Clipping:Brunell on the PL-NL negotiations

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Date Saturday, November 22, 1890
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[from Brunell's column] When first the Players' League agreed that its clubs wanted to compromise, consolidate or be absorbed, it should have held a meeting, carefully discussed the question and selected a committee of three on conference. On that committee Messrs. Prince, Johnson and Ward should have served, and they could have done business for all the clubs, put the terms on paper and signed them. This would have been League and not the club conference, which virtually came up after the first vapid meetings of an irregularly appointed committee of three of our men against one of six under the wings of a mediator who wasn't one, but a sort of wold in sheep's clothing.

Even the mistakes made by that committee could have been repaired had it not been for New York's treachery during the preliminary conference between the repaired committee of six sent by the Players' League people to meet the National Agreement group. You will remember that White Wings” Thurman showed from under his cloak at that meeting, and grasped and struggled with technicalities for the purpose of doing the bidding of his people and excluding the ball players. After the ball players had withdrawn and the two committees, as originally made up, were discussing the technicalities over admission of the players, A. G. Spalding went over to E. B. Talcott and said:-- “How shall I vote?” “Vote against them!” was the astonishing answer. That's why the League refused to meet the repaired committee. And incidentally it shows the League's condition. Mr. Talcott's action may have been from pique, consideration for the Players' League or something else. But it was also certain and definite treachery and no one can be sorrier than I that such words were ever said.

With this statement in the ears of our capitalists and the Robinson letter in their eye who can wonder at the stampede? The League kept its New York organs at work with publication of every conversation between P.L. and N.L. men. Distrust came all around. Out of it a desire on the part of certain of the clubs to do the earliest and best they could for themselves. I know this drove P. L. Auten away and he took with him the Pittsburg Club. And Chicago, too, lingered after bad treatment until it was afraid to linger longer, Col. McAlpin and F. B. Robinson acting as agents of the National League in making the preliminary settlement with Addison.

Source Sporting Life
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Submitted by Richard Hershberger
Origin Initial Hershberger Clippings

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