Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 4-5-2013

Pittsburgh Gazette Times, April 5, 1913:

Alleged dissensions between Manager John Evers and members of the Chicago National League baseball club came to a head…when Trainer Semmons presented his resignation in the form of a blow to the manager’s jaw.
...
The fight started when Evers asked Semmens if he had ordered the team to report for practice this afternoon. The trainer replied that he gave such instructions when instructed to do so by the manager. At this Evers lost his temper and is said to have applied foul language to the trainer and the latter replied with his fist.
...
Semmons left the squad at the railway station. He said Manager Tinker wanted him at Cincinnati and that he would sign a contract to train that team.

The best way to get Joe Tinker to give you a job: Punch Johnny Evers.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 12-12-2012

The [Chicago] Day Book, December 12, 1912:

Joe Tinker has at last become manager of the Cincinnati Reds. The Cub shortstop, with Catcher Chapman and Pitcher Loudermilk, was yesterday traded to the Reds by Murphy for Mitchell, Phelan, Knisely, Humphries and Corriden.
...
As a result of this dicker Frank Chance will be the new manager of the New York Highlanders. This was definitively settled when seven National League clubs waived on him in return for the American doing the same in the case of Corriden.
...
[Corriden] was playing third in St. Louis two years ago when Larry Lajoie beat out seven bunts in one afternoon, thereby coming within a fraction of a point of beating Ty Cobb for the batting championship…Corriden was released by the Browns [and picked up by Detroit, but] Cobb had no love for Corriden, and there was danger of dissension that would rip the Tigers wide open.

I should say so! The surprise isn’t that Cobb hated the guy, the surprise is that Tigers management didn’t consider the history before signing a marginal player like Corriden.

It’s not clear from the quote, but the Reds bought Corriden from Detroit because Chicago wanted him as part of the package for Tinker.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 11-29-2012

Milwaukee Journal, November 29, 1912:

[Cubs president Charles] Murphy, according to the close friends of [Reds president Gerry] Herrmann, had agreed on a trade whereby Joe Tinker was to go to Cincinnati in exchange for Mike Mitchell and [Art] Phelan of the Reds and Red Corridon [sic] of the Detroit Americans. This deal was arranged Wednesday night, it was said, and Murphy and Herrmann were to have met [Thursday] to sign the papers. Instead Murphy did not show up…he had changed his mind.
...
Baseball men here believe that Murphy plans to force Herrmann to accept Frank Chance as the manager for Cincinnati despite the fact that the “peerless leader” is unalterably opposed to going to the Ohio city.

There were some serious shenanigans going on involving the Reds, Cubs, Tinker and Chance in the offseason of 1912-13. This trade ended up taking more than a month to finalize.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati claimed Chance off waivers from the Cubs on November 9. Chance had no interest in playing for or managing the Reds but it was rumored that Herrmann was keeping him around in case he couldn’t land Tinker. On December 11, the Reds cut Chance loose and he agreed to manage the Highlanders. Four days later, the Tinker trade was finally completed.