Parisian Bob, Engage!

The St. Louis Club has engaged Kinzle, second baseman, and Carruthers, change pitcher, of the disbanded Minneapolis team, and Lavin of the Saginaws.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, September 6, 1884


Parisian Bob, engage! is kind of like Giant Robot, attack!  And I'll leave it up to you to figure out what I'm talking about.

Some Final Thoughts On The Browns' 1887 Player Sales

The first thing I should mention is that I no longer know what to call the events that took place in the fall of 1887. I used to call it a fire sale but it really wasn't that. A fire sale implies that the seller is being forced to sell because of financial stress and that wasn't what these moves were about. So I've taken to generically calling it a players sale. That's esthetically unpleasing but more accurate. Regardless, what I want to do here is give a quick summary of what took place and then look at the reasons for why the sales happened.

By the time the 1887 world's championship series ended, it was clear that the Browns were going to make some changes to their roster for the 1888 season. There had been rumors going back to the summer that some players were unhappy and wanted out of St. Louis. The events surrounding the players' refusal to play the Cuban Giants damaged the relationship between players and management. Von der Ahe was disappointed in the performance of some of the players in the world's series loss. A few players complained about their world's series share and others felt unappreciated. Essentially, the relationship between management and some of the players had broken down. The egos of players who had won three consecutive championships and the egos of management were in conflict and it was evident by the time the season ended that some players were going to be sold.

On November 22, it was reported that Curt Welch and Bill Gleason had been sold to Philadelphia. On November 24, Charles Byrne stated that he had completed the purchase of Doc Bushong and, a day later, it was reported that St. Louis had sold Bob Caruthers to Brooklyn. On November 29, Dave Foutz was sold to Brooklyn. In eight days, Chris Von der Ahe had sold the rights to five of the core members of his championship club for approximately $21,000 and the rights to Fredd Mann, Chippy McGarr and Jocko Milligan.

I think that the conventional historical wisdom is that Von der Ahe made the moves for financial reasons and out of a general unhappiness with some of his players. Financially, the club had seen its profits decline from 1886 to 1887 and there were rumors that Von der Ahe was going to move the club to New York for the 1888 season. However, the club was profitable. Von der Ahe, himself, stated that his club never lost money except during the 1890 Players' Revolt. It's true that attendance had declined somewhat but the club had made money and there was no reason to believe that it wouldn't continue to do so in the future.

Money certainly played a role in the sales. But the reason the players were sold for cash is that that was the way players were moved from team to team during the era. The rights to players were sold, not traded for other players. Brooklyn could not obtain Caruthers, Foutz and Bushong without purchasing their rights from St. Louis. Money was the means by which player transactions were conducted. So if Von der Ahe wanted to move his players for reasons other than financial, he was still going to receive money for their rights.

I think that people saw the fact that the players were sold and the amount of money the Browns received and naturally believed that the transactions were financially motivated. I do believe that finances played a part in the sales. The Browns were a successful club with many star players and there was stress placed by the players on management to increase salaries. By moving many of his stars, Von der Ahe removed some of the financial stress on the club. By replacing those stars with younger and cheaper players, the Browns became more profitable. But I don't believe that the transactions were motivated specifically by the money the club was receiving in return for the players. There was a financial motive in moving the players but it's not the one that most people believe.

As to Von der Ahe's unhappiness with his players, that absolutely played a role in the transactions. He was not happy with the world's series loss and the play of some the players, specifically Gleason, during the series. He was not happy with the players' refusal to play the Cuban Giants. He was not happy with the constant complaints about salary. Von der Ahe was unhappy with some of the players and some of the players were unhappy with Von der Ahe. In the end, Von der Ahe owned the team and the players got shipped out. In this clash of egos, the owner won, as they tend to do.

However, there's another aspect of this which doesn't fit neatly into the story of Chris Von der Ahe the greedy and egomaniacal owner who dumped his stars for cash and that is the role of Charlie Comiskey in all of this. Comiskey, while a player, ran the club on the field and was, for all intents and purposes, a part of management. The extent to which Comiskey was involved in the management of the club as a whole has been overblown historically, as a slight to Von der Ahe, but he did play a role. He had, for the most part, a good relationship with Von der Ahe and the Browns' owner respected his captain as a person and a baseball man. So if club management was unhappy with some of the players and wanted to move them, I think a relevant question is to what extent was Comiskey, as a part of the management team, involved in the decision to the move the players?

The evidence is conflicting and doesn't lend itself to an easy answer. Contemporary accounts at the time the transactions were happening state that the moves came as a surprise to Comiskey and that he was unhappy with the moves. However, a few months later, it was reported that Comiskey had been unhappy with some of his players. He felt that their egos had gotten a bit too large, that they were no longer manageable and he wanted them gone. According to these accounts, Comiskey was the driving force behind the moves. While it's difficult to resolve the contradictions, I don't believe that the moves would have been made without Comiskey's knowledge and approval. There are reports that Von der Ahe had wanted to sell Latham in the fall of 1887 but Comiskey disapproved and the sale never went through. I believe that Comiskey's reported unhappiness in December of 1887 has to do with the sale of Foutz, specifically, rather than the sale of the players in general.

While there had been rumors that Foutz was going to be one of the players moved, after the Caruthers' sale, Von der Ahe stated that he was finished moving players. Less than a week later, Foutz was sold to Brooklyn. The reasons for the Foutz sale are, to me, obvious. After Caruthers was sold to Brooklyn, he refused to sign and presented the club with financial demands. When the club met those demands, Caruthers still refused to sign. At that point, the Foutz deal was made. I believe that Brooklyn went back to Von der Ahe and bought Foutz because it was not clear that they would be able to sign Caruthers. The Foutz deal was not part of the original plan and was made only after the Caruthers deal looked like it was falling through. I think this was the source of Comiskey's unhappiness. Losing Foutz left him with an unexpected hole in right field.

Regardless of Comiskey's specific role in the transactions and his level of approval for the moves, it's clear that the ego of management was one of the reasons for the sale of the players. But there are a couple of other reasons for the sales, one of which has been brought up by other historians and one which seems to always be overlooked.

