Semantic search

[Cleveland vs. Indianapolis 4/26/1889] Glasscock's error was excusable, as the ball made a very ugly bound just in front of him.

[from Chadwick's column] Ren Mulford...says: “Don't give a fielder an error for a muffed foul fly unless the batsman reaches first base after such misplay has been made. Under the strict interpretation of the rules an error 'is a misplay which allows the striker or base-runner to make one or more bases when perfect play would have insured his being put out.'” This is a mistake. A fielder who drops a foul fly commits an error just as much as when he drops a fair fly ball, inasmuch as he thereby gives the batsman a life.

[from Frank Brunell's column] There is a clear necessity for some agreement among League scorers as to the scoring of a foul fly error. I have always set it down as an error if the man subsequently reached first, but taken no notice of it if he is subsequently retired. Other scorers oppose this plan and some of the reasons for the opposition are good. But if the error is scored why not score an error against a man who misses a ball subsequently handled by another fielder before the runner reaches first? This isn't done. Let us agree on a plan at once. I am not wedded to my plan. But I am stuck on the idea of uniformity.

[from Chadwick's column] I...append...the score of a game, the figures of which were taken from my old score book of 1859—thirty years ago—from which it will be seen that I then kept score according to nearly the same data as now. Here is the score in question: [a box score follows, Star v. Excelsior, scoring R., B. O. A. E.] I could not get any of the clubs to recognize base hits until nearly a dozen years afterwards. Indeed, all the reforms I introduced were brought into operation only after years of efforts to get the players out of old ruts.

[Philadelphia vs. Chicago 6/20/1889] Under the present system of scoring Van has no errors charged to his account on the score. If errors of judgment could be scored, however, Van's name would be supplemented with two black marks in the fifth column.

[editorial matter] Scorers everywhere are neglecting to record sacrifice hits. The rules call for the scoring of such hits and the rules should be followed, despite individual opinion as to their value. Only self-opinionated or incompetent scorers will furnish incomplete scores, as without sacrifice hits, which go to make up official records, no score is complete. Eliminate the particularization of the errors and such other nonsense and score the sacrifice hits, and the scores will be just as compact and far more valuable for analysis and reference.

Here is a proposition that ought to receive some attention:--A rule should be adopted before the season's averages are officially compiled that a sacrifice hit should count something in compiling the batting averages. A man who makes a sacrifice deliberately throws away his chance of making a hit, and it at least should not be credited against him as a time at bat.

President Young decides that a base-runner should be credited with a stolen base under the following circumstances: For instance, Quinn was on first base and Ganzel at bat with two strikes and three balls called. As the next ball is pitched Quinn makes a dive for second, without knowing whether the umpire would call a ball or a strike. He took the chances and should be rewarded accordingly. As it turned out, the umpire called four balls, but Quinn gets a stolen base all the same.

[from F. W. Arnold's column] [reporting on the meeting of the Columbus Club] It was also agreed by the stockholders that one hundred additional season tickets should be offered to the public at $25 each.

The local base-ball people hope to sell a large number of season tickets for 1889, and the work of canvassing the city will be commenced as soon as other matters of importance are arranged. The cou0pon books for gentlemen will be sold, as they were last season, at $25, and an effort to dispose of 500 will be made. A ladies' book will also be put on sale, but what the price of that will be is not yet known, though it will probably be placed at $16. The attendance of ladies is to be encouraged as much as possible, and hopes are entertained that this class of patronage can be greatly increased over what it was last season.

President Speas has decided not to issue more than 100 season tickets to be sold for $25. these were put on the market last week and are being rapidly taken.

The Washington management has concluded to issue season tickets at $25 each, with transferable coupons, which in substance means a return to the old system of two years ago, selling three tickets for one dollar. The League has no right to interfere in this matter so long as the home club continues to pay the visitors at the rate of 12 ½ cents for each single admission to the grounds of $150 guarantee. The season-ticket proposition meets with general favor, and as the number is to be limited to 500, the competition for them promises to be lively.

In explanation of his failure to play off a postpone game in Boston Captain Hanlon says he at first declined to play because his men were in poor shape, but he was afterward willing to accept a proposition providing extra financial inducements were offered. He informed that they they were looking for the championship, while the Pittsburgs looked at the matter from a purely business standpoint. Manager Hart declined to offer anything beyond the usual rates so the game was not played. Captain Hanlon is not stuck on the double game business, especially while traveling.

In your issue of to-day [5/11] I notice an article that intimates that the McKeesport club is composed of players who are salaried men, and as this is not the case I would like if you would make a contradiction of the article, as there is only one man in our club who gets anything for his playing, and he gets $3 per game; all the rest play for nothing, except that they are to share half the profits (if there is any) at the end of the season, which sis something the other clubs also do, if there is any balance. There has been about $1,300 spent on our grounds, and as that amount will hardly be made this season, you will see that the players are really playing for nothing. Four of our players have played in minor leagues, but three of them graduated from out club, and there is no reason that some people should be jealous of our club because it has been a success so far this season. Hoping you will place us before the public in our true light, I remain, Yours very truly, Frank W. Torreyson, Mgr.

...one umpire at least will take more effective measures against the balls and bats of outrageous fortune encountered on the ball field. Sandy McDermott of the Western League is the umpire who will introduce the innovation. Sandy has an excusable regard for Sandy's physiological entirety, and to the end that it shall be safe from the enemy's onslaught has had built for use during the coming season a helmet and cuirass of stout bull's hide, steel-bound and brass-riveted, which shield his head and body. … For his legs Sandy has devised covering somewhat resembling cricketers' foils, but much thicker and stronger, constructed of heavy bull's hide, backed up by hickory broomsticks.

