Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-19
Nothing to Say.

Cardinal %outaeldor.
Nothing to Say.
st. Louis. Aug. 19.-Branch RickaH.
said he had nothing whatever to
say" in regard to Phil Douglas. who
was barred from organized baseball
because Of a letter he wrote Offering
to desert the New York Giants, de-
claring the letter was sent to Leslie
Mann, outielder of the st. Louis
Nationals. Manager Hickey refused to
Chicago, AdE> 1s.-Phil Douglas,
star pitcher for. the New York Giants.
believed that II he stayed on the team
and pitched. the Giants would win the
1922 pennant, n that If he left the
team, New York could not win the
flag. according to a letter he wrote to
league and which was made public by
K. M. Lands, commissioner of base
ball, Friday.
Douglas, who was placed on the
permanent ineligible list by the Giants
after the player to, whom he wrote
and asked for inducements" to leave,
turned the letter over to his mana
for Manager McGraw of the Giants
and believed that McGraw could not
win without him. Commissioner
Landis. who made the letter public
while watching the Cubs and Giants
play here yesterday. offered no com
ment and refused to divulge the name
OF the player to whom Douglas wrote.
missioner Lands follows:-
Letter. "
From New York, July Is.
ITO n00 r- Aaf.
Il want to leave here but I want
some inducement and I don't want
this guy to win the pennant, and I
feel II l stay here I will win it for
MIN. You know l can pitch and win.
so you see the fellows and If you want
10, send a man over here with the
goods and I will leave for home on
tne next train. Send him to my house
SO nobody will know and send him
alone. 1 am living at 145 Wadsworth
n Apartment 1. Nobody will
ever know. 1 will go down to fishing
camp and stay there. I am asking
you Inns way so there can't be any
trouble to anyone. Call me UP II YOU
are endin a man. Wadsworth 1910,
Douglas. Do this right away. Let
me know. Regards to all. !.
Phil Douglas"
Judge Lands said he believed Mrs
douglas was not involved in DoueIas'
pan although h is mentioned in the
letter. - 'Ae
Pitcher Gets Drunk.
New York. Aug. 19.-Douglas said
tina following the last game he
pitched on July 81. he went to the
apartment of a friend, "got drunk
and went to Sleep" He added that
Two detectives. dragged him from the
apartment and took him to a SAM
tar1um, where he was held until Aug.
Upon his release, he said. he he
lleved McGraw, manager Of the
Giants had suspended him and he
wrote to Mann, who was in Boston
with the Cardinals. the letter offer,
ing to go to a fishing camp if this
was desired because he was afraid
that II he stayed with the Giants he
YOU'D win the pennant for him."
After writing the letter the pitch
er claimed he was called to the Polo
Grounds by McGraw. when I left
knew 1 had not been discharEed,'
Douglas said. Following the visit to
McGraw's office, Douglas said he call
ed Mann on the long distance tele-
phone and requested him to tear up
the letter. Although Mann agreed
to do this. the pitcher added, he
showed the letter to his manager,
Branc Hickey, who in turn inform
ed McGraw. Commissioner Lands
and John Heydler, president OF the
National league.
The former Giant star declared that
he waS drunk. that he had been Civ
en- hypodermics and that he was not
himself when he wrote to Mann. He
realized this, he said, too late. On
the same day that he requested Mann
to destroy the letter, Douglas said
DR.. William Bender, the Giants club
physician, called at his apartment
and gave him hypodermics to quiet
his nerves and that he repeated these
ministrations for two days.
In Pittsburgh, Douglas was sum-
moned. according to his story, to
McGraw's room. There he was ques-
toned by Judge Lands, who finally
told McGraw that he couldn't use
Douglas any more 49,
While he was in the sanitarium
Douglas said McGraw fined him 800
and five days pay and then he was
given a bill for taxicab fare and treat
ment in the sanitarium. The latter
amounted to 1924.
Il was broke" the big pitcher said;
II thought McGraw had fired me-.
I haven't got any way Of making a
living except in baseball and I was
sore on McGraw. I had to do some
thing for a living, so I wrote to