One of the reasons for the sales which has been brought up in the past is that Von der Ahe was attempting to strengthen some of the other teams in the American Association and, by doing so, strengthen the league as a whole. As mentioned earlier, attendance in St. Louis was down in 1887. The reason for this, it appears, is due the uncompetitive nature of the AA race in 1887, when the Browns won the league by fourteen games. In 1885, the Browns won the league by sixteen games and, in 1886, they won by twelve games. The Browns were the class of the AA and had run away with the championship for three straight seasons. By 1887, a sense of boredom or inevitability may have set in among the St. Louis baseball fans and driven down attendance. By strengthening Brooklyn and Philadelphia, Von der Ahe may have hoped to create a more balanced league and a more exciting pennant race. Also, by strengthening those two specific clubs, he was making the league stronger in two of the most important baseball markets in the country. If this was one of the goals of the sales, and Byrnes stated that it was, Von der Ahe succeeded to a certain extent. In 1888, the Browns still won the pennant but by only six and a half games. Brooklyn and Philadelphia finished second and third, respectively. In 1889, the AA experienced one of the great pennant races in baseball history with Brooklyn winning the pennant by two games over St. Louis and Philadelphia finishing a distant third. Von der Ahe, through his moves, strengthened the league in Brooklyn and Philadelphia, got a more competitive league and his club remained profitable. If these were indeed the motivating factors for the sales then Von der Ahe's moves succeeded.

The one thing that always gets overlooked when the sales are discussed is the possibility that the moves were made for pure baseball reasons. Doc Bushong was being phased out as the starting catcher in 1887 and the club had Jack Boyle to replace him. Bill Gleason had his worst year as a professional in 1887 and was in permanent decline. Curt Welch had a poor year at the plate that season and was a drunk. Both he and Gleason had been involved in altercations with their teammates, effecting the chemistry of the club. Dave Foutz had suffered a thumb injury to his throwing hand and it was unknown if he would ever be an effective pitcher again. Comiskey held to a theory of pitching that believed that pitchers, after a few years of hard use, quickly lost their effectiveness. He had ridden Caruthers and Foutz hard for several seasons and the club had good, young pitching in reserve so the Browns' two star pitchers were replaceable.

The Browns had an abundance of young talent and Von der Ahe, in the fall of 1887, was gathering more. They had Silver King and Nat Hudson on the mound and bought Icebox Chamberlain, giving Comiskey three pitchers who were twenty years old or younger. They had Jack Boyle, who was 22. They picked up the young Tommy McCarthy and had the players they obtained from Philadelphia. On top of that, Von der Ahe was putting together the St. Louis Whites and stocking the club with guys like Jake Beckley, Jack Crooks, Jim Devlin, Harry Staley and Joseph Herr. If you consider the Whites to be a farm club for the Browns, Von der Ahe's AA team was loaded with young talent and could afford to cycle out older stars. By selling some of the older guys, the Browns got younger and the payroll got smaller, without much of a loss in quality. By making these moves, the Browns remained a competitive club through the 1891 season. It's not certain that if they had kept Caruthers, Foutz, Welch, Bushong and Gleason, the club would have been anymore successful. That has to be the bottom line. The Browns, through these sales, got younger and cheaper and remained successful for four more seasons.

One could make the argument that if Von der Ahe had continued his experiment in farming players with the Whites, the club would have remained competitive throughout the 1890s. For some reason, it appears that, within a historical context, the player sales and the collapse of the club in the 1890s are linked, the common thread being Von der Ahe's suppossed mismangement of the team. Obviously, the two events have nothing to do with each other and it's interesting to consider how Von der Ahe's legacy would be different if he had continued operating the Whites and phased in their young players in the early 1890s.

In the end, there is no one reason for why the sales took place. It was a complicated series of transactions that involved multiple motives and I don't think it's possible to explain them in one simple sentance. It's wrong to say that Von der Ahe sold off his players for the money but money was one of the motivating factors. The players were also sold because Von der Ahe was attempting to manage not only his own club but also because he was involved in the management of the American Association as a whole. Where there altruistic reasons behind the sale? Sure. Von der Ahe was trying to strengthen the league so that it could succeed but, at the same time, it was selfish in that by strengthening the league, Von der Ahe strengthened his own position. The club, on the field, was strengthened in the long term by these moves and, in the short term, they rid themselves of some of the more egotistical, problem players. All of these motives came together in the fall of 1887 and led to the sales.

One point that I think is important to make is that if you look at all the things motivating Von der Ahe in the fall of 1887, the player sales were a success. The club won the championship in 1888. They continued to be profitable. There were more competitive pennant races. The club got younger. The payroll went down. They shipped out some, if not all, of the problem players. The AA was strengthened by having two good clubs in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. These transactions have historically been portrayed negatively and Von der Ahe criticized for them. But the club was successful until they moved to the National League in 1892, which probably says more about the comparative quality of the AA and the NL than it does about Von der Ahe's management of the club in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The sales were a bold move and I think they worked. I think they achieved every imaginable thing that you could possibly have wanted them to achieve. Instead of viewing them as a negative product of Von der Ahe's baseball management, they should be seen as a daring, unconventional and successful move by one of the great figures of 19th century baseball.

Our Long National Nightmare Is Over

The sensational deal by which Bob Caruthers was transferred from the Browns to Brooklyn was completed yesterday when Caruthers placed his name to a Brooklyn contract for 1888. Joe Pritchard, as stated in yesterday's Globe-Democrat, left Monday night for Chicago and signed the Parisian twirler in his home yesterday. The following telegram received last night explains itself:

Signed Caruthers for Brooklyn to-day. Leave for Milwaukee to-night.

Joe Pritchard.

Just what Pritchard went to Milwaukee for it is not known, but he is probably after another player for Mr. Byrnes. The conditions of Caruthers' contract are $5000, with $1000 in advance. It is also stated in the contract that, in the event of Bob laying off for sickness or injury, he is not to be docked. Bob likes to take a rest each summer but does not like for his salary to be stopped while he is enjoying the peace and quiet of home life.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 14, 1888

And with that, we're finished with the Browns' player sales of 1887. All the players have been sold, all the players have been signed, Von der Ahe is off to Europe and the Browns are still in California playing an occasional game. I'll have some kind of a wrap up tomorrow and then it's one to other things.