[from Questions Answered] The classification rule did not affect certain players who had side contracts with League clubs for a certain number of years. Keefe is said to have had a special contract with New York for a number of years and no subsequent legislation could invalidate it.

[Pittsburgh vs. Washington 9/14/1889] Owing to the absence of his brother, John Irwin was captain for the day, and he claimed to have discovered Staley's signs to his catcher and he was not slow to give his men the benefit of his acquisition. Brother John, however, could not master the puzzle himself, and out of his five times at bat did not a hit mark his stick work.

The corpse of the League Brotherhood scheme continues to kick spasmodically but nearly all the life is now out of it. It wouldn’t stand investigation. The plan looked nice on paper and the names of capitalists in the different cities that were to open their purses loomed up largely; but, unfortunately for the scheme, when these men were interviewed, they were astonished that they had in any way been mentioned in connection with the scheme. The schemers in this city were particularly unfortunate in naming these men, as ll of these gentlemen–Messrs. Snellenberg, Disston and Forepaugh–have denied in a most emphatic manner any intention of becoming backers of the Brotherhood club, and as far as this city is concerned it is safe to say the Brotherhood will meet with no encouragement.

[Chicago vs. Pittsburgh 8/31/1889] Duffy gave the crowd an exhibition of baserunning and sliding in the third. He was on first when Anson hit a hard one to center. Hanlon got it and threw to Kuehne to stop Duffy at second, but to the surprise of the Pittsburgh fielders Duffy did not stop there. He kept right on running, and when he got within ten feet of the bag launched himself into the air, throwing out his right hand as he did so, and using it as a means to check his head and body, while the impetus of his dive carried his legs and hips ahead, and the result was that he made a complete circle around the legs of the “good deacon,” who, although he received the ball from Kuehne in ample time, was too bewildered by Duffy's gymnastic effort to put the ball on him. Lovers of the game at home have seen him so the same thing upon the Chicago grounds.

[from an interview of Soden] I do no think there are three League teams who will make a cent this season. New York certainly will not, and I don't think Chicago will make a great deal of money. The whole amount of it will be that the ball players will keep agitating until there will not be four cities in the country which can pay the salaries and retain a team in the League.

A. G. Spalding favors doing away altogether with the foul catch, and he is on the right tack.

The biggest sporting deal of the season, and, in its way, the biggest on record, was quietly consummated in Philadelphia during the week. On that day Messrs. A. G. Spalding and Brown, of the Chicago branch of the great sporting goods house of Spalding Bros., and Manager J. W. Curtis, of the New York branch, arrived in Philadelphia simultaneously, and before the shades of evening fell their mission was accomplished, and with one bold stroke Spalding Bros. had absorbed their great rival, the A. J. Reach Company, lock, stock and barrel, and made themselves supreme in American, and, in fact, the chief sporting goods house in the world.

The deal goes into effect November 1, when the Reach Company goes out of existence and Spalding Bros. Enter into possession of the great store at 10-22 Market St. By the terms of the deal they secure that store, all its stock and fixtures, the good will of the company, which gives to Spalding Bros. Exclusive control of a great, valuable, and widely extended business, all the patents, patterns and tools for the manufacture of the elaborate and unequaled gymnasium apparatus, of which the Reach Company had a monopoly, and which cannot be duplicated anywhere in the world, and a number of other patents and other rights in various sporting lines. The price paid for this great plant and business is something over $100,000. The members of the Reach Company retire permanently from the retail and general sporting goods business, leaving Spalding Bros. in undisputed control for all time, and retain only their wholesale base ball supply business, confining themselves solely to the manufacture of base ball supplies and of the famous Reach balls, at the big Frankford factory, so the American Association is in no danger of losing its splendid ball.

For Spalding Bros. this great deal means practical control of the world in their line, as, with houses located in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Melbourne and London,and with minor branches in nearly every important city in the United States and Canada, and with vast capital at its command, the firm is now in position to easily maintain its supremacy indefinitely.

Walter Pereina, A. G. Spalding's mascot, arrived in this city from Ceylon yesterday. Mr. Spalding met him there, and, as he seemed very bright, shipped him to New York. He is about 19 years old, and speaks four languages. He is a Tintolese.

“The League, said Mr. Spalding, “by the abolishment of the ‘sales system’ and classification rule and by the payment of $250 to Sutcliffe, although technically there was no legal obligation to do this, as Sutcliffe did not sign a Brotherhood contract with the Detroit Club in 1887 containing the salary-reservation clause, has given the players more than they asked for, all of which carries out my promise to Ward that the matters referred to in our June conference could safely be intrusted to the League for a fair consideration and settlement at its annual meeting.

“The League has up to the present time given the Brotherhood everything they have asked for, and if after this action the players are determined to make an effort to break the League and join a rival organization, they must prepare themselves to take the consequences.

While the New Yorks were in Chicago last week President Ward, of the Brotherhood of Ball Players, as chairman of the committee representing his organization, called upon President Spalding and laid before him the questions for the consideration of which President Young has appointed Messrs. Spalding, Day and Rogers a League committee. The details of the conference are not know, as it was conducted privately. It lasted for fully two hours, however, and the questions at issue—the existing classification rule and the proposed abolition of the sales system—were, it is understood, freely discussed.

