Semantic search

As a sample of the expenses of a ball team it may be stated that Cleveland's 1883, in which were McCormick, Dunlap, Glasscock, Bushong, Daily, and other stars, cost for salaries less than $16,000, and the present team, in which there are no stars, costs $31,000. With the same men under contract this season as played in Cleveland during 1883, the salary list would be $50,000. And yet the tendency is to increase still more, because the pace for $50,000 towns is set by $150,000 towns., quoting the Boston Globe

[from R. M. Larner's column] Almost every League player, whose contract has been promulgated by the genial N. E. Young, is to receive a substantial increase in salary for next season's work. Some of the amounts paid to second and third-rate players for the season of 1890 are enormous. Wilmot's contract calls for $2,500, but I am informed upon unquestionable authority that he is to receive something in excess of that amount.

[quoting John Rogers] We hope to win the case, and in my mind it is quite probable that we shall. Everything, however, hinges on the interpretation of the word “reserve.” If the court takes our definitions one of intent, we have the case. Should it take that the word is only binding on the different clubs of the League and not on outside clubs, then the Brotherhood will win.

The Baltimore base ball club will open the season with a roster of 15 men. The pitchers are Matthew Kilroy, Edward Cunningham, Frank Foreman and William Whittaker. The catchers are Chris. Fulmer, Edward Tate, Joseph Quinn and Bart Cantz. The first baseman is Thomas Tucker; second baseman, Joseph Mack; third baseman, William Shindle; short stop, Jack Farrell, left fielder, Joseph Hornung; centre fielder, Michael Griffin; right fielders, Joseph Sommer. The captain of the club has not yet been determined upon. It will probably be Mack or Farrell. St.

[discussing the meeting of the rules committee 11/12] Rules 12, section 2...was changed to “The moment the umpire delivers a new or alternate ball to the pitcher it comes into play, and shall not at any time be intentionally discolored with the soil or otherwise.” This change was made to prevent the prevailing habit of throwing a new ball around the field so as to make it have the appearance of an old ball.

The changes in the playing rules have operated so as to increase the batting, and heavy batting and brilliant fielding have been the rule in a very large majority of the games. With the abolition of the foul tip, and the reduction of the number of balls allowable, the pitcher has not had the batsman so completely at his mercy, and the hitting, which is, after all, the most enjoyable feature of the game, has been by far the best seen in any season since the curve ball came into use.

A special meeting of the American Association of Ball Clubs has been called for Friday in New York to consider the status of the Louisville Club, which is reported to be in a bad way. The charge is being made that President Davidson is trying to dispose of his best players and then let the club shift for itself. To prevent the team from going to pieces and thereby losing the eighth club in the Association it is proposed to put a stop to the sale and President Wickoff has been requested not to ratify the sales of any players until after the meeting of the Association.

Von der Ahe, the president of the St. Louis Club, was the first to have his suspicions aroused and after consultation with Manager Barnie and some wiring to Eastern managers it was decided to settle the business in a special meeting. President Stern is now said to be negotiating for the release of Hecker, Stratton and Shannon. It is claimed that with these players out the Louisville will be only an amateur club, certainly not better. Davidson has lost heavily right along, and it is thought he wants to get out of the hole as best he can.

The News had another base-ball rumor yesterday afternoon. It was to the effect that the Indianapolis League club was to be transferred to New York. Mr. J. T. Brush was asked what, if any, foundation there was for such a fairy tale. “None whatever,” was his answer. “No one here ever dreamed of such a thing, and I cannot be responsible nor answer for every insane rumor set afloat.” Indianapolis Journal December 4, 1889

There has been a good deal of talk hereabouts of late about a possible transfer of the players of the Indianapolis Base-ball Club to New York to fill up the gaps in the local league team. It is all bosh—that is, if the positive statements of the gentlemen most interested in any such transfer are to be accepted as true. President Brush, of the Indianapolis club, says without qualification that he is in the League to stay, and that means that he proposes to hold on to each and every one of his players. President Day, of the New York club, says that he does not contemplate securing the Hoosier hard-hitters and all-round performers on the green diamond, and that ought to settle it. Indianapolis Journal February 16, 1890, quoting the New York Herald

Some one telegraphed from Boston last night that there was a great row among the members of the Indianapolis ball team because they had not been paid off in that city on the 15th. President Brush was seen by a reporter and asked regarding the matter. He said there was no trouble whatever, and if any member of the club wanted money all he had to do was to ask Manager Bancroft for it. “It has been our custom this season,” he continued, “to pay our men on the 1 st and 15th of each month, no matter whether they are at home or abroad. There is probably not another club in the League that does this, as it is not required, and we only did it to accommodate the players. The contracts of the men specify that they are to be paid on the dates named when they are at home, but not while they are away on their trips. We intended to pay off in Boston on the 15th, as usual, but as the club is to be at home on the 25th we concluded to wait until that time. We telegraphed this to Manager Bancroft with instructions to advance the men any amounts they might want. I think no one can complain of this and it is probable that the report is simply the work of some sensational idiot who wants to get into the papers.” Indianapolis Journal July 17, 1889

a ground rule for a puddle

[Indianapolis vs. New York 7/20/1889] The final ball game of the New York-Indianapolis series was played under very discouraging circumstances at the Polo grounds this afternoon. There was a heavy rain-fall last night, and the ball field was in a very bad condition in consequence. There was a small lake in left field, and on that account a ground rule was made, under which a hit to that territory, no matter how long, could only yield two bases. Boys, with trousers rolled up, were engaged to fish the ball out when it went into the miniature lake. In trying to get a fly ball, Sullivan went into the water once nearly up to his knees. Indianapolis Journal July 21, 1889

Secretary Douglass, of the Young Men's Christian Association, thinks the solution of the Sunday base-ball question can be found in the athletic park it is proposed to open within a few weeks. But to make the enterprise a success in that respect, he says a half-holiday will be necessary. If all the time of young men is used in business during the week days they cannot get the full benefit of the park, and, therefore, he urges a half holiday for the summer months. He has already a list of 600 young men who will make use of the grounds, provided their employers give them the time for recreation desired. More than one thousand, he says, can be induced to go to the park, and forgo Sunday ball-playing if the half holiday is obtained. Beginning to-day Saturday afternoon, recreation is to be given to the employees of W. B. Burford.

[New York vs. Pittsburgh 7/5/1889] Dunlap's hitting was of the scientific kind, because every time he went to bat there were men on bases, and Fred just placed hits in nice comfortable localities.

Eddie Von der Ahe's score card was composed of sixteen pages last season—reading material and “ads.” combined. He now contemplates enlarging it to twenty-four pages and increasing the reading matter. An interesting score card is a good thing to glance over “between the innings, “ and young Von der Ahe says that his score card will be “one of the finest.

[New York vs. Boston 5/8/1889] For nine innings the champions swung their bats and strained their eyes trying to see the home plate around the remaining three corners of the diamond, but they were doomed to disappointment, and saw the scorer hang up goose eggs until he had nine of them on the string.

The Sporting Life's Columbus correspondent, Frank W. Arnold, has resigned the official scoreship of the Columbus Club and the sporting editorship of the Columbus Dispatch. President Wikoff's brother, Charles, is his success on the paper.

[from Chadwick's column] There are two amendments required in the scoring rules to the national code to make the averages what they are not now, viz., reliable data on which to base an opinion of a player's ability as a batsman; and one of these is to introduce a special record, giving the figures of the runs each player bats in from base hits. Another is the elimination of fielding and base-running figures from the data on which earned runs are based. The record of earned runs is useless except as giving figures on which a criterion of a pitcher's skill can be arrived at, and the only reliable data for this is the record of safe hits made off the pitching. As it is now a pitcher is charged with runs earned off the fielding and by base-running as well as from base hits, and in nearly every instance the estimate is unjust to the pitcher, as it brings into the calculation the plays of the fielders as well as the work of the pitchers. The only proper data for earned runs is the record of base hits made off the pitching, a pitcher's battery errors—called balls and wild pitches—not being included.

[from Ren Mulford's column] That idea of the Wilkes-barre official scorer in summarizing the hits that net runs is a good one. I have accepted Manager Hart's “reached base” column for the Times-Star's individual score... Tebeau has not been making many hits, but he reaches first base pretty often on balls and errors, and is the best waiter in the club.

[from Chadwick's column] I notice that 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. It turned out that the umpire called four balls, but Quinn gets credit for a stolen base. This is a correct decision. In estimating stolen bases, there cannot well be any arbitrary rule to govern every case, as circumstances so frequently alter cases. The effort to steal must go into the calculation largely. For intsance, the moment the runner at first sees the pitcher's arm move to pitch, and he starts for second, he has attempted a steal without regard to the action of the catcher or the batsman; and if he reaches the base safely, he is entitled to the credit of the steal, irrespective of a wide throw, a muffed ball, a passed ball, a called ball or a wild pitch; as the very effort to steal may help to cause either the wild throw or the passed ball, as also the muff at second. There are ordinary steals and clean steals, and the latter comprise the minority. But no base can be justly credited as stolen, where the runner at first is induced to start for second after seeing the error made by the pitcher or catcher. To limit the credit of a stolen base to clean steals, would be discouraging to base stealing. A runner will not take the risks under such circumstances that he will when he is given credit for his effort to steal irrespective of the fielding errors the effort may have led to. In order to encourage base-running, I think, a latitude should be allowed, which may justly be reduced hereafter.

[from an article on the new rules by Chadwick] In the case of a fair ball to the outer field when a runner is on third base and only one run is required to win the game the new rules now forbid the umpire from calling “game” until the play following the long hit is completed. Last year in such a case the moment the runner reached home and the winning run was scored the game ended then and there, thereby cutting off the credit of the three-bagger or home-run hit which brought in the winning run. Now the game cannot end until the fair hit ball has been fielded in to the pitcher, thereby giving the batsman full credit on the score for his hit.

[from Questions Answered] According to rules, yes, but in this respect we do not go by the rules in scoring. If the third strike is a wild pitch it would be manifestly unjust to give the catcher a missed third strike on it. In all such cases we give the error to the pitcher and not credit him with a strike-out.

The score of Saturday’s game sent from St. Louis was made out in violation of the new scoring rules, which throw out all assistances for strikes from the assistance column, which can now only contain the record of fielding assistances. Terry is credited with ten assistances, eight of which were on strikes, and Chamberlain with seven, of which five were from strikes.

[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.