Caruthers Has A New Demand

Joe Pritchard left last night for Chicago, and the chances are that ere night Caruthers will have placed his name to a Brooklyn contract for 1888. Pritchard never returned the $1000 advance received from the Brooklyn people, and he carries it to Chicago to hand to Bob as soon as he signs. Caruthers will receive $5000, the largest salary ever paid to a ball player, and will be a veritable king pin next season. He wants a provision put into his contract that in case of illness he must not be docked. He is evidently preparing himself for the annual rest which he enjoys at his Chicago home about the middle of each summer.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 13, 1887

Caruthers Vs. Foutz

For years, I've gone round and round regarding the question of who was the better player: Bob Caruthers or Dave Foutz? I've argued on numerous occasions that the two were reasonably equal as players but I believe that the general consensus is that Caruthers was better. Having listened to some rather intelligent people putting forth logical arguments, I came to accept the conventional wisdom to a certain extent. However, I'm back again in the muddy waters of indecision. It's a fantastic question that can be sliced up many different ways and I think the answer to the question depends on which question you ask.

Complicating the matter is the nature of the two men's careers. They were pitchers who also hit well enough to play everyday in the field. Baseball-Reference actually considers Foutz to be a hitter rather than a pitcher. For whatever reason, I view both as pitchers or, more specifically, as pitcher/outfielders. And even that's not totally accurate as Foutz played more games at first base then he did in the outfield. So I guess the most accurate description of Foutz would be that he was a pitcher/first baseman/outfielder or a first baseman/outfielder/pitcher. Caruthers can be described, without complicating things, as a pitcher/outfielder. Regardless, when looking at the two men, you have to take into account not just their pitching but also their hitting, fielding and base running. These men were complete ballplayers who succeeded at all aspects of the game.

The other problem when comparing Caruthers and Foutz is the difference in the lengths of their careers. Foutz had a much longer career than did Caruthers. Foutz played in 1168 games while Caruthers played in only 728. This is a substantial difference. However, their careers were not constructed in exactly the same manner. Caruthers pitched in 340 games and Foutz in 251. The difference in the length of their careers comes mostly from the time Foutz spent as a full time first baseman with Brooklyn. So while Caruthers pitched in almost a hundred more games than Foutz, Foutz had two thousand more at bats than Caruthers.

I tend to see the two players as being very similar and I think that others do as well. This leads to a natural comparison of the two. But were they really that similar? They were both baseball players who played for St. Louis and Brooklyn. They were both pitchers who, at times, played other positions. They were both well-rounded players. But leaving out the teams they played for, that describes any number of players. It describes Babe Ruth. It describes Rick Ankiel. I don't feel the need to compare Ruth and Ankiel but it's a natural inclination to compare Caruthers and Foutz.

But I think that there are more differences between the two men than similarities. Caruthers was a small man, standing five foot seven and weighing around one hundred and forty pounds. Foutz was tall and thin, at six foot two and one hundred and sixty pounds. If the two were standing side by side, you would never mistake one for the other.

There are other differences. Foutz was older than Caruthers by about seven years. Caruthers reached the major leagues by the age of 20 while Foutz didn't join the Browns until he was 27. Caruthers was, to put it as nicely as possible, sometimes difficult to deal with while I've never read anything about Foutz being much of a problem. Caruthers came from money. I don't know a lot about Foutz's personal life but considering that he spent time working in a gold mine as a young man, I doubt his family had a lot of money. The two men seemed to have led very different lives and to have had very different personalities.

And, as I've already mentioned, while their baseball careers seem superficially similar, they really had very different careers. Foutz suffered a hand injury in 1887 that essentially ended his time as a pitcher and forced his move to the field. Caruthers career was extraordinarily short but, with the exception of his final full season in 1892, he was a pitcher who played in the field when not pitching. While that describes Foutz at the beginning of his career, after 1887, he was really a first baseman. Again, we see more differences than similarities.

But we tend to focus on the ways in which they were alike. They were teammates for eight years. They both pitched. They both could hit. They both could play the field. They were both key contributors for several championship teams. And they were two of the best players in the history of 19th century baseball. So we find it natural to compare Bob Caruthers and Dave Foutz and to link the two in our minds.

However, the question at hand is who was better?

I. Caruthers vs. Foutz as Pitchers

On the surface, this doesn't seem to be close. Caruthers appears to have been a much better pitcher than Foutz, over the course of their careers.

Caruthers pitched over 2828 innings in nine seasons (and 2645 innings in seven seasons) while Foutz only threw 1997 innings in eleven seasons. However, Foutz threw 1835 of those innings in only six seasons, for an average of 306 innings pitched per season. Caruthers, throwing out his first and last seasons, threw 378 innings per season. That's a substantial difference but not as great as one would think, looking at their raw IP data.

Caruthers had 52.6 WAR for his career as a pitcher and Foutz 30. Again, this is a significant difference. At his peak, Caruthers had 10.9, 9.6, 8.3, 6.8 and 10.3 wins above replacement. Foutz, during his pitching peak, had seasons of 3.0, 6.2, 12.3, 3.9 and 2.5 WAR. Caruthers was a more valuable pitcher than Foutz every season of their peaks, except for 1886 when Foutz had his monster season.

Looking at other numbers muddies the waters somewhat. Foutz has a better FIP than Caruthers, 3.69 versus 3.88, and I find that rather odd. Foutz struck out more batters and gave up fewer homers than Caruthers but Parisian Bob walked fewer batters. They played in front of the same defense for most of their careers and this was the 19th century, when you didn't have a lot of walks, strikeouts and home runs (relatively speaking), so I didn't expect such a big difference in their FIP numbers. Maybe because there are few walks, strikeouts and home runs, any difference in the numbers will have a greater effect on FIP. Regardless, this tells us that Foutz may have been a more effective pitcher than Caruthers, independent of the defense they played in front of.

If you look at ERA+, the two men are dead even. Caruthers has a career ERA+ of 123 and Foutz of 124. I'm not certain how much that really means but I think it's more evidence that Foutz was just as effective a pitcher as Caruthers.