This much has been learned definitely. President Ward is desirous of arranging a meeting between the two committees at once and President Spalding has not fully made up his mind that the questions at issue are of sufficiently urgent nature to warrant such action. Mr. Spalding, as chairman of the League committee, has taken the matter under advisement, however, and will confer further with the Brotherhood committee. The Sporting Life July 3, 1889

[Spalding’s reply to Ward] “Since my conversation with you on the 24 th ult. I have been in communication with Messrs. Rogers and Day, the other members of the committee appointed by the League to consider all grievances of League players not especially provided for by the League constitution. It is the unanimous opinion of this committee that it is inadvisable to hold a meeting with the Brotherhood Committee at present for the reason that no material interests will suffer by postponing this meeting and for the principal reason that all this committee could do would be to report the result of the conference with recommendation to the League at a special or at the annual meeting. It is contrary to the past policy of the League to call a special meeting in mid-season except for some extraordinary emergency, and we fail to discovery any necessity for immediate action in the points you raise. If it shall appear upon investigation that any wrong has been done any player, whether a member of the Brotherhood or not, it can and will be righted at the annual meeting of the League. Therefore, as chairman of the League Committee, I would suggest that the meeting of the committee be deferred until after the close of the championship season, or until the annual meeting of the League, the exact time and place of such meeting to be decided upon as the time approaches.” The Philadelphia Item July 5, 1889

There will not be any meeting of the League and Brotherhood committees in the near future if the League has its way, as Chairman Spalding, after his long interview with Chairman Ward and due consideration with his fellow committeemen, has concluded that there is no urgent necessity for a mid-summer meeting. The Sporting Life July 10, 1889

[editorial matter] From a League standpoint, in dealing with an organization like the Brotherhood one of two courses must inevitably be pursued. It must be crushed or conciliated. As the League cannot afford, and also has not the nerve, to attempt the crushing-out task, it is surely poor policy to widen the breach and make conciliation more difficult and submission by the players less probable by assuming an attitude of indifference. It would be far better for the League to quit temporizing; meet the issue squarely and at one; to reason with the players; to convince them by irrefutable arguments of the supreme necessity for the classification rule or some similar preservative measure, and having thus made clear its position to leave the alternative or future peace or war to the Brotherhood. A conference at this time would give the latter ample time between now and next fall to consider the situation and to come to a realizing sense of the exigencies and necessities of professional base ball, which so often compel seemingly harsh legislation; and a mutual exchange of views right now may lead to some measure far better than could be evolved in the hurry of an annual meeting. The Sporting Life July10, 1889

Clubs are not to be classified arbitrarily. There will be four classes of minor leagues and each minor league can apply for admission to that class in which they can pay the salaries and live. If a league is once classified and afterwards finds it cannot support itself in its classification it can be reclassified in a lower class, or if it finds that it can well afford to do so it can be admitted to a higher classification. There are to be four classifications.

Class A will be permitted to pay salaries not to exceed $200 a month for a player or over $2,000 per month for a team. For the purpose of illustration, suppose we classify the present organization. Class A would include the International Association, Western Association, and California League.

Class B, to pay not over $150 per man and $1,500 per team, would include the Atlantic Association and Tri-State League.

Class C, to pay not over $100 per man and $1,000 per team, would include the Central State League and the Texas League.

Class D would include the Middle States League, New York State League, Michigan State League, and Delaware State League. Leagues in this classification would not be permitted to pay their players more than $60 per month salary, or $600 per team.

The price per league for protection under the National agreement would be as follows: Class A, $2,000; Class B, $1,000; Class C, $500; Class D, $250. This tax, understand, would be not on each club, but on each organization. Thus, a Class D club would pay $31.25 in an eight club league and $41.67 in a six club league, and if a player was taken from one of these clubs by a club in a higher classification the club would receive $125 for him, the player would receive $62.50, and the league from which he was taken would get $62.40. These figures would increase pro rata in the higher organizations. The major leagues would pay $1,500 for players taken from Class A leagues, of which half would go to the club, one-quarter to the player, and one-quarter to the league from which he was taken. The price for Class B would be $1,000, and for Class C players it would be $500.

The major leagues would be permitted to take players from any of the minor leagues upon payment of the stipulated bonus. The Class A clubs would be permitted to take players from any league in a lower classification, and so on down the scale. It will thus be seen that the minor league clubs would be training schools for leagues of higher classification, and could not be robbed by each other, and when a player whom they had developed was taken by requisition to a higher class league they would receive a bonus for their trouble in developing him, and the player himself would receive a premium for his ability.

There is one point in Mr. Spalding's scheme which must be carefully arranged else it will lead to endless trouble, and possibly spoil the whole plan. This matter was particularly called to my attention in a long argument with Mr. James O'Rourke of the New York club. That gentleman very ably dissected the scheme, so far as he knew it, and undertook to show that it would be opposed by the minor league clubs. One of his strongest points was the right that clubs in higher classifications and in the major leagues would have to take players from lower grade clubs, and trouble would be occasioned thereby. The strength of Mr. O'Rourke's argument was mainly due to Mr. Spalding's proposition that players could be taken on a week's notice.

It is claimed that a minor league club might be winning the championship in its association by reason of the superiority of one or two of its players and some association of a higher class could swoop down upon them and take these players, and so knock the team out of its well-won honors. This objection could be met by a rule that would require at least a month's notice before a player can be taken from any club which holds the lead in any league, or, as has been suggested by The Tribune, it might be wise to prohibit the taking of any player until the season following that in which notice should be given that he was wanted. This matter will need to be given careful study in perfecting the details of the plan.

