New-York tribune., 1918-01-20

10 go toward securing second basen
new twist has developed in St. Loui
,nagnates to a newer and more Just
Rail, president Of the st. Louis Ame
to have thrown out Of court the
against him by Doc Lavan and Del
St. Louis sport writers for more
than q month have steadily maintained
that deal already had been consum-
mated wherein Pratt was assured to
the Yankees of 1918. This allegation
has been stoutly denied both by Col
onel Jacob Rupert and Miller Hug
gins The St. Louis critics inferred
the sole reason of suppressing the al
legged trade for the time was to enable
Ball, through Ban johnson, to bring
pressure TO bear upon Pratt to force
a withdrawal Of the suit for damages.
The inside" story of the St. Louis
writer's, it must be confessed, was weak
in more than one spot.
Takes Mutual Consent
To begin with, Lavan, who has been
traded to Washington, is no longer in
the legal lists against his employer
and he seems quite as determined as
Pratt to see this thing through. John
son tried unsuccessfully to square Phil
Ball with the two players before a
suit for damages was instituted This
suit, entered jointly by the two ath-
lctes, may be suppressed only by mu-
tual consent. Lavan, at the time of
his transfer to Washington, insisted
upon definite legal action.
Before this latest turn of affairs,
according to the Cincinnati writer's,
huggins had made up his mind to
forego Pratt, who impressed him very
iayorably in a number of st. Louis
city Championships while Miller was
leader of the Cardinals. Colonel Rup-
pert never did believe Pratt was worth
quite so much as the Yankees offered
tor him, and consented to the proposed
bargain only because of the fact that
ne had decided to give his manager
Tree rein III handling the playing end.
Having been forced to play the wait
ine game so long 1t is very doubtful
Ii the New York club will be so profit
gate in its offers for the Brown second
sacker in case ST. Louis decides to re-
open negotiations. st. Louis must do
this, as the Yankee president declares
the book is closed on this end. 1t is
a moral certainty that Pratt cannot re-
main in st. Louis. The breach between
himself and his employers has wdened
TO such degree that Pratt cannot be
in his present surroundings,
as anything but menace to harmony.
His position is even more aggravated
than was that of Herzog toward New
York before McGraw traded him to
Boston.
Frazee Prefers Gedeon
Since Higgins first opened negotia-
tons Tor Pratt one or two knocks have
gone in from various quarters, which
may have damaged this young gentle
mans lustre even in the eyes of his
persistent pursuer Harry Frazee, the
owner of the Red Sox, who has cor
nered all the assets of Shibe Park save
Connie Mack, insists that he might
have had Pratt, but that he refused TO
consider him under any circumstances.
Frazee added that in his opinion
Gedeon was the better prospect Of the
two
. In fact, Gedeon has been boosted to
Huggins by a number of American
League sharps. Miller is naturally
somewhat sour at the ST. Louis owner
snip over what he considers a direct
attempt at i hold-up. If assured in his
mind there is no rival in the market
for Pratts services Huggins is smart
song before the opening Of the sea-
son. st. Louis must unload it's dis
satisfied second baseman. There is no
alternative.
The National League office is going
laobserve Monday as holiday. Presi-
dent John X. Tcner has gone to Boston
and Will not be back until late Tues
day. Secretary John A. Heydler set
out for Washington yesterday after
noon to rest up for the big tussle with
Inc war tax commission booked for the
capitol City tomorrow.
John B. Foster, chairman Of the
committee representing the National
League on war tax for baseball adms-
slons. will proceed to Washington this
afternoon in company with Walter
hapgood, the other committeeman. So
complicated are the many problems in
baseball that it may take couple of
days to evolve convenient and speedy
system for collecting government reve
hues. The main idea is to arrive at
some equitable system which will
eilmlnate the penny as commodity OF
Change. At the conference Ban John
son will represent the American League
and August Hermann, chairman of
NE National Commission, will act for
The minor leagues.
SO soon as the war tax problem has
oeen adjusted the joint schedules COM
,mlttee of the National and American
leagues Will meet in Washington.
Sohnson and his secretary, Mr.. Her-
t.ioge, have mapped out tentative dates
iior the American League, which will
oe changed only in so far as is neces-
sSary to avoid conflicts. Secretary
Jonn A. Heydler and Barney Dreyfuss
VIII act for the National League.
6 MAJOR Bozeman Bulger, former two
Nsted baseball scribe and short story
",'ler, was renewing acquaintance
aiong Baseball Row yesterday The |
mayor has wintered we'll at Camp Up
.on and is now ready for any service,
a TACT he proved beyond argument by
motoring all the sixty-one miles, in |
very chilly weather, without once stop
e'ng Tor gasolene.
80 ne major was Chaperon of a party |
" " distinguished young army officers
VI Upton. Lieutenant Colonel Garri-
Soh JOn McCaskey, Captain Charles F..
SG;nnstone and Lieutenant Barnet Sha-
e"o accompanied our own Boze.
noSllb MSllbert Robinson, manager of the
mmougefs, wired last night from Balti-
lnSore nor that he was on the way to the
hover hover Hall Club to prepare for