Just for fun, I'll give you their career winning percentages. Dave Foutz has a career winning percentage of .690 and Bob Caruthers of .688. They rank tied for third and fifth, respectively, on the all-time list. Now that tells us that they played for good pitchers who played for good teams for most of their career but I think it also tells us something else. It again shows that that they were about equally as effective as pitchers in that neither, while playing with the same clubs, were able to raise the winning percentage of their club much higher than the other could.

Caruthers was the more valuable pitcher but almost all of his value comes from his ability to throw more innings than Foutz. At his peak, Caruthers started 228 games (completing all but eight) while Foutz started 185 (completing all but ten). If we accept the idea that the two were equally effective as pitchers, the fact that Caruthers remained healthier than Foutz and pitched more is significant. Foutz may have been just as good a pitcher as Caruthers but Caruthers was able to utilize his pitching skills more often than Foutz and therefore had more value.

In the end, I don't think it's accurate to say that Caruthers was a better pitcher than Foutz but it is a fact that he was the more valuable pitcher.

II. Caruthers vs. Foutz as Hitters

Both Caruthers and Foutz were outstanding hitters who were good enough at the bat to play everyday for multiple championship clubs. When I started looking at this, I figured that this is where Foutz would make up some ground on Caruthers. While both were fine hitters, Foutz essentially had a second career as a full time first baseman. I thought that the runs that Foutz created with his bat in the second half of his career would erase, to some extent, the advantage that Caruthers had as a pitcher. Since Caruthers only real advantage as a pitcher was his durability, it made sense that Foutz's ability to continue to play and rack up at bats after Caruthers was retired would help erase the gap between the two. However, that's not what I find.

There is simply no way to argue that Foutz was a better hitter than Caruthers. Let me that another way: looking at any imaginable metric, Caruthers was simply a much better hitter than Foutz.

In 2906 plate appearences, Caruthers accumulated 18.8 WAR. In 4859 PA, Foutz accumulated 18.1. Caruthers was more productive than Foutz while using 2000 fewer PA. However, WAR includes base running and defense, which we'll look at in the next section. If we take that out and just look at their productivity as hitters, the difference between the two becomes clearer.

Looking at their weighted on base average, Caruthers had a career wOBA of .380 while Foutz's was .332. At his peak, Caruthers was putting up a wOBA of .453, .464, .317, .381 and .371. Foutz's peak wOBA was .400, .319, .352, .384 and .330. Caruthers simply got on base more and had more power than Foutz did. You can take a quick glance at their OPS+ and see this. Caruther's career OPS+ was 133 and Foutz's was 102.

Batting Runs shows the same thing. Caruthers put up 166 Batting Runs over his career while Foutz put up only 64. The large difference there comes not only from Caruthers being a better hitter but also from Foutz being a below replacement level hitter over the last 1800 plate appearances of his career. You can see that in his career OPS+, which shows Foutz to have been basically a league average hitter over the course of his career.

Of course, Foutz really wasn't a league average hitter. At his peak, he was an outstanding hitter and put up Batting Runs of 4, 31, 16, 26 and 38 before he stopped hitting in 1891. But Caruthers, during his peak, put up 47, 51, 9, 15 and 15.

Foutz was a good hitter. He finished in the top ten in batting average once, on base percentage once, slugging percentage twice, OPS once, hits once, total bases twice, double twice, triples twice, RBI four times and extra base hits twice. That's a good career with the bat. Caruthers was just better. He finished in the top five in batting average twice, in the top ten in on base percentage three times (leading the league in 1885), finished second in slugging percentage twice and he led the league in OPS in 1886 and finished third in OPS in 1887. He also finished in the top ten in home runs twice, triples once and walks three times.

Foutz had the opportunity, with his extra 2000 at bats, to erase the difference between he and Caruthers. Caruthers was a better hitter at his peak but Foutz had the opportunity to put up a better career as a hitter. He simply failed to do so. Beginning in 1891, Foutz was a below replacement level hitter every season until he retired in 1896. That's a full 1800 plate appearances as a below replacement level hitter. He didn't get much value at of those PA's and put up -46 Batting Runs over the period. Dave Foutz the manager should have benched Dave Foutz the player and given those PA's to a more productive hitter.

III. Defense and Baserunning

This is the one area where Foutz beats Caruthers hands down.

The modern metrics show that Foutz was a better base runner and better defensively than Caruthers. Foutz, for his career, had 11 Baserunning Runs and a TZ rating of 10. Caruthers was -8 and -19 respectively.

And please don't ask me to explain Baserunning runs and TotalZone. I have a basic understanding of what they mean but I couldn't explain how they're calculated. Also, there are probably some problems with calculating this for 19th century players due to a lack of data. But, regardless, I'm going with the numbers and saying Foutz was a much better defensive player and base runner than Caruthers.

IV. Miscellanea

A few items that I think should be mentioned:

-Caruthers was a bit of a jerk. The way he left the Browns in 1887 didn't exactly cover him in glory and there's the whole fake trip to Paris thing. Foutz may have been a jerk but I haven't seen much evidence of it (at least during his St. Louis days). Al Spink wrote that Foutz was "a thoroughly gentlemanly player" and that "no one saw him lose his temper or heard him speak a harsh word..."

-Foutz was a better manager than Caruthers. Foutz managed Brooklyn for four years and had a 264-257 record. He wasn't exactly John McGraw but he wasn't bad. Caruthers managed the Browns in 1892 for 50 games. He won 16 and lost 32. At some point, I'll have to post something on Caruthers' return to the Browns and his adventures in management. I'm certain it'll be interesting.

-The two men were teammates for eight years and played on five championship clubs.

-Neither are in the Hall of Fame, although I think there is some consensous that Caruthers is one of the best 19th century players outside the Hall. I'd put them both in.

-Spink mention in The National Game that Foutz was the tallest pitcher of his day. Don't know if that's true but I thought I'd mention it.

-Both Caruthers and Foutz were right-handed pitchers. Foutz also hit right but Caruthers batted left-handed.