President Spalding, of the Chicago Club, was nailed as soon as he reached home. When told that the Brotherhood had a secret meeting at New York Sunday, that every club in the League was represented, and that the object was to formulate a plan of action looking toward rebellion, the president of the Chicago Club professed ignorance of any such meeting. “I didn't hear anything about it. What does the Brotherhood want?” he asked, and when told that the ball players' organization felt aggrieved over the adoption of the classification rule, in that the League magnates had violated their agreement with the Brotherhood, and that the National Agreement had been used for purposed for which it was never designed, Mr. Spalding said:-- “Oh, pshaw! The players won't do anything. It's all talk. What will we do if the players rebel? Why, we'll go right along just as we have for the last thirteen years. But there is nothing in it. The players have too much sense to attempt anything of the kind.

“Now, I will tell you the cause of this new scheme of the Brotherhood, and the sole reason,” said Mr. Spalding to a Dispatch reporter. “It was nothing more or less than $200. Early last summer in Chicago, Ward called on me, and as Chairman of the Brotherhood committee, demanded that the League should modify its sales system and the total abolishment of the classification rule. He also wanted the case of Sutcliffe, of Cleveland, considered. Sutcliffe was being paid $200 less by the Forest City folks than the Detroits had paid him. This was the only players' grievance the Brotherhood had, and I told Ward that as it was such a small amount I had not the slightest doubt that the matter could be satisfactorily arranged. I also said that it was not customary for the League to hold a meeting so early in the season, and furthermore, I thought the three demands did not deserve special consideration. I, however, promised to write to my colleagues of the League committee, Messrs. Day and Rogers, and I did so. Their answer was to the effect that I had given Ward the proper answer, and that a meeting should be held later in the season. I apprised Ward of the committee's decision, and his answer was that his committee had been discharged, and therefore all discussions were at an end, so far as the Brotherhood was concerned. Thus you see that the trifling sum of $200 was the cause of all this late agitation.

A gentleman of this city has patented an arrangement for holding a wet sponge to a ball player's belt. It will take more than a sponge to keep balls players from putting their fingers to their mouths.

Manager Bancroft assumed control of the affairs of the ball club yesterday morning and at once decided upon a definite system of field practice which will go into effect to-day. His plan is to place the men in their regular positions, with a pitcher in the box, and a catcher behind the bat, while each man will take a turn with the stick, and in this way the players will put in four hours a day, an order to that effect having been posted up in the club-house. This was one of Captain Glasscock's ideas and it promises to result in training the men in the best possible manner. A system of signs or signals will also be arranged within a few days, and these will be worked upon until the players are perfectly familiar with them. This will be the first step in the direction of good team work, and will be followed with other measures of a similar character, with a view of securing the full strength of the team in championship games.

[from an interview of Comiskey] “There have been a great many reports afloat to the effect that you are a heavy stockholder in the Browns. Is there any truth in the reports?” “There is just his much truth in it: Of the 200 shares of stock Von der Ahe owns 150 and 49 are owned by other parties, and I own one solitary share.

[dateline New York] Of all the base ball men who have been in this city to attend or to watch the meeting of the new Players' League Chris Von der Ahe is the most angry and the most discouraged. He came here with the belief that he would be admitted to the new league and in fact many of the delegates acknowledged that the whole thing was cut and dried. Even up to the time that the matter of admitting the St. Louis club to the new league came before the meeting everybody was sure that the club would get in; but it did not and the “boss” president will go home and try to form a new league with the remnant of the old American Association.

When the question of the admission of St. Louis to the league came up the Pittsburg delegates exploded a bomb in the shape of a flat refusal to get out. They were int to stay, and stay they would. They showed any number of telegrams from men in Pitsburg who offered to take stock in the club. They showed that they were perfectly capable of supporting their club. That settled it, and the St. Louis president was notified that there was no chance for his club at present.

Chris, on his own behalf, said that he had been reasonably sure of getting in the league, but now that he had not been able to do so, he would either try to build up the old American Association or go into the Western League.

“It is hard to tell just what I will do just now,” said Chris, “but the playing season has not begun yet, and many things are likely to turn up by the time it does.” St. Louis Republic December 19, 1889

[from an interview of Von der Ahe] I went to New York as the representative of the American Association, with full power to act, not only in so far as St. Louis' joining the brotherhood was concerned, but as to consolidating the whole American Association with the brotherhood. I had a pleasant time with the players, talked the matter over with them and soon concluded that their ideas of doing business and mine were so widely different that we could not agree, and all thoughts of an amalgamation ended right there. As soon as I left New York I set to to work to reorganize the American Association.... St. Louis Republic December 22, 1889

[from Joe Pritchard's column] The defeat of the Browns by the Pittsburgs, on Monday, by a score of 7 to 3, was the straw that broke the camel's back. The home team played a “don't-care-whether-we-in” kind of a game, and the crowd in attendance, as well as the players of the Browns, left the park after the game was finished with a look of disgust on their faces. Comiskey and his men were guyed unmercifully by the crowd from the time the first ball was pitched until the game was finished. “Comie” can stand guying if his team is ahead, but if the Brows are behind he don't relish it one little bit. After the game on Monday the Browns' manager told President Von der Ahe that he thought that it would be a good idea for some one to see Robinson, Chamberlain, King and McCarthy, and offer to compromise matters. The boss president was slow to give his consent to such an arrangement, but after studying over the matter carefully he told “Comie” to see the boys and compromise with them, if such a thing was possible. The Browns' captain-manager had a short talk with McCarthy, Robinson and Chamberlain on Monday evening, and they arrived at a conclusion in a very short time. The three men were told to report at the park at 10 o'clock Tuesday morning and sign a contract, which they did, and they played in the game against the Pittburgs the same afternoon. Several papers here and elsewhere have stated that the players threw up their hands and asked to be signed at the prices named by Mr. Von der Ahe, but this is not the case. There was a compromise, and it was brought about by Manager Comiskey, who was anxious to have his team in good shape for April 17, when it will go up against Gus Schmelz's Cincinnati team. I have watched the recent “lock-out” with considerable interest, and I will say right here without attempting to injure either the management of the Brown Stockings or the players who saw fit to hold out for what they claimed was just that neither side was very firm. Mr. Von der Ahe was aware of the fact that he would stand a poor show in the championship race without the help of the unsigned players, and the players wanted to get to work because it was a matter of bread and butter with them. Neither the players nor the management has any room or cause to flap their wings and crow, because the fight was ended by a compromise, and all the parties concerned seem to be well satisfied with the turn things took on Tuesday. The Sporting Life April 17, 1889

