OCR Text |
Show CAN A WOMAN RUN A BASEBALL CLUB? When the ale Stanley Robison signed sign-ed Roger Bresnahan ho valued him at $25,000. But Mrs. Ileleno Hathaway Britton. to whom Robison willed tbo St. Louis club, discharged Bresnahan this fall, because, she said, his popularity popu-larity was waning Bresnahan Is the chap who, last year, took a logical eighth placo club, handled It sensationally and made it a first-dhislon contender. Before sho discovered her manager's manag-er's popularity was one tho wane, Mrs II. H. R. Britton signed him to an ironclad contract, stipulating $10,-000 $10,-000 a season and 10 per cent of tho club's net profits. Another clause stipulated that the club's business tff-flc tff-flc must be run on a salary not exceeding ex-ceeding $10,000 a year. When she dismissed Bresnahan, unconditionally, Mrs. Britton offered him 2.s"00 to compromise, on a four-year four-year contract calling for $40,000, to say nothing of the 10 per cent Bres-nahan's Bres-nahan's demand was $40,000 cold. Back of this is a story which throws light upon baseball methods not generally known to the public. In 1911 the Cardinals made about $130,000. thanks to the showing made under bresnahan who was hailed as another McGraw. His team was mediocie. Kone'chy, Evan?, Wingo, Ilauser, AIowro and Lee Mage; cost but S10.000 lesr tnan half the price paid for Marty O Toole less than t he price of two good o ass B men. When Dresnulitin vcif fired everybody every-body was pledged to secrecy. More than iinihlnr? else, Bresnahan hoped the word would not leak out for ten' dajs, but It did, thereby spilling Rog-j er's beans. Had ten days passed, he Would have been a free agent and the Cardinals K'ouM have drawn a fine for falling to ask for waiters. And It is no secret se-cret that the national commission ivoulO ask nothing aetter than a chance to fino the club, now handled by Airs. Bnl ton's ipgal advisers, who liave et to learn much about baseball base-ball law. " hat r. difference of opinion exists lbout Bresna ban's vnlue is evident, as Barney Dreyfyos Is ready to pay him noro lhan any other catcher ever revived. re-vived. Dorny says Bresnahan will tip he ill Piitcs a pennant winner. iier including Garry Herrmann, isve Irrge salary weakness for tho jrainy backstop ami ccrappy player, svho was chiefly u-spcnsibla for New i'ovlc winning tho flag in 1005 lJc)ils leading l.p to the brrak bo-i .v-oon Mrs L'.i'iin-n nd her manager ior. j;hen as leapor-s when 3he dis-j ifil.-.reu linn urn- i I'rrst L.iat spring Ro;;er took the' M'.ib from .7ft(kton. Tent . to Jackson,' M5sj Trrv.;hi of iimtlequate hotolu uit' priy:n,' fields without consulting Mrs. Britto-i. Sccnd le trio-l to trade with Cincinnati for playera who might have put St, Louis io Uie first division, but wa.- iiri'vcnud. Tliird He wauu-d to tr if'e JTuggins ind F.llis for Mitchell and McDonald, but Mrs. Britton blocked him and . mncunced' she was running the club, despite Brcsnahan's contract, which gave him authority to make deals. Fourth Detectives shadowed Bresnahan, Bres-nahan, and in Now York he thrashed one. Fifth On September 0, aflor a conference con-ference with Huggins, sho denied that sho intended to discharge Bresnahan. Bres-nahan. Sixth Mrs. Britton and President J. C. Jones commented upon players so that what they said was carried to the bench. Bresnahan has had a brilliant career. ca-reer. Ho Is one of the game's greatest great-est catchers. He inventod the shin guards now In general use. As a manager, Bresnahan had the Cardinals thinking thoy were the greatest players In tho world, and at times they played as if they were. Prevented from spendlug money for , players, he secured the best he could by making trades. Unless the signs are wrong, the dlschargo of the manager-catcher will prove a costly move for the SL Louis woman magnate. |