V. Conclusion

I don't think there's any doubt that Caruthers was a better baseball player than Foutz. At his peak and over the course of his career, he was a better pitcher and a better hitter. Foutz may have been a better base runner, defender, manager and teammate but that's not nearly enough to make up for Caruthers' advantages at bat and on the mound.

If you had to choose one, I think you have to take Caruthers. Chris Von der Ahe essentially said as much when, talking about the player sales that included Caruthers and Foutz, he said "(The) only man I regret losing is Caruthers."

Foutz Signs With Brooklyn

David Foutz, of the St. Louis Browns, has signed a contract to play with the Brooklyn club next season.

-Atchison Daily Champion, December 8, 1887

Just a quick post today, noting the fact that Foutz signed with Brooklyn. And that, at this point, Caruthers still had not.

Tomorrow, I'll have the long awaited and much overdo Caruthers vs. Foutz post.

Von der Ahe On Caruthers, Foutz, the Whites And The Browns Chances In 1888

"Can you confirm the sale of Foutz?"

"I can. Foutz has been signed by Brooklyn already. The price paid for him was even more than the $5000 first published."

"How do you feel over the sale of your players?"

"Well, the only man I regret losing is Caruthers. He is a great ball player, but very stubborn and hard to manage..."

"Do you still think that the Browns are as strong as ever?"

"I think they are stronger and will again win the pennant. I do not say this for a boast, but I mean every word of it."

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 4, 1887

This was part of an interview that Von der Ahe gave just before he left for the annual league meeting. One of the interesting things that he said was in response to the reporters question about the possibility of raising ticket prices to 50 cents. Von der Ahe said that he was in favor of raising ticket prices (naturally) and that, if prices were raised, fans in St. Louis would still have the option of seeing his new Western League club, the Whites, for 25 cents. This probably explains why the Whites lost money. If tickets to see both clubs were 25 cents in 1888, why would anyone pay to see the Whites when you could see the Browns for the same price?

A Boy's Best Friend Is His Mother

[From the Chicago Tribune, December 3.]

Robert L. Caruthers, the famous pitcher of the St. Louis Browns, for whose services next season the Brooklyn and Cincinnati clubs of the American Association have been having an active struggle, supported by offers of $10,000 for his release and $5000 salary by each, arrived home yesterday morning. He looks well, and, notwithstanding his sickness during the summer, appears improved by the season's campaign. A Tribune reporter found him at his mother's residence, No. 530 La Salle avenue, last night. His mother, who is opposed to his playing ball, does not like to talk about the game. When she met him yesterday morning the first question she asked was: "Have you signed a contract to play ball next season, Robert?"

"No, mother, I have not, but I would have if you had not sent me those three telegrams not to," was the reply. This was all the talk they had on base ball during the day.

"I have got my son home and I want to keep him here," said Mrs. Caruthers to the reporter. "I don't want him to play ball, and don't care for the salary he gets or is offered. He does not need the salary, and the only reason he plays is because he likes the game. What I dislike the most is that it keeps him away from home through the whole season. I sent him to Europe to keep him from playing ball, and he came back, and now I have induced him to go into business with his brother James, and I hope he will stick to business and let ball alone. I have never seen a game of base ball, and will not go to see one as long as he is connected with the game. I want to go to California this winter and would like to take him with me, but we won't go together unless he will agree not to play ball while there. He telegraphed me from New Orleans asking permission to go to California, and I answered that I wanted him to come home. During the last two weeks I have received telegrams from base ball presidents and their agents, but paid no attention to any of them. I didn't even answer them. Some of them have sent word that they are coming here. I don't want a single one of them near this house, and will not let them in if I find out their business before they get inside the door. Von der Ahe called here a few times, and we treated him very nicely, and after all he took $100 out of Bobby's salary because he didn't stay in bed all the time when he was sent home sick from Philadelphia. That provoked me, for I coaxed Bob to get up and move around in the fresh air. Why, he knows Bob is not well at any time. Over three years ago Bob had the pneumonia, and since then he has been unable to rest on his right side. We have to build up his bed so that he can lie on his left side and rest easy."

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 4, 1887

Bob Caruthers, Prince Of Denmark

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

He Will Sign With Brooklyn

Bob Caruthers failed to leave for home last night, notwithstanding his reiterated assertion that he would do so. He now states that he will positively leave for Chicago to-night. He seems to have changed his mind in regard to Brooklyn, and said last night that he would just as soon play in Brooklyn as not, although his offer from Cincinnati was a better one. He states that when he arrives home he will go to work, and his office hours will be from 8 to 5. The outcome of the matter will be that he will sign with Brooklyn, but not until late in the spring.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 30, 1887

Since I just argued that the reason Foutz was sold to Brooklyn was because Caruthers refused to sign, would it be weird if I now argued that the reason Caruthers suddenly changed his tune was because Foutz had just been sold to Brooklyn?

I don't have the source for this and it may be something that I'm just making up but I don't believe that the two men had the best relationship. That Browns' clubhouse doesn't seem to have been the closest and it just seems that it would be within the character of the two men not to get along. I don't know but the idea that Foutz and Caruthers didn't like each other is something rattling around the back of my head.

And if that's true, how likely would it be that Caruthers would want to sign with Brooklyn after they just picked up Foutz? Would he sign just out of spite? I can see Caruthers, thinking he had played everything perectly, suddenly very upset that Brooklyn had bought Foutz. He would sign and show them that he couldn't be replaced by the likes of Dave Foutz.

Honestly, I don't even know what I'm arguing anymore. All I know is that trying to get into Bob Caruthers' head is very tiring.