[from Joe Pritchard's column] [relating a conversation between Von der Ahe and Charley King's father] “Charley is bull-headed,” said Mr. King, “and I have told him that he had better sign with you at the amount you have offered him--$3,200. It seems like some of the other players entered into an agreement with my son not to sign unless their demands were acceded to. When I noticed that Chamberlain, McCarthy and Robinson had had signed, I told my son that he was in the 'nine hold,' and that is the reason I wanted to see you. He has been working at his trade—that of brick-layer—all spring, and he is in good shape to pitch good ball.” Mr. King's story of the combination shows that some kind of an agreement did exist between the players. The Sporting Life April 24, 1889

[reporting on the PL meeting 12/16-12/17/1889] Mr. Von der Ahe left for St. Louis last night very much disappointed and decidedly disgruntled over his failure to secure admission to the Players' League. He came here with the belief that he would be admitted to the new League, and, in fact, many of the delegates acknowledged that the whole thing was cut and dried. But they were mistaken.

When the question of the admission of St. Louis to the League came up the Pittsburg delegates exploded a bomb in the shape of a flat refusal to get out. They were in to stay, and stay they would. They showed any number of telegrams from men in Pittsburg who offered to take stock in the club. They showed that they were perfectly capable of supporting their club. That settled it, and the St. Louis president was notified that there was not chance for his club at present.

Von der Ahe, on his own behalf, said that he had been reasonably sure of getting in the Players' League, but now that he had not been able to do so he would either try to build up the American Association or go into the Western League. “It is hard to tell what I will do just now,” said Chris. “But the playing season has not begun yet, and many things are likely to turn up by the time it does.

[from a statement by John J. O'Neill:] You have been aware of the statements that have been circulated through the corridors of this hotel the last few days. The members of the clubs are present and will bear me out when I state that every statement furnished the press of any 'combine' or organization having for its object any injury to either the Brooklyn or Cincinnati Club is absolutely without the slightest foundation. We became convinced some time since that it was the intention of the Brooklyn and Cincinnati clubs to go into the League. Mr. Von der Ahe has in his possession a dispatch to Cincinnati parties, sent several days ago, showing that such was the intention of the Cincinnati Club. We realized that we were dealing with a conspiracy and we proposed to only take for the head of this organization a man above suspicion and absolutely removed from pecuniary interest in the Association. Mr. Phelps has been a friend of the Association from its inception, and had at different times been identified with the Association, and was known as a lawyer of considerable ability and a man of unimpeachable character, and, not having a dollar's interest in the Louisville Club, we believe him a man who would not, even for the club in his own city, give the slightest favor inimical to any other club, and we determined that no matter what should happen we intended to preserve this organization from disintegration and from the attacks of some men whom we believed were conspirators. The Sporting Life November 20, 1889

replacement clubs for the AA

[reporting the AA meeting 11/16/1889] The American Association adjourned to-day until Dec. 9, to meet at Columbus. The only business done to-day was to admit Syracuse to membership. The finance committee leaves to-night for Rochester and Toledo. It has been decided to admit those clubs to complete the circuit if arrangements can be made. Rochester is sure as Pat. Powers received a dispatch to that effect after the Association had adjourned. Detroit will be ignored and Toledo taken if possible. Great secrecy is being maintained about Toledo so as not to scare off Detroit if Toledo will not come in. The Sporting Life November 20, 1889

[from Joe Pritchard's column] The New York papers are now boasting of the movement that Lawyer O'Rourke “gets on himself” whenever a ball is knocked under the bleachers of the New York grounds in O'Rourke's territory. It is said that Jim skins under the seats and gets the ball in time to hold the man on third base. This is good for O'Rourke, but when Hugh Nicol's fast feats are considered, Jim is laid in the shade. Probably Jim can't remember just where he placed the extra ball. In an “under-the-seats play” a good memory is essential. While Hugh Nicol was a member of the St. Louis team he threw out several batsmen on hits under the right field bleachers, but he could not work the trick successfully unless the ball in play had been in use long enough to become dirty. Hugh would report for duty every morning, and before he left the park for his dinner he would place a couple, and sometimes three balls under the right field seats, and he knew just where to find them, too, when necessity demanded it. When a batsman of an opposing nine knocked the ball under the right field seats Hugh would go over the inside fence in a twinkle, grasp the hidden ball, and before the runner could reach second, “Robbie” would be waiting on the line, ball in hand, to retire him. Of course Captain Comiskey was not on to the scheme, and he has often purchased Nicol a good cigar after the game on account of his quick movements in returning the ball to the diamond. When Nicol played here there was no ground rule allowing a home run for a ball hit under the seats. Nicol will probably deny having practiced this little trick on the boys, but it is true nevertheless, because Dave Foutz whispered the story into my ear the last time the Brooklyns visiting St. Louis. Fact!

