Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-15
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s7Auu
Baseball Wars Cost Money

FORD FRICK who opposes third major league, not
because he is reactonay, but because he feels is the
wrong way to expand has named Arnold Johnson owner
of the Kansas City Athletics committee to
meet with group seeking to qualify new big league
Thus the baseball commissioner is assured of ally,
Johnson will be in tricks corner in that he favorS
gradual expansion of the American and National Leagues
to 10 and eventually 12team circuits Moreover johnson
should carry lot of weight If any owner knows how
difficult is to build decent ball club Johnson should
Il want to see expansion and I want to see major
league baseball in every city which support it, KCS
boss says But don't think is easy job bought
team (the old Philadelphia AtheticS for So 5000 and
moved it to Kansas City I'd hate to say how much I've
spent that team since the purchase And my club is
in last place You can't buy ball players, and building
farm system is tough and expensive"
WHENEVER POSSIBLE Commissioner Prick avoids
the term war" in connection with advocates OF
major league But he did bring up in recent interview
in New York. II don't think it'll to war, and
certainly hope not" Prick said. IF have another
baseball it will make the cost of the 1914-195
with the Federal League look like peanuts
AS avid student of baseball history Prick familiar
with the short but violent history of the Federal League
self-Syed major league whose battle with the eStab
lshed circuits cost three times much the National
American struggle at the dawn of the century.
Actually that war started in 1912 when a poorly
backed independent unit called the United States League
put the field in eight cities ranging from New
York to Lynchbug Va 1t folded but the survivors
tried Sxteam Federal League in 1918 This circuit didn't
bother the majors much although it boosted Cy Young
as the manager in Cleveland and Deacon Philippe in
Pittsburgh.
1t in the fall of 1918 that the Feds went all out
-. when Chcagoan named Jim Gilmore up with
fresh scratch and launched expensive drawn-out
battle for players This could happen if enough third
league radicals turn up.
FIRST OFF THE FEDS contested basebaITs reserve
clause Then the of high bidding for that day.
Joe Tinker exCub shorstop star but then playing
ager of the Reds the first big to jump going
tho UTholae
Groom Mike Dooln, Otto Knabe, Tom seaon Jack Quinn
and others followed
Clubs that held their players forced to double
their salaries in many instances iris Speaker got 100
per cent boost and Sam Crawford although aging
given four-year contract Although his Athletics
the pennant in 1914 Connie Mack described the
my unhappieS in baseball"
Federal League agents." Mack explained, followed
our players all season. In had to tear up
two and three contracts to hold stars and dis
guSted with the lot of them One of the agents my old
player Danny Murphy"
That was the year the AS lost four straight in the
World Series to the Miracle Braves" from last
place in mid-SeaSon to win the pennant Mack always
maintained that dscord initiated by the Feds brought
the AS downfall After the second game of the SERIES
Connie announced that neither of his pitching aces Chief
Bender and Eddie Plank would appear again regardless
of how long the struggle lasted They already have Fed
era League contracts in their pockets he charged Sure
enough Bender played with the Baltimore Feds and
Plank with the st. Louis Terriers.
EVEN THE GREAT Walter Johnson jumped to the
FedS-for 48 hours To round out full league the Feds
MIXED the high minors of ball players who had been
names in the American and National Leagues After the
rs the Mayor of Chicago put pressure for
round-robn World Series which the established circuits
ignored.
It was estimated that the baseball had cost
$40 million when the clouds of a real struggle-World
War I-intervened Harry Sinclair who had become NOM
NAL head of the Feds, had boasted "I stand dock
and I'll take on any Of them american and National
League ownerS) in pitching dollars into the Well
see who quits first" But other Feds not well
exchange for certain purchases
heeled as the oil magnate and peace declared in
etc-to the Feds
The costs mounted because with the exception of the
Chicago and ST. Louis players who merged with the
Cubs and Browns all the worthwhile others turned
over to Sinclair who privileged to sell them back to
highest bidders Short National and American
mad in the first place