The Influence Of A Mother

Joe Pritchard's face wore a happy smile yesterday afternoon, but when night came the smile had vanished and a look of deep and lasting sorrow succeeded it. Joe has manipulated the deal for the transfer of Caruthers to Brooklyn, and thought he saw an end to his labor. He has worked hard and incessantly, and still Caruthers remains unsigned and is likely to remain so for some time to come. As announced exclusively in Friday's Globe-Democrat Caruthers was sold to the Brooklyns, and the only obstacle in the way of his signing was a difference of $500 in the salary question. This difficulty was removed yesterday. A telegram was brought to Joe Pritchard yesterday afternoon from Byrne of Brooklyn, stating that he would pay Caruthers the $500 demanded, making the pitcher's salary $5000. Upon receipt of the telegram Pritchard hastened to the Laclede Hotel, where he found a notice from the American Express Company announcing that it held the $1000 advance ready to hand over to Caruthers. Joe, thinking the deal settled, hunted up Caruthers, and the pair, accompanied by a Globe-Democrat reporter, repaired to the writing-room, where Joe asked Caruthers to sign for $4500. This Bob refused to do, then Joe with a smile of triumph, placed a contract for $5000 under Bob's nose, and asked him to sign it. Caruthers refused again until he could wire home and obtain the consent of his family. After sending there, the pair repaired to the Olympic Theater, to pass the time until an answer came to the message. After the theater the interested parties hastened back to the Laclede, where Caruthers received the replies to three telegrams. The first was from his mother, reading:

Do not sign under any circumstances. Come home at once.

The second was from his brother, saying:

Take mother's advice; do not sign.

The third one he refused to show. But the first two had done their work. After reading them Caruthers turned to Pritchard with the remark: "Well, Joe, I can not sign now. I leave for home to-morrow night. I am satisfied with my salary and all that, but will not go against my mother's wish. I may never play ball again."

Pritchard was sorely put out at this division, as he has obtained everything Caruthers demanded, and thought he held the pitcher safe. Caruthers positively leaves for home to-night. He is outspoken in his preference to play in Cincinnati, but says he would sign in Brooklyn if he could obtain the consent of his family. The Cincinnati offer to Caruthers is regarded in the light of an advertising dodge. A Cleveland paper, speaking of the matter, says: Around this neck of the woods the suspicion lurks that the $15,000 offer was in the nature of a catch-the-public bluff. Caruthers is worth no such money. Nor is any other player. And the Cincinnati management, generally astute and careful, never offered such a sum in good faith. It is a good thing for the Association that Caruthers didn't go to Cincinnati. What is needed is an equalization of strength.

Thus the matter stands. If Caruthers goes home the influence of a mother may win him from his passion. He loves to play ball, however, and he loves the money to be made at it, and it will take wonderful persuasion to keep him off the diamond.

Information was received yesterday that Bushong had signed with Brooklyn and Welch with the Athletics. This completes these deals. Gleason will probably sign in a few days.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 29, 1887

As It Has For Many Afternoons Past

The usual daily interview, whispered and long drawn out, between Joe Pritchard, the St. Louis representative of the Brooklyn club, and Bob Caruthers, took place yesterday afternoon, as it has for many afternoons past, at the Laclede Hotel. The star pitcher was a little late in showing up, and Pritchard paced up and down the rotunda for a couple of hours waiting for him. When Bobby finally arrived the enterprising agent rushed him over to a secluded place and repeated his oft-told story about Byrne's generosity and the beauties of the City of Churches. Caruthers was not a very willing listener apparently, for he made several attempts to get away during Pritchard's recital of facts and fancies which to Bob have a very chestnuty oder. The great pitcher's intentions were not changed by the Brooklyn representative's eloquent appeals, and he emphatically refused to consider any of his propositions. To a reporter of the Globe-Democrat, Caruthers said that he would not go to Brooklyn under any circumstances. He wanted to play next season in Cincinnati, and was satisfied with the offer made him from that city. He said that if he couldn't play there he would remain in St. Louis rather than join the Brooklyns. He denounced Von der Ahe's methods in trying to dictate what club he should play with, and what salary he should receive in bitter and emphatic terms. The deal, therefore, is about as far from being consummated as it was a week ago. Mr. Von der Ahe says Caruthers goes to Brooklyn and the pitcher says not.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 28, 1887

He Is Now Trying To Obtain All He Can

The Caruthers deal still hangs fire. Joe Pritchard has done everything in his power to sign the pitcher, but in vain. Caruthers says that he will not sign unless given the $500 bonus he demands. In this he makes a mistake. Byrne offers him $4500, with $1000 advance, which is more than he is worth, and he should appreciate this fact and sign. Mr. Byrne did not arrive in the city yesterday as expected. Joe Pritchard received word from Brooklyn that the team would not pay Caruthers the $500 he demands, and thus the matter stands. The whole deal may be closed to-day by Caruthers signing, but this is not certain. The outcome of the matter will be that Caruthers will sign, but he is now trying to obtain all he can out of Brooklyn.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 27, 1887

The Caruthers Deal Hangs Fire

The Caruthers deal hangs fire, and will probably be settled definitely this morning. Late last night it was learned that Charley Byrne, the Brooklyn manager, would be in town to-day, when he will take the matter in his own hands. Joe Pritchard made another attempt to sign the great twirler yesterday. The conversation ran in this way:

"Well, Bob, are you ready to sign?"

"Yes, are you ready with the money?"

"I will give you $4500, with $1500 advance."

"No. Give me $4500 salary, with a bonus of $500 and $1000 advance, and my name will go to your contract."

"No, I can't do that."

"All right; then I don't sign."

This conversation took place in Schaefer's Billiard Parlor, and after Bob had spoken he took up a cue and commenced to play billiards. Pritchard seeing the matter was hopeless, went away to wait for further advices from Brooklyn. Gus Schmelz left for home last night. He saw that there was no chance to sign Caruthers, and gave up the chase. If Byrne arrives to-day Caruthers will sign before night.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 26, 1887