Mr. Brush says that the club is out of the control of the old organization, and all applications for it must be made to the League. He stated positively to a reporter that the transfer of the franchise was “absolute and unconditioned” and that the only reason for transferring the lease of the grounds, and giving a bill of sale for the grand stand to McCutheon, was to secure him the money he had advanced, and that he would be perfectly willing to transfer all his rights thus obtained to any parties who might operate the club here. The attorney of the syndicate offered $16,000 to-day for the club. New York Sun January 24, 1889

Articles of incorporation of the new Indianapolis Base Ball Club have been filed for record. The capital stock is $30,000, divided into 300 shares of $100 each. The stockholders are: Fred L. Mayer, 20 shares; Ford Woods, 30; R. K. Dryfus, 30; W. S. Schmidt, 40; Henry Jameson, 30; George F. Branham, 30; Charles F. Meyer, 40; J. F. Brush, 40; A. B. Meyer, 30; Tom Taggart, 10. New York Sun January 26, 1889

A detailed statement has been prepared by our base ball club management and will be sent to all stockholders and creditors and all interested in the matter. The financial operations are all set out at length, and the balance on the wrong side amounts to $19,250. With the exception of a few details of minor importance this report closes the work of the Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Base Ball Association. That the :Board could have succeeded in bringing the club out from under the cloud of financial trouble, and eventually have created a value for the original stock if permitted to continue by a few of the creditors, there is no manner of doubt in the minds of six members of the Board, and they tried all means within their power to secure this permission, coupled with an offer to personally carry the bank debt and furnish sufficient additional funds preliminary to the opening of the coming season, which would amount to several thousand dollars more. New York Sun January 27, 1889

The true story, as told by a gentleman in this city who knows what he is talking about, is as follows: “The Indianapolis Club has some 200 stockholders, many of them holding not more than $100 worth of stock. All of these gentlemen were very willing to share the profits, but when it came to making up the losses, they were not there. It was to get rid of these stockholders that the franchise was turned over to the League. The big stockholders have already formed a new company, and when they get the thing in working order, they will get the franchise back from the League and the ground and the grand stand from the gentlemen to whom it was made over, and all will be well.” New York Sun January 28, 1889

Application was made before Judge Walker late this afternoon for the appointment of a receiver for the Indianapolis Base Ball Club. Paul H. Krauss and George Pfingst, guarantors each in the amount of $500, were the plaintiffs. They were assured of fifty cents on the dollar under the present disposition, but were not satisfied. Upon showing made, Judge Walker appointed Charles Dryer receiver, and fixed his bond at $20,000. Mr. Brush received $15,000 from President Young of the League for the base ball franchise, and that money is now being applied to the payment of the club's debts, so far as it will go. The bank debt and the amounts due the directors have already been paid, and the guarantors are being paid $270 each, which is 54 per cent. of their claims without interest. New York Sun February 2, 1889

The Philadelphia club has suddenly discovered what several league clubs have known all season, that the sign batteries of the club's batteries are generally known. Buffinton's are with his mouth and Sanders' with his foot.

[from an interview of an unidentified Boston player] “Now, I'll tell you why the Phillies' pitchers are being hit so hard lately. The secret lies in the fact that about every club in the League is onto their signs. Take Buffinton for example, he signs with his mouth. If you see him press his lips close together you expect a fast straight ball and that is what we are laying back for. When he stands in the box with his mouth open it means that he will put one of his drop balls over the plate, and we simply leave that go as it is hard to hit, and besides generally drops so low as to be nothing but a 'ball' anyhow. Thus you see by not going after his drop balls we get him into a hole, and he must then put them over straight, and those are the ones we lace out. Sanders signs with his left foot. If he has it turned to the left it is a curve ball. Casey and Gleason are also doing their own signing, and we are dead onto them.” In using the above we are not betraying any confidence, as the Boston-Philadelphia series is now practically over, and the Bostons can no longer lose anything by the Philadelphia batters getting up new signs. “Indeed,” said one of the Boston men last Tuesday night, “I hope the Phillies will change their signs now before they meet New York again and thus down the latter, as that is the 0only club we have to fight for the pennant.” In this connection it may be added that it is poor policy for the pitcher to give the signs, as nine out of ten times the opposing team get onto them in a very short time and then it means almost certain defeat for that side. If the catcher asks for the sign so he can hide it that the coachers will scarcely get onto it, while the batsman must depend on the men in the coachers' box to give him the cue, as he dare not look around else he is not ready to bat, pitchers being always on the watch to catch batters napping. The combination sign, i.e., giving two or three at once, is the only safe one, as then the opposing side never knows which one is meant, though the battery understands it. Welch, Keefe and Ewing, Clarkson and Bennett, Seward and Robinson and several other batteries we know of use the combination sign with marked success, and they frequently change it in the middle of a game when the opposing side makes a number of safe hits in succession and they get suspicious that the other side is onto them.

[from Ren Mulford's column] [from an interview of Aaron Stern] The Association with its disgraceful squabbles and wrangles—the charges and countercharges that this club and that was running affairs—grew very distasteful to me, and Brooklyn shared that feeling with Cincinnati. It was only a question of time when the Association would be disrupted. If it had not died this year it would have been crippled as badly in '90. Brooklyn and Cincinnati both wanted places in the League. We desired to make the transfer together and the opportunity was presented. Had the League not accepted both cities at this time Brooklyn would certainly have purchased Washington's franchise for it had released Mr. Byrne from the pledge we had made to act in unison. The treatment Cincinnati and Brooklyn received from the combine left no other way open. Cincinnati would have followed Brooklyn just as soon as we could have purchased Indianapolis' franchise. That was the plan of campaign after the combine had shown its hand. The Association with all its bitter animosities is better dead than a source of continued strife detrimental to honest, clean ball—such as the League always has and always will play.

