A Blamed Fool

Billy Taylor, of the St. Louis Club, has written to Mike Mansell, the contract-breaker, as follows: "Dear Mike, you're a blamed fool to have gone and broke with Lucas, but now that you've done it, Mickey, my boy, I'll give you a pointer: Keep as far away from this town as possible, for if you ever step into it Lucas will have you sent to the pen as sure as my name's Billy Taylor."

-Cleveland Herald, March 17, 1884

Putting aside Taylor's message to Mansell, I want to talk about Bollicky Bill Taylor's nickname. According to my best researching efforts, bollicky is slang for naked. Now I guess bollicky could come from bullock or bollocks but, really, that wouldn't be much of an improvement. Regardless, do I really want to know how Billy Taylor got his nickname? I'm a bit torn.

Lucas Returns From The East, Part One

Henry Lucas returned from the East yesterday morning, looking hearty and cheerful, and expressing perfect satisfaction over the results of his trip. In the afternoon a Globe-Democrat reporter had an interview with him and obtained the following story of his work for the new ball club while away:

"First of all, I want to say three things that I want distinctly understood, because of a mass of contradictory reports that have been given general circulation by the press. They are: The club that I am interested in will belong to the Union Association, and not the Union League. I have signed Mike Mansell and I have signed Dave Rowe. The Union League will form an Eastern circuit and none of its clubs will come West, while the Union Association will have Western and Eastern members, and, consequently, will play games in both sections. I signed Mansell as I went East, at Buffalo, where he met me in response to a telegram that I had previously sent him. From Buffalo I went to New York. I signed Rowe at Baltimore. I see it stated that Secretary Williams has officially reported Rowe as signed with the St. Louis Club, but I can assure you that he will play with my nine. A contract with the St. Louis Club was sent on to Baltimore for Rowe to sign, but when it arrived he was under contract to me, and sent it back without his signature. Now that fact makes it imperative on Mr. Williams to rise and explain why he reported that he had signed Rowe for the St. Louis Club. In all my negotiations with players I have neither talked nor written to any one of them after he had informed me that

He Was Under Contract

or had made a verbal agreement to sign a contract. After signing Rowe I went back to New York, where I closed a contract with Dunlap. Rowe brought him there to meet me, at my request. While I remained in New York the only local ball players that I saw were Clapp and Kennedy. I was informed that Kennedy was not engaged, and asked him his terms. I had previously obtained terms from Schaffer, and when Kennedy gave me his terms it became a question which I would take. I finally decided to take Shaffer, and did so. I have not yet signed him, but have made a verbal contract with him before witnesses, which is just as good. I did not at any time ask any of the Philadelphia players to sign with me. I telegraphed Gross asking his terms. He answered that he would not decide until January, and after that I paid no further attention to him.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 25, 1883

Lucas had a rather productive trip East and returned to St. Louis with a ball club in place. In the second half of the interview, which I'll post tomorrow, he mentions all the players that he had under contract. Even more exciting, of course, is this gives us our first mention of Fred Dunlap and the some of the details of how he signed with the Maroons.

Exaggerated In Nearly Every Instance

[From the Pittsburg Dispatch, November 18.]

It is now a settled fact that Mike Mansell will not play ball with the Allegheny team next season, notwithstanding all assertions to the contrary. The press of the country has been flooded of late with telegrams concerning the new St. Louis club, and among these was one published in the columns of this paper saying that Mansell had signed with Lucas for 1884. This statement was correct, but in nearly every instance the reports from Mr. Lucas' team have been exaggerated, especially so in the matter of salaries received by players. There are some details in the case of Mansell that may prove of interest to the base ball public, that have not heretofore been made public.

As is known, Mansell was one of the players reserved by the Alleghany managers, but for various reasons the blonde did not care to play in this city for another season, and so accordingly made a strong effort to obtain his release, but without success. One reason why he did not care to remain in Pittsburg next year was that the Allegheny Club would not give him enough money. After indulging in considerable haggling over the matter, Mansell returned to his home in Auburn, N.Y., and nothing more was heard of him until Mr. Lucas made his appearance in this city and declared his intention of securing Mansell if possible for his team. Then the Allegheny manager awoke to the necessity of prompt action, and accordingly President McKnight wrote Mansell a letter in which he offered him $1,200 for his services for next season, and further intimated in very strong language that in case he did not accept this, but signed with Lucas instead, that he would be promptly blacklisted by the Allegheny Club.

In the meantime Mansell had anticipated trouble, and having made up his mind not to play in this city wrote to Secretary Williams, asking that gentleman to aid him in securing his release. Before a reply to this last letter was received Mr. Lucas had seen Mansell and succeeded in signing him at a salary of $1,800, with $300 advance money, which was paid on the spot and a promise of more if needed through the winter. Hardly had this agreement been completed when a letter was received from Secretary Williams, which contained an offer of $1,600 for Mansell's services with Von der Ahe's team, in case the Allegheny would release him (Mansell) for $100, which he also promised to pay. As a guarantee against Mansell's being blacklisted by the Allegheny, Mr. Lucas agrees in the contract which Mansell signed with that gentleman to give him $250 extra with which to fight the case in the courts, and Mr. Lucas also agrees to proceed against the Allegheny managers in a suit to recover damages, as he has been advised the club would be liable.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 21, 1883

I almost passed on posting this because I'm a little tired of shorting through rumors and rumors of rumors about players that would never play for the Maroons. And while Mansell did play in the UA in 1884, he never played for the Maroons. But, as you'll see tomorrow, Lucas stated that he did indeed sign Mansell and, therefore, this is something more than rumor.