Caruthers Sold To Brooklyn

Before this evening's sun disappears Bod Caruthers, the best ball player in the Brown Stocking team, will have signed with Brooklyn for next season. Mr. Von der Ahe had up to the time of his departure for the East resolved to keep Caruthers on his team for next year, but he could not withstand Charley Byrne's big offer, and St. Louis loses the twirler. The amount paid for his release is $9000, and Caruthers will receive $5000. It is $500 of this amount which delayed the deal yesterday, otherwise Caruthers would have been signed last night. He asks Byrne for $4500 salary and $500 for his consent to the transfer. Byrne is willing to pay the amount asked for salary, but objects to the $500 for the transfer, and this is what is delaying the deal. Joe Pritchard, who has been representing the Brooklyn people here, has kept a watchful eye on Caruthers, to see that he was not approached by any other manager. The genial Sporting Life correspondent was dumbfounded yesterday when Gus Schmelz, the manager of the Cincinnati club, dropped into the Laclede Hotel. Joe and Gus are fast friends, but this was a matter of business, and Joe kept a watchful eye on Schmelz. Gus made no secret of the matter that he had come for Caruthers, and took Bob aside to have a long talk with him. The twirler admitted that he would just as soon sign with Cincinnati as with Brooklyn, that it was the stuff he was after, and if given his price, viz., $5000, he would sign with anybody. As a result, a message flashed over the wire to Mr. Von der Ahe in New York, asking him to put a price on Caruthers, stating that Cincinnati would pay almost any price for the great pitcher. Gus waited long and patiently for the answer, which never came. Up to midnight no reply had been received. It is not probable that Von der Ahe will release Caruthers to Cincinnati anyhow. The Porkopolitans are very strong now for the Browns' very much weakened team, and would have a walkover next season if given Caruthers to alternate with Smith and Mullane. Von der Ahe understands this, and while he is willing to make all he can out of the deal, he does not wish to see his once champion club made a show of next season. As soon as Pritchard saw Schmelz he took Caruthers in tow, and Gus had but little chance to speak to him. After supper Joe sent Caruthers over to Schaefer's billiard parlor to play billiards all evening, while he invited Gus to go to the theater with him. Seeing that he could do nothing, Gus consented, and the pair were together all evening. At 11 o'clock last night the scene was shifted to the Laclede again, where Caruthers, Pritchard, Schmelz and a Globe-Democrat reporter formed a group. Pritchard was very anxiously awaiting an answer to telegrams sent to Byrne. As soon as Pritchard found that Schmelz was in town he sent telegrams to Byrne telling him that the scent was getting very hot, to hurry and close the bargain. In reply he received a telegram stating that as far as he and Von der Ahe were concerned, Caruthers was all right, and to sigh the pitcher. Pritchard put a contract for $4500 under Bob's nose, but the latter said, "No; not without the $500." Not having authority to sign Bob at these figures, he wired Byrne the facts in the case. The latter no doubt had gone out with Von der Ahe, secure and happy in the belief that Caruthers was a Brooklyn player, and not returning until late, did not receive the telegram. At any rate, no reply had been received up to an early hour this morning. There is no doubt, however, that the deal will be perfected, as Byrne will not let a paltry $500 stand in his way after expending $13,500. A favorable reply will be received this morning, and before night Caruthers will be a Brooklyn player. This move will be regretted by Caruther's thousands of admirers in this city. He was a very popular player, and will be a tower of strength to the team from the City of Churches.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 25, 1887

The machinations surrounding the Caruthers sale are fascinating and read a bit like something out of a Cold War spy novel.

One of the things that I don't understand is how all of this came to be explained as a function of Von der Ahe's stupidity and greed. The usual explanation for the sale that you hear is that Von der Ahe broke up his championship club and sold off his players for the money. Money played a part in this but, I believe, only to the extent that this was how player transactions took place during the era. Teams were paid to release a player, who then signed with the club that paid for his release. But this wasn't really about money; this wasn't really a fire sale. Von der Ahe didn't have to make any of these moves. They were strategic moves rather than financial moves. And I would have to imagine that later descriptions of the sales as being motivated by greed and financial necessity was a result of Von der Ahe's deteriorating relationship with the press in the 1890s as well as a projection of the impact of Von der Ahe's financial troubles and poor management decisions during that period onto his past actions. The idea of Von der Ahe selling off his best players for the money and destroying his championship team became part of the mythology surrounding Von der Ahe. It became part of the caricature of Von der Ahe that continues to be presented and accepted today regardless of historical fact.

I'll get into all of that when I try to wrap this up. But we still need to finalize the Caruthers deal, look at the fallout and get Foutz sold to Brooklyn.

Caruthers' Luck

Bob Caruthers, who has a great reputation as a sport, has been at his old tricks during the past few days. It will be remembered that last spring he lost $9000 in one sitting. Sunday night he strolled into Jake Schaefer's parlor and commenced to play billiards with Ross Swift. The pair soon became interested and played cushion caroms, 10 points to a game, for $20 a side. Caruthers quit $150 winner. He left there and went up to a resort on Seventh street to play cards. The first hand dealt him he had four aces pat, and raked in $120. He won over $400 during the night.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 22, 1887

I don't remember reading anything about Caruthers gambling away $9000 in one night and I'm not sure if I believe it. That was a lot of money in 1887. Heck, that's a lot of money today.

A Deal In Progress

A big base ball deal is in progress of materialization at the present time, but all information pertaining to it is being carefully suppressed by those interested. The deal is said to be the largest ever made from a financial standpoint, and will involve between $30,000 and $40,000. Five clubs are interested in it, and there will probably be an interchange of players and money between them during the coming week. The clubs are the Athletic, St. Louis, Brooklyn, Baltimore and Louisville. President Christ Von der Ahe, of St. Louis, and Charles H. Byrne, of Brooklyn, are engineering the trade, which is expected to startle the base ball world. The Athletics are after at least six new men, and Manager Wm. Sharsig's trip to New York this week was made on behalf of his club. Mr. Sharsig returned from New York today. To a reporter of the Globe-Democrat he said:

"Yes, I have been trying to make a deal for some new men, but until I secure their names to contracts I will not make their names public."

While in New York Mr. Sharsig had several long talks with Mr. Byrne, and there is no doubt but that arrangements were made for the transfer of one or more of the Brooklyn and Metropolitan players to this city. The Athletic Directors held a secret meeting this afternoon and listened to Manager Sharsig's report, but action was deferred until the arrival of Mr. Von der Ahe in [Philadelphia] on Monday.

Changes in the St. Louis Team.

