Evening star., 1925-02-13


He took the office of president
against his will and because no other
course seemed to be open to him. He
had no desire to be the head Of the
league. but Bulkeley had withdrawn.
or was about to withdraw. and the
other club members wished Hubert
to preside over the circuit because of
the confidence they had in him, and
because they knew that he was a man
who had deep convictions Of what the
national game should be.
The greatest achievement Of HUI
bert's executive career was the expul-
sion Of the four crooked players,
Nichols, Devlin, Hall aid Cramer. There
was no doubt IS to their guilt. The
league had evidence both in writing
and orally. The players had mixed
with the detestable pool element which
was bound to wreck the game il it
could. 1t may be said in connection
with this fact that the poolroom element
has been found equally bent upon ruin
ing any sport in which man engages,
because those who promote such enter
prises breed men who will not be
honest.
Although Hubert was repeatedly ap-
pealed to for reinstatement of the men
who had been denied the privileges of
base ball by him, none of them ever
got back to activity in the sport. OF
the four men none suffered more, per-
haps, than Devlin. He was one Of the
greatest pitchers base ball ever had.
He never really showed to the public
and to the game all that he could, be-
cause he cut his own career short
by his folly. The man had speed, and
with it he had a sort of curve which
in those days was called a twist.
This whirling of the ball, which
could be brought about by certain
pitchers, made it hard for the batter
to hit it well.
Devlin, reduced to poverty and
without the price of meal made
final appeal to Hubert to put him
back for the sake of his family. HUI
bert was obdurate. He told Devlin
to the latter's face that he was guilty
and that he would never reinstate
him, no matter who asked for it or
what pressure was brought to bear
Pressing some money into his hand
he dismissed him, and with tears in
his eyes, because Hubert, like other
men in base ball, had been fond of
this man who permitted himself to
be caught in the trap which was set
in the poolroom.
AS Hubert took Office the league
was in sore straits, as it immeditely
became necessary to reduce it to a
circuit of six clubs because New York
had refused to make Western trip
and play in Eastern cities after the
Western clubs had completed their
share of the schedule. The offenders
We're thrown out of the league to the
complete astonishment of all base
ball men, who did not believe that
Hubert and the men who were with
him had the backbone to do it.
That expulsion was one of the best
things that ever happened to the Ma
tional League. 1t gave an air of
solidity to the circuit that it had not
possessed in the first year of it's or
ganiZation and even if it had only
six clubs with which to proceed, the
six that remained We're satisfied they
had behind them a man who was not
afraid to discipline where it was
needed.
Hubert, in time. built the circuit
back to eight clubs, and when death
deprived the National Lea que of his
services the organization had lost
man who had brought it to pros
perity. 1t seemed to have future
that would give it standing in ma
tional sport. That assumption has
we'll materialiZed
20 1921
Next-The third president, Col. A.
G. Mills.