|
August 19 1883
Dear Joe,
As I have not heard from you in some time, I write to see how things are in Akron. Here in Boston things are going well, and the club is in first place with a lead of four games over Chicago and Cleveland. It looks like we may retake the pennant this season. I am enclosing a few weeks’ worth of newspaper reports that you might be interested in. I am mentioned in one of them.
However, for the past few weeks my participation for the club has been nonexistent. You were right when you said the club here would never willingly remove Barnes as the second baseman, and they are probably right to keep him. He has been hitting well and is currently at .283 for the season. While we are likely to play in the World’s Series tournament, I am going to have the best seat in the place – the bench.
Would it have been better to sign on with a lesser club in hopes of playing more frequently? I do not know. Barnes is 33 and of course I am just 23, so perhaps I need only be patient. However, whatever the wisdom of my earlier decision, my services have been reserved by the Bostons so I am bound to them now. Did our nation not recently fight a great war about such things?
In any event, hope all is well. Send me news of things there. How are things with the local club? I hope you have not given up on the dream of making the Louisville hometown nine.
Regards
Fritz
|