It is known that President Von der Ahe intends to make a number of changes in his champion team next season, and that he will dispose of a number of his crack players. The arrangements for the transfer of these men were partially made when Von der Ahe was in the East a week ago, and he is now on his way East again and is expected in [Philadelphia] Monday. Rumor has it that the Browns' best battery, Caruthers and Bushong, are among the players to be disposed of. Bushong will go to Brooklyn, that much is certain, as Mr. Byrne has made a standing offer of $5000 for the great catcher. It is probable that Byrne will also bag Caruthers, as he has made an offer of $10,000 for him, as much as Boston paid for Mike Kelly. The Athletics started the bidding on Caruthers at $5000, Baltimore offered $8000, and Brooklyn wound up with a bid of $10,000 for the great battery. Bushong is a native of [Philadelphia]. where he graduated from the famous Archer club. Curtis Welsh, Foutz, "Yank" Robinson and "Brudder Bill" Gleason are the other St. Louis players that are reported as anxious to get away.

"Robinson will not be sold or released to any club," said Von der Ahe, when in this city. The Athletics are after Welch and Gleason. Manager Sharsig is particularly anxious to secure the great centerfielder, and speaks hopefully of doing so. Von der Ahe likes McGarr, and is also said to be after one of the Athletic catchers. It is probable that Welch will play in [Philadelphia], and that the Athletics will trade two of their men for him.

The Purchase Of Gleason.

In reference to Gleason, Manager Sharsig said: "I think Bill Gleason is as good as he ever was. I would like to have him to play short-stop and captain the team." Gleason's release will cost the Athletic club at least $3000. Dave Foutz, the Bay City pitcher, who cost Von der Ahe $8000, will probably play in Baltimore. He has many friends in the Monumental City, and Vonderhost and Barnie are reported to have offered $4000 for his release. Louisville will also have a finger in the big deal and it is reported that Guy Hecker, their best pitcher, will be sold to the Brooklyn club for $8000. Kerins, the first baseman and catcher, would like to get away from Louisville and the Athletic and Brooklyn clubs have bid as high as $4000 for him, but he will probably remain where he is. McTamany, of the Brooklyn club, is another player who is likely to wear the blue stockings of the Athletic club next season, and one of the Brooklyn or Metropolitan pitchers may come along with him. President Von der Ahe is rapidly adding to his already long list of new players. Following up his engagement of James McCormick, the agent of the St. Louis President in [Philadelphia] to-day signed Bart Cantz, one of the Newark club catchers. Cantz is a good general player and hard hitter, a strong thrower to bases, and formerly caught for Knouff, who is now with the St. Louis club. Cantz's contract calls for $1700, of which $300 is in advance.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 20, 1887

Caruthers Is Not Happy

The day before the Browns left for the South, Mr. Von der Ahe was paying off his men. When it came Bob Caruthers' turn he took his check, but, on examining it, noticed that $110 had been deducted from it. On inquiry he found that he had been docked for the short rest he enjoyed during the summer, when he spent a few weeks at his home in Chicago. When told of the fact he became very angry and expressed himself in very free terms concerning the matter. As he turned to leave the office he said: "Remember this will be the last chance you will ever have to dock me. This will cost you about $8000." What the little twirler could have meant by the latter proposition it is hard to say, but it is certain that he left the city in no enviable frame of mind and not very kindly disposed towards the Browns' President.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 2, 1887

Just when you thought the 1887 season was over with, the Browns have another exhibition series to play. It seems that they had a series with the Chicagos after the world's series. They played one game in St. Louis (where it was very cold) before heading to Memphis and New Orleans.

The thing that strikes me the most about Caruthers' behavior is that he's acting like a guy who wants out. Regardless of who you are, it's not usually a good idea to get angry at your boss and express yourself in free terms. Nothing good ever comes of that. Caruthers probably knew that and didn't care. He wanted out of St. Louis and he was going to throw a fit until he got his way.

The reasons for the fire sale are myriad but one of the reasons is that some of the players were unhappy in St. Louis and had no problems expressing that unhappiness. It's also true that some of the players allowed their ego to get out of control to the point that the club was fed up with them. These things kind of go hand-in-hand and they accurately describe the Caruthers situation.

Putting A Price On The Players

When Director Doyle asked President Von der Ahe to put a price on Caruthers and Bushong, he moderately answered, "$30,000." It is needless to say that Director Doyle has not yet recovered from the shock.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 28, 1887

After the 1887 world's series ended and a year before the West Ends played the Pinchbacks (see how I tied everything together there), Von der Ahe broke up his championship team. Caruthers, Foutz, Bushong, Welch and Gleason were sold off and new talent was brought in.

Over the next few days, I'm going to go through the Globe and see how they covered the sales. I'll probably add some stuff from Cash and Hetrich and, in the end, I'll throw in my two-cents.

The 1887 World Series: Another Storyline

In the palmy days of the old Northwestern League there were three pitchers whose fame had spread all over the section of the country in which they twirled the sphere. Dave Foutz was then the Bay City's mainstay, and came very nearly being the whole team. So well was this recognized that when Mr. Von der Ahe wanted to buy Foutz, the management said, "Well, the team goes with Dave" and the Browns' President was compelled to buy the entire team before he could secure Foutz. At the same time Getzein, the "pretzel pitcher," of the Detroit Club, was doing yeoman work for the Grand Rapids team and some of the battles between Getz and Fouz are talked of to this day in that portion of the country. During this time Bob Caruthers was doing the pitching for Minneapolis, where he first gained fame as a twirler. Now these great pitchers are to battle once again for supremacy, not in Union League Clubs, however, but on the two crack clubs of the world. Certainly history repeats itself.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 9, 1887

So there are several nice storylines to follow in the 1887 world's series. We have the battle between Foutz/Caruthers and Getzein. We have Dunlap returning to St. Louis. We have the sluggers vs. the defense/base running club. We have the champions trying to retain their crown. We have the usual League vs. Association stuff. And we have the possible negative impact of high ticket prices. I'm sure there will also be some gambling/pool related stories as well.

This is some good stuff. The series seems to lack the intensity and high-profile of the St. Louis/Chicago battle of 1886 but there's more than enough here to keep our interest. Plus, there's the possibility that the Globe will turn on Von der Ahe and the Browns once they start losing. I wasn't all that excited about this series and thought it was a bit of a letdown after the 1886 series but I'm looking forward to seeing how this all shakes out.