Clipping:Negotiations opened for the New Polo Grounds
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| Date | Wednesday, February 20, 1889 |
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| Text | While rumor has been busy with the plans and intentions of the New York Club, the officials of that organization have begun negotiations to acquire a leasehold of property at the upper terminus of the West Side Elevated road. The property in regard to which negotiations have begun is certainly quite as desirable as were the Polo Grounds. It is much more accessible, and it affords infinitely better opportunities for gathering and dispersing crowds of people. It is situated across the Harlem River, at One Hundred and Fifty-fifth street, within about two blocks of the elevated station at that point. It is quite as easily reached by boats on the Harlem River, by trains on the new York and Northern road, and by trains on the New York Central and Harlem roads, the Central Company having promised to run a side track directly to the grounds. Boats by way of the Harlem River can, of course, come from down town, affording quick and easy opportunity for the contingent of base ball enthusiasts in the business centres to reach the grounds with very little trouble. The property is owned by the Astor estate, and those who propose to lease it will take about 10 of the 20 acres in the plot, if the negotiations succeed, as seems now likely. The Sporting Life February 20, 1889 [from an interview of an unidentified director of the New York Club] It looks as if our grounds were gone, and we will have to do the best we can under the circumstance. We will probably play for a month or two at St. George, S.I., and by that time we may have our new grounds ready. They belong to the Lynch estate, but are not on the west side of Eighth avenue. We have not got the pro0perty yet, but I may be able to say something definite in a day or two. The property we want runs from Eighth avenue to the Harlem River at One-hundred-and-fifty-fifth street. If we secure that property, which runs to the river, we will be able to run boats to and from the grounds. The Sporting Life February 27, 1889 [an item from George Stackhouse] While the Giants are satisfied to rally around their pennant flags at St. George this summer, the players don't see to like the idea of making St. George their permanent home. I don't think the team will stay there, in spite of Mr. Day's assertion that in case he likes the place that he “may conclude to make Staten Island the permanent home grounds of the Giants.” I am informed on good authority that the future home grounds of the New York Club will be embraced in the territory bounded by One Hundred and Forty-fifth and One Hundred and Forty-seventh streets and Seventh and Lenox avenues. The grounds are now being filled in, and will be ready for next season's game, I think. Much of the place is marshy, and not only has to be filled in, but innumerable pile drivers will be kept at work for several weeks yet. Standing at the corner of One Hundred and Forty-seventh street and Seventh avenue yesterday, I noticed the work going on, and wondered what it was all about. The contractor approached, and I asked him. “Why, that is the future home ground of the giants,” said he. “The grand stand will be guilt in that corner where the men are sinking so many piles into the soft earth. They propose to put up a monster grand stand there, and they want a sold foundation for it. You don't believe it, do you? Well, I will bet you $100 to $25 that the Giants play right here next year.” I did not take the bet. The man seemed to know what he was talking about. The contractor also told me the reason why the New York Club did not purchase the Lynch property at One Hundred and Fifty-seventh street and Eighth avenue. “That is low, marshy ground,” said he, “and in case the company wanted to sell it for building purposes in a few years they would find they had a white elephant on their hands. That is the reason that a few weeks ago Mr. Day advertised for some persons to purchase that property, agreeing to pay $6000 a year rental for a five or ten years' lease.” The Sporting Life May 1, 1889 the California League on the National Agreement and the reserve [from a letter from Jas. L. Gillis of the Sacramento Club] [regarding California League clubs making offers to reserved players] ...such a course is not only not dishonorable or in the least indicative of a sneak, but on the contrary simply the exercise of a business right which every employer has the right to exercise in his endeavors to employ competent men to render him service. This practice is recognized by every known rule governing the relationship of employer and employee, in the absence of a special agreement to the contrary, and is well settled by precedents established and followed by the very men who now claim that such a course is not only unbusiness-like but dishonorable. In 1887, when Mr. A. G. Spalding, in the exercise of the very privilege that we of the California League now claim, engaged George Van Haltren to play with the Chicago Club, thereby crippling the Oakland Cub to such an extent as to jeopardize its existence, did Mr. Ovens or an other person affirm either publicly or privately that Mr. Spalding was a sneak, or dishonorable, or that he had been guilty of conduct which should cause him to be held up to the contumely and contempt of his fellow-men? Equally is this true in 1888, when Mr. Spalding took from the California League players George Borchers, and also is the same thing true when W. A. Nimick, of Pittsburg, took Mr. Knell from the same League in the middle of the season. Not a protestation, not even a word from anyone that either of these gentlemen had been guilty of anything that was dishonorable, on the contrary, their efforts in this direction were cited as evidence of their untiring zeal to secure the best talent available for their respective nines. Certainly the example of such men so well and favorably known in connection with the National game is worthy of emulation by us who are as yet but infants in the business, and when we do follow in their footsteps our acts should not be the subject of such reckless and uncalled-for attacks as the one already referred to. As to the merits of the National Agreement, with its reserve rule, and whether it is for the best interests of the California League to become a party to that agreement, I have at this time nothing to say, but I do insist that I shall not be the subject of attack and abuse by those who, when the same thing is done by others, have only words of praise. The Sporting Life February 20, 1889 |
| Source | Sporting Life |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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