Mr. Freedman's move to syndicate Base Ball. But, prior to this time, Freedman's personal course had become so obnoxious to most of those connected with the game that nobody outside his own following could endure his eccentricities of speech or action. He would apply to other members of the League, in ordinary conversation, terms so coarse and offensive as to be unprintable. Taking umbrage at some personal newspaper criticism, he would openly declare his intention of ruining the game. My brother, Mr. J. Walter Spalding, who was a Director of the New York Club (owned by Freedman), was compelled to resign in order to retain his self-respect. Even those who were associated with Freedman in the enterprise which called me into the struggle complained to me of his ungentlemanly bearing whenever he met with opposition from any source, while those opposed to him and to his methods pleaded with me to re-enter the field, urging that my presence was needed to force this undesirable magnate from the ranks.
The following, from the columns of a New York paper at about this time, will serve to show the peculiar personal quality of the man: