The proposed New American Base-Ball Association, of which so much was
heard during the fall and winter months of 1899 and 1900, is not dead,
as some people fondly hope, but only sleeping. That the National League
fears the birth of a new rival has been time and again shown, and in my
judgment without good and sufficient reason, for I hold that
"competition is the life of trade," and that with a strong and healthy
competitor in, the field the rivalry would be of benefit to both
organizations.
From personal experience I know that the National Game was never in as
healthy condition as it was when the League had the old American
Association for a rival and when such a thing as syndicate base-ball was
unheard of. The Harts, the Friedmans and the Robisons were not then in
control, and the rule-or-ruin policy that now prevails had at that time
not even been thought of.
Base-ball as at present conducted is a gigantic monopoly, intolerant of
opposition and run on a grab-all-that-there-is-in-sight policy that is
alienating its friends and disgusting the very public that has so long
and cheerfully given to it the support that it has withheld from other
forms of amusement.
It was Abraham Lincoln, I believe, who once remarked that you can fool
some of the people all the time but that you cannot fool all the people
all the time, and yet it is this latter feat that the League magnates
are at the present time trying to perform.
That the new Association did not take the field in 1900 was due to an
unfortunate combination of circumstances, but that it will do so another
season I firmly believe, as many of the men interested in its formation
are still enthusiastic over the project and determined to carry it to a
successful conclusion.
St. Louis may justly be regarded as the birthplace of the newcomer, as
it was there that the idea of a new rival to the worn-out old League
first originated in the brain of Al Spink, who, like the majority of the
game's best friends the country over, had grown sick of syndicate
methods and believed that the time had come when a new association, run
on strictly business principles, would secure the patronage of the
people. Associating with him Chris Von der Ahe, who became famous as
"der boss" of the old St. Louis Browns, George Shaefer and others, he at
once begun pulling wires looking toward the formation of an organization
based on the old American Association lines, one that should do away
with many of the evils that now exist.
Milwaukee and Detroit capitalists were soon interested in the scheme,
and early in October, 1899, an informal meeting was held in Chicago, at
which Chas. Havenor, Harry D. Quinn and Alderman O'Brien of Milwaukee;
Chris Von der Ahe, George Shaefer and Al Spink, of St. Louis, and Frank
Hough, of Philadelphia, were present.
This meeting I attended by invitation in company with Walter H. Clough,
my son-in-law, and after talking the prospects over I finally agreed to
place a team in Chicago to represent the new association, providing that
a proper circuit of eight cities could be secured. I was then, as I am
now, in favor of invading the cities already occupied by the National
League clubs, and leaving the other cities to be occupied by the minor
leagues.
At this meeting Harry D. Quinn was elected temporary President and Frank
Hough temporary Secretary.
Quinn proved to be a hustler of the first class and spent both time and
money in interesting the capitalists of other cities in the proposed
deal. In November matters had progressed so far that a second meeting
was held in New York, which was attended by the St. Louis and Milwaukee
delegations, and by Secretary Hough of Philadelphia, Thomas Navin of
Detroit and representatives from Boston and Providence.
Owing to family troubles I was unable to be present, and but little was
accomplished. An effort was made, however, to interest Tom O'Rourke and
"Dry Dollar" Sullivan in the scheme, and this might have been successful
had it not been known that Richard Croker, the Tammany chieftain, was a
great friend of President Freedman of the New York League Club, and
might be tempted to cut streets through any grounds that were secured.
McGraw of Baltimore was also on hand looking over the ground, but he was
then still confident that Baltimore would be retained in the League, and
therefore was unwilling to cast his fortunes with the new venture.
Quinn was nothing daunted, however, and continued to work like a beaver.
Hough's promised backing in Philadelphia failed to materialize, and F.
A. Richter, of the Philadelphia "Sporting Life," claimed to be able to
find both the men and money necessary to put a club in the Quaker City.
A lawyer by the name of Elliott, and some friends of his, were first
mentioned as the club's backers, but they failed to come to time, and
then Mr. Richter trotted out a son-in-law of John Wanamaker, but he
failed to materialize with his money.
This was the situation at the time that the third meeting was called by
Mr. Quinn at Philadelphia, and which was held there just before the
holidays. In the meantime I had attended a meeting of the National
League in New York, and had gone from there on to Baltimore. While in
the latter city I had a long talk with McGraw and all but convinced him
that Baltimore was certain to be dropped by the League and that it would
be to his best interests to join hands with us in the formation of the
new association.
Acting on the information I had given him McGraw and his friends at once
secured a lease on the National League ball grounds over the head of the
League people, and then came on to attend the Philadelphia meeting. Here
it was announced that Tommy McCarthy had things fixed all right in
Boston and that Providence would leave the Eastern League and join with
us.
McGraw had now become an enthusiast so far as the new scheme was
concerned, but while the way to mend matters looked rosy on the surface,
I fancied there were breakers ahead. I was disappointed in the showing
made by Philadelphia at the meeting, and had even then grave doubts as
to the genuineness of the backing promised there, though Richter, who
was even at that time pulling wires in order to be elected Secretary and
Treasurer when the final organization was made, asserted positively that
he had found the necessary capitalists in the persons of George Regar
and a theatrical man by the name of Gilmore.
The circuit so far as made up at that time looked like Detroit, Chicago,
St. Louis and Milwaukee in the West, and Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia
and some city yet to be determined upon in the East.
As the days went on Quinn became more and more confident regarding
Philadelphia, and a strong effort was made to get Washington into line,
but without success, as the Washington people were certain at that time
that the League would consist of ten clubs, and that the Senators would
be retained. Louisville in the meantime was clamoring for admission,
while Providence had determined to stick to the Eastern League.
A meeting to effect a permanent organization was then called. This was
to be held at the Great Northern Hotel in Chicago on February 12th,
1899, but as several of the delegates expected had failed to put in an
appearance an adjournment to the following day was decided upon.
When this meeting was called to order by temporary President Quinn there
were present Hecker, Harlan and Spink, of St. Louis; Quinn, Havenor and
O'Brien, of Milwaukee; McGraw and Peterson, of Baltimore; Regar and
Richter, of Philadelphia, and myself representing Chicago. Tommy
McCarthy, of Boston, was said to be somewhere on the road, though Quinn
held his proxy, and Col. Whitside of Louisville was on hand to represent
the Falls City in case it should be taken into the fold.
Numerous telegrams failed to locate Navin of Detroit, and as the
Louisville people proved that they had the necessary backing it was
finally decided to take them in. Detroit's assurance that everything was
lovely there came too late, Navin not returning home until after the
meeting was over, while McCarthy of Boston did not materialize until
after the meeting had adjourned.
A permanent organization was finally effected and officers elected as
follows:
President, A. C. Anson, Chicago; Secretary-Treasurer, Phil Peterson,
Baltimore; Directors, C. S. Havenor, Milwaukee; Geo. D. Shaefer, St.
Louis; W. J. Gilmore, Philadelphia; it being left for Boston to name a
member of the Board at a later date.
Richter had come to the meeting firmly convinced that the office of
Secretary-Treasurer was to be his for the asking, and he was decidedly
put out when turned down, and was disposed to be decidedly ugly. That he
had not gotten over it for some time afterward was shown by the attitude
of his paper, which indulged in indiscriminate abuse of every one who
failed to agree with him.
After the adoption of a constitution and by-laws the meeting finally
adjourned, though not until McGraw and Peterson had been appointed a
committee to look into the standing of Philadelphia and to select an
eighth city in the East, the seven cities making up the circuit at that
time being Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Louisville in the West, and
Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia in the East.
It was also decided to open the playing season on April 16, the matter
of arranging a schedule being left in my hands. The Philadelphia end of
it had a decidedly fishy look to me, even then, and McGraw was by no
means as enthusiastic as he had appeared at Philadelphia. McCarthy's
failure to appear cast a damper over the crowd, and, in spite of all
that had been accomplished, I had grave doubts as to the successful
launching of the project.
McGraw and Peterson stopped at Philadelphia on their way home and had an
interview with W. J. Gilmore that was evidently satisfactory, as the
former wired me that Philadelphia was "four-flushing" and that
everything was off, after which he fixed up his differences with the
League people in Baltimore and prepared to play with the club there
another season.
The dropping of Baltimore from the list of League cities, just as I had
prophesied, followed, after which came the sale of McGraw and others to
the St. Louis Club, the terms of which McGraw has refused to ratify, the
result being that the snappy little Baltimorean will in all probability
not be seen on the ball field in a League uniform.
The calling off of the deal was a great disappointment to me at the
time, and yet, as things have turned out, I am satisfied that everything
happened for the best after all. The recent iron-clad agreement entered
into between the American League and National League magnates, by the
terms of which a team from the first-named organization is to be placed
in Chicago, smacks too strongly of syndicate methods to become popular.
In a recent letter from Baltimore McGraw and Peterson both strongly urge
the necessity of going on with the new association and getting in
readiness to place strong teams in the field at the beginning of the
season of 1901, and this is likely to be done.
That the time is ripe for such a movement I am confident, as I am also
that plenty of good ball players could be found to join its ranks.
The methods of the League in late years have not been calculated to make
friends either among the ranks of the players or of the public, and both
would gladly welcome a rival in the field.
It would, however, be a mistake, I think, to start with anything but a
strong circuit or to antagonize any of the minor leagues, with whom
nothing could be gained by rivalry.
If I could have my way in the matter I would place a strong team in
every single one of the League cities, taking in Chicago, St. Louis,
Cincinnati and Pittsburg in the West, and New York, Boston, Philadelphia
and Baltimore in the East.
Such a circuit would, in my estimation, be a paying one from the start,
and that is the circuit that I hope to see formed in the future.
There is one thing certain, and that is that a rival to the National
League will spring up sooner or later, and that without any help from
Mr. Richter.