to Johnson's deliberate attempt
to befog the controversy over the for
nation of the National Commission by
dragging gambling into the discus
sion. Although it is an open secret
that gambling on small scale tsb =
tains in most of the major league ball
parks, Johnson has singled out Frazeo
for attack. and in a statement issued
Saturday hinted broadly that unless
Frazee made haste to unload his base
ball interests in Boston, Johnson
would deprive him of his franchise.
Frazee divulged for the first time
that the recent meeting of the Amer
lean League in Chicago was not so
peaceful as Johnson would have the
public believe. johnson was opposed
to the utmost In his efforts to swing
unanimous Vote of the league in
favor of retaining the National TOM
mission as at present constituted
Frazee and Charles Comiskey. cwner
of the White SoX, took firm stand
in behalf of a one-man Commission.
Frazee deplores Johnson's efforts to
make gambling an issue in the pres
ent controversy. He sets forth that
vigorous measures have been em-
ployed to stamp out the evil In Bos-
ton and in every other ball park on
the major league circuits, and calls
attention to the fact that Johnson
was Disseminated against when It Is
an open secret that gambling on a
small scale obtains at all grounds.
Discrimination, SAYS Frnzce
at has seemed to me to be war Of
determination on the part of Mr..
Johnson" Frazee asserted, "and has
been ever since I bought the Boston
American League club. The state
ments he has made that he would
drive me out of baseball are too lidic-
ulous to dignity with an answer. So
far as being forced to sell my CLUB,
this also is too absurd to deny"
That Johnson has had enough Of
Frazee' and desires him out of base
ball because of his aggressive antag-
onism, has been all too obvious TO
baseball men for months. There has
been bitter ennity between them ever
since Frazee bought the Red SoX from
Joseph Lannin without even consulting
Johnson. Whether Johnson would
dare attempt to force Frazee 'odt Of
the game under the present circum-
stances is doubted.
Frazee has called Johnson's bluff
and now awaits the latter's move.
The Boston owner intends to resist to
the utmost every effort of the presl-
dent of the league to dislodge him.
If Johnson should make good his
threat and file formal charges against
8 . iyae prDf In In IA
ball park, it would precipitate m eX-
posure from which the fair name cf
baseball would be sure to suffer.
That Johnson, who draws $4,000 a
year as salary. should take 1t upon
himself publicly to rebuke the Boston
club owner is the subject OF .he fol-
lowing pointed paragraphs in Fra
zee's retort:
"I have at all times sought 20 con-
slider Mr.. Johnson's position, but can
not allow myself to think the man
who is drawing a salary to protect
the interests of the American League
could so far forget himself as to
charge club owner with permitting
gambling in a ball park. to vent his
personal spite upon me simply Iecd Lse
I insist on managing my own busi-
ness, in which my own money is IN
NeSNtus
"I think that Mr.. Comiskey and 9TH
er owners have the same feeling in
the matter as to managing their own
affairs as have. but Mr.. Johnson
feels very content to let them alone
and use me as q particular target. III
Mr.. johnson has any desire to go into
the gambling situation in baseball
parks other than my park in Boston.
l will be pleased to go into the ma tter
with him as fully as he may desire.
81 am sick and dlsgusted with the
entire affair. Isn't 1t n sad commen-
tary upon the good name of baseball
to think that man In Johnson's po-
sition. representing investments Of
close TO a million dollars. would stonp
to such tactics as he has employed in
delvirg into my personal business af-
fairs2'
All of which weathervanes O deeId-
cdfy hectic season for the winterI
league. Johnson has picked tartar
4. Frazee. and. unless he can produce