Bob Caruthers left for Chicago last night. He said yesterday that he positively would not play in St. Louis next season, and if he played ball at all it would be with Brooklyn. He liked the idea of playing in Brooklyn, and, as his price had been accepted, he would sign there if he could persuade his mother to give her consent. With reference to Von der ahe's assertion that he would not play except at the Brown's manager figures, Caruthers grew very warm. He said that Von der Ahe was playing a "bluff game" with him, and it wouldn't work. He liked St. Louis and her people, but he hated Chris' methods, and would not work under him if he could help it. He did not have to play ball at all and would just as soon retire as not. "If Von der Ahe attempts to make me play ball in St. Louis," said he, "and I want to go to Brooklyn, I will make Mr. Von der Ahe release me or I will get a salary of $5000 here, the same as I have been offered in Brooklyn and Cincinnati. Von der Ahe has already turned my release over to Brooklyn, I am satisfied of this...Pritchard has been after me all day to telegraph Byrne that I accept his $5000 offer. If I did so they would pull the release on me and I would be as good as signed to the New York club. There is plenty of time yet for me to decide what I will do next year. It may interfere somewhat with Mr. Von der Ahe's arrangements if I do not sign with anybody until the last day in the spring, but no matter, it will give me the privilege of saying my soul is my own for a little while at least.
-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 1, 1887
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