[from Chadwick's column] In any part of the game after the first inning and at the close of an inning, the captain of either nine can call for a and place him in the position of any player of the nine he chooses to retire from the field, irrespective of any player being disabled by illness or injury. But the retired player cannot again take part in the game.

[editorial matter] In permitting the introduction of any regular substitute at any period of a game, and in adopting the double umpire system, the New Players' National League has placed itself squarely in advance of the National League and in line with the public demand on at least one important particular. The double umpire system is the inevitable system of the future, and in first adopting it, the Brotherhood men scored a clever point. The Sporting Life November 27, 1889 [N.B. The PL in fact adopted the same substitute rule as the NL. See TSL 12/25/1889]

[from Ren Mulford's column] The superintendent of police having notified theatrical and base ball managers that Sunday performances and base ball games will not hereafter be permitted, Manager Stern to-day called on Mayor Mosby to ask permission to play the remaining four games that are scheduled here for Sundays. The Mayor made a positive refusal, and told him that a real, bona fide arrest of managers and players would be made on the sport if games were attempted. The club has four more Sunday games to play, and has arranged to play Sunday's scheduled game with the Columbus team, on the grounds in Ludlow, In Kentucky, on the line of the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway. The stands will not hold more than 1000 people, and the grounds can only be reached by train. Three specials will be run over the road that day. The grounds are a pretty poor apology for the present park. New stands may be built, but that is a question for adjustment later on. The Sporting Life August 21, 1889

[from Ren Mulford's column] The suppression of Sunday ball, while feared, was rather unexpected, and it was the result of a demand that the Owen law be enforced without favor. One of its provisions brings Sunday theatricals and base ball on the same ground with the Sunday saloon. Theatricals and the saloons were abated, but base ball continued to be played, and the only disagreeable feature was the regular Sunday night arrest of Manager Scnmelz and his Monday morning appearance in the police court. A double-leaded “defi” that Heuck's intended to ignore the Sunday law is generally charged as being responsible for the screws which the Mayor has put on both the theatres and base ball. It has been years since these sleeping laws have been enforced in this erstwhile “wide-open” city, and under the new regime Cincinnati joins New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Baltimore, and other cities—quite as prosperous—in reserving the first day of the week for rest, without accompanying fire works, beer and other etceteras of an amusement line. If Cincinnati—no one doubts its ability to shine in such society—is debarred from wearing a League crown, then it is absolutely certain that new grounds will be opened for Sunday games in Kentucky. Cincinnati, with League ball and advanced prices, can live without Sunday games and make just as much money as the Association team does now. The Sporting Life August 28, 1889

[from J. F. Donnally's column] Some people have raised a cry that the loss of Sunday games will seriously affect the finances of the Brooklyn Club, but, as an even fate adjusts all things, it is more than probable that even had Brooklyn remained in the Association it would have been an impossibility to play at Ridgewood on Sundays next season. The panic raised by the notoriety-seeking cranks, who used bigotry as the vehicle to wheel themselves into public notice, has become epidemic and almost every church now has its Sunday observance society, which quite overlooks beer-selling, prostitution and things in that line, to harp on base ball. It's the thing, you know, and attract most attention. These people have practically joined forces on the question of Sunday ball games, and were going to have it all arranged to swoop down on the Brooklyn Club and give it a neck blow. Having joined the League now, all this rush will be unnecessary, and the cranks, taking the victory to themselves, will rather tend to increase the clubs' regular patronage, as many who would not go to see the club play on account of the Sunday games matter will, now that the ban has been lifted, flock to the club's standard.

The League baby of Cleveland has this spring violated the League constitution by playing a Sunday game, a violation which involved forfeiture of League membership. It is not, however, likely to be severely, if at all, disciplined in view of the fact that the new York Club did the same thing last season and has besides for years openly and brazenly defied the League law relative to selling liquor by running a bar in full blast under the grand stand at the Polo Grounds. If the League could afford to wink at and condone such a flagrant violation of an important League law it will hardly strain much at a mere Sunday exhibition game.

The week just closed has changed the base ball situation here [Syracuse] very materially, and after all the hullabaloo made about joining the ranks of the American Association the Syracuse directors have decided to tone down somewhat and remain in the International League. This decision is now thought to be the mos wise one, and it is generally admitted on all sides that the directors have shown good sense in the matter. As Vice President A. K. Dickinson said to your correspondent:-- “Which is the more sensible, to remain in a league that shows signs of having a good foothold and strong membership, or go into one that is evidently making its last dying kick. Syracuse as an International city is strong, and to throw up this position for one of unknown quality is foolishness. The American Association, or its remnant, is evidently in a bad way, and joining its ranks is going into a great uncertainty and taking serious chances. At Detroit last week the Syracuse delegates evidently held the key to the situation. They news that the City of the Straits has decided to maintain her franchise in the International, and that Toronto and Toledo will do likewise, keeps the old chain without a missing link.

