Saturday, August 11, 2012

The Breach Has Been Greatly Widened

A Globe-Democrat reporter, who was at the Sportsman's Park, interviewed Mr. Von der Ahe, President of the St. Louis Club, upon Dolan's jump.  He did not appear to be greatly disgruntled at the jump, and explained the matter so far as he could, as follows:

"Dolan's work so far as his catching was concerned was all satisfactory, but his throwing to bases was getting worse and worse, and cost us so many games that the other men did not feel safe with him behind the bat, and urged that Deasley catch on all occasions.  Dolan has been very hard to please.  When he did not catch he complained, and when he was put on to catch he kicked.  He was of little service to us of late, and men ran bases on him with impunity, and while making an occasional hit his batting and base running were ordinarily very poor.  We are through our hard work and with Deasley and Krehmeyer we can get along very well without him.  I had no thought of re-engaging him next year.  To-day I told him to put on his uniform when he objected and said he was going to quit.  I told him what the consequences would be to him and he made no answer, and I presume went straight from here to the Union Park.  He wanted to catch more and the men felt safer with Deasley - that was all there was in it.  He will never play on the St. Louis Browns again, even if he were younger and more capable."

Mr. Von der Ahe showed no feeling in the matter whatever, and smiled at the indignation expressed by the friends of the club, who were loud in their denunciation of Dolan's conduct, and openly expressed opinions that the jump was not the result of an impulse, but of a tempting offer from the Unions.  The breach between the two local professional base ball organizations has been greatly widened by the occurrence.
-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 24, 1884


I love that last sentence and find it to be a tasty bit of understatement.  You have to wonder if Dolan's name came up in the fall when Von der Ahe and Lucas where negotiating the Maroons' entry into the NL. 

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