Was Anson forced out in early 1898?

[Brian McKenna]

what's the story on his departure from the colts? anyone?

[wamby]

what's the story on his departure from the colts? anyone?

According to Golenbock in Wrigleyville, it was a combination of Anson feuding with Al Splading and Jim Hart and general team dissention in a year in which the Colts played poorly.

[leecemark]

--If you mean was he forced out early as a player, I have to say no. Anson was 47 years old and hit well below the league average the year before. He hadn't made the leaderboards in any category since 1894. As a manager his best finish in his last 7 years was 4th and he came in 9th in 1897. Not exactly a sterling record.

[Babe is the best]

I recall reading that Al Spaulding reneged on a pledge to have Anson become an owner or part-owner, and Cap quit in a huff. The story also said "Cap kept his 200-some odd bats oiled & polished just in case, but never did go back to the game."

[Brian McKenna]

--If you mean was he forced out early as a player, I have to say no. Anson was 47 years old and hit well below the league average the year before. He hadn't made the leaderboards in any category since 1894. As a manager his best finish in his last 7 years was 4th and he came in 9th in 1897. Not exactly a sterling record.

anson was 45 - but i really wasn't looking for speculation - i was actually trying to get to the problems with jim hart and the man's break with the team after 22 years - whatever his perceived worth is in 2006

[runningshoes]

Anson left because he felt betrayed by Spalding. Anson was trying to raise money to buy a share in the team. When he signed his contract in 1889, it included a revenue sharing plan but when it came time for Anson to collect, Spalding claimed he had put all of the team's profits into building the new West Side Stadium. Anson was left with nothing. Apparently, Spalding tried to make it up to Anson by throwing a retirement party but Anson, being the hard head he was, refused to take part.

That's about as much as I know about it.

[runningshoes]

From what I've been reading in the Chicago Tribune in 1897, the writers were really getting on his back and insisting he ride the bench and manage the team from there.

The editor is arguing, justifiably so, that the National League owes much of it's success to Anson's drawing power in opposing team's parks and should remain active as a player.

[leecemark]

--That Anson was no longer a good player is not speculation. He couldn't play at a major league level anymore. He also wasn't an especially good manager. The ONLY reason to keep him around would have been out of loyalty for his past achievements. Nobody has very long lasting loyalty to a guy who is costing you ballgames. Especially one who is very hard to get along with in the first place. It is a little surprising that he never got another chance to manage though, if only for his appeal at the box office.

[Steve Jeltz]

I recall reading that Al Spaulding reneged on a pledge to have Anson become an owner or part-owner, and Cap quit in a huff. The story also said "Cap kept his 200-some odd bats oiled & polished just in case, but never did go back to the game."

I don't recall remembering where I read this or how accurate this story is. When the AL became a major league in 1901, Ban Johnson & Charlie Commisky approached Anson about the possiblity of managing the White Sox. Anson rejected the overture. When a patron of a saloon that Anson either owned or tended bar asked Anson about the White Sox job, Anson dismissed the AL as a bush league that he would never associate himself with.

I do find it interesting that Anson didn't manage again. Did any other NL team offer him a job? If not, would he have somehow been blackballed?

[Brian McKenna]

Anson was part of the effort to revive the old American Association (at least as early as September 1899). The NL talked about reviving the AA as an entity it could control and help block Ban Johnson and the AL. Naturally, this would create in him an unfavorable opinion of the AL.