[Athletic vs. Brooklyn 5/2/1889] ...O’Brien hit a beautiful bounder to left field... The Collins forwarded O’Brien by a sacrifice, and on Burns’ telling bounder to right field, which sent O’Brien to third easily, the latter ran in, he seeing that Purcell did not handle the ball quick enough for a throw home. It was, in fact, a steal home, O’Brien being quick to take advantage of plays of this kind. Brooklyn Eagle May 3, 1889

a player delegated to call foul balls when umpire behind the pitcher

[Chicago vs. Cleveland 5/3/1889] In the first inning, with Duffy at the plate and Ryan on first [both Chicago players], Barnum, who was behind the pitcher, asked Anson to watch fouls. The Captain took a positition near the batsman and the crowd on the left bleaching boards began shouting: “Get out o'that.” “Sit down.” “See where he is.” The Captain turned round and said: “Gentlemen, I'm put here to watch fouls.” Then they cheered him. When he led off in the second inning he was cheered from every stand. Chicago Tribune May 4, 1889

[editorial matter] The assertion of The Sporting Life that the admission of Brooklyn and Cincinnati was a blunder, or worse, and that thereby the Brotherhood was lifted to a greater prominence and its chances of life vastly increased, still goes, and the events of the past week bear us out to a remarkable degree. The fact that Brooklyn and Cincinnati were willing to joint the League doesn't cut any figure. They could not have entered the League without the latter's invitation, and that the League, without the spur of necessity, took advantage of a family quarrel to strengthen itself, as it supposed, is patent, and quite as inexcusable in morals as would be the disruption of a man's family because of a quarrel or because some other man of greater income could offer inducements as to comforts and luxuries beyond the poorer man's means. By that act they ruthlessly slaughtered the American Association without the slightest regard for the enormous damage entailed upon the property of friendly clubs; wiped out a number of hitherto valuable franchises; practically ruined a number of men; imperiled the existence of still another friendly league, because if the Association is to live, the International :League must become disrupted; made of the National Agreement a hollow mockery; left the Association a prey to the Brotherhood League, and gave the latter a chance to strengthen itself such as it could never have anticipated. In short, the League by that act caused widespread disaster to many interests and has precipitated a condition in base ball bordering on the chaotic. Not in ten years has such a gloomy, uncertain situation presented itself, and there's not telling now what each day may bring forth; inf act, the progress of the game has been temporarily most effectually stayed, if not put back half a dozen years, as it will take time and much treasure to repair damages and reform the lines.

…

Instead ...we have the Brotherhood League now in place of the American Association, and dividing public attention with the National League. Since our last issue the Brotherhood has signed a great number of its own pledged players and quite a number of Association stars. Meantime the League has induced half a dozen of its old players to desert their Brotherhood and return to the League ranks, and yet has produced little or no impression on the Brotherhood rank and file. With the American Association intact to-day, these League captures would have produced a decided sensation and proved a serious blow to the Brotherhood, because it would not have been able to offset these desertions with the stars of the Association, and also could not use these same Association stars as a club to bring hesitating Brotherhood men into submission. As it stands the Brotherhood has all the best of the situation, as the Association is helpless and its best players, realizing its inevitable end and eager for the market where the highest salaries prevail, or one by one falling willingly into the Brotherhood net and nullifying the League's plan of dividing the enemy's forces; while the League, fettered by the National Agreement, is compelled to stand idly by until the final collapse comes, by which time the Brotherhood will have gleaned the wheat, leaving the League the husks. Is this picture overdrawn? Read the answer in the record of the past week. The Sporting Life November 27, 1889

[editorial matter] The crisis for the [Brotherhood] came when Glasscock and the other Indianapolis players deserted to the National League. Then the Brotherhood leaders for the first time showed symptoms of panic, and the backers for a moment began to weaken, because they feared that these men—who have posed so prominently as martyrs to League tyranny and for whom the Brotherhood had made such a fight—were but types of the entire body of professionals and that the bulk of them could not be relied upon even under oath or contract. But the League chose but poor instruments to lead the expected revolt; the rank and file of the Brotherhood remained steady, the confidence of the leaders was quickly regained, the financial men inspired with new courage and the net result of the League was only the handful of men with which the break was started. Right here the fatality of the move against the Association was made evident. With that organization intact, and with no resources open to the Brotherhood leaders, the Indianapolis break might have led to a stampede and the battle might have been over now. Instead of that the defection was quickly made good by a draft on Association talent, thus steadying the entire line, and to-day the new League is further advanced than it would have been under the old conditions, or than it hoped to be when it postponed its next meeting until January. So many men have signed inf act, so few desertions have taken place, that the backers have been stimulated to extraordinary energy and have so far perfected their arrangements that the date for permanent organization has been advanced fully a month. For all of which it must and does thank the League's cruel, needless and suicidal blow at the American Association. The Sporting Life December 4, 1889

President Byrne said the other day that, in case the Brooklyns won the American Association championship, he thought that it would be to the advantage of the club to be in the League. He thought that the base ball enthusiasts were somewhat tired of seeing the same club play year after year and that a change to the League would be the proper thing. The Philadelphia Item October 10, 1889, quoting the New York Sun

It is expected a special meeting of the Western Association managers will be held immediately after the holidays to invite the St. Louis and Louisville clubs to join the Western Association. The St. Paul and Minneapolis managers are enthusiastically in favor of the project. President Thompson of St. Paul said this afternoon that such a move had been expected for some time and intimated that letters had already been passing. Mr. Thompson said he was certain that no attempt would be made to reorganize the American Association, and that if St. Louis played ball at all in 1890 it would be with the Western Association. MR. Von der Ahe's remarks in New York yesterday were a hint of what he intended to do. If Louisville asks to come in, the Kentucky club will be admitted without question. Mr. Thompson was in doubt as to what would be done about the number of clubs. The organization is now composed of eight clubs and the admission of two more would make a 10 club league. He was not in favor of dropping Sioux City and Des Moines because both had raised enough money to guarantee them through the season and all the others can support themselves. The votes of both St. Paul and Minneapolis will be cast in favor of a 10-club league. St.