St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-04
Northeastern, Lenn,xe.

The question just now being agitated by
the Northwestern league teams is not which
club will win the championship, but how
many clubs will weather the financial storm
to the end of the season. 1t was thought at
the time of the disarmament of the Bay City
team that several others would follow it to
oblivion within a week, but Evansville
stepped into the place made vacant, the
ranks were closed UP, cheering reports came
from all quarters where weakness was most
feared, and it was hoped that no further dis
Indignation would occur Another club has
fallen by the wayside, however. Last Mon
day j. F. Quinn, the leading pitcher of the
Saltwater team, broke his arm in the act of
delivering the ball. An attempt was made
to secure some one to fill his place, but no
one suitable to the management could be
secured, and finally at a meeting of the di
rectors in Saltwater on Saturday it was de-
cided to dsband, and the members of the
team will be paid off to-day after
the Milwaukee game and released. 1t is ex-
pected that the public announcement of the
Saltwater disarmament will produce feeling
of uneasiness all along the line, and we are
prepared not to be surprised if at least three
other teams fall in line Immediately. 1t is
safe to predict that but eight teams will con-
tinue to pull until the finish of the race, and
at this juncture it should be said that not
more than this number of teams should ever
have been admitted. A glance at the map
will show there are too many cities scattered
over too much territory interested In this
enterprise. Another point Of prime i'm
portance is the fact that several of the places
are too small to support team having to
travel so far to meet its opponents. The
league will not again make the mistake of
trying to play with too many clubs We
trust the number of teams next year will be
eight, and that this number will include one
from an Ohio city, two from Michigan cities,
two from Iowa cities, two from Minnesota
cities and one from a Wisconsin city.
There are eight cities in the territory named
that would give the teams all the financial
backing necessary to carry them through the
season. The playing during the past week
has resulted favorably to the half dozen
leaders, the weaker teams getting about the
same proportion Of games as at the begin
ming of last May. 1t seems pretty well
settled that the championship will go to one
of three clubs, Grand Rapids, Saginaw or
Quincy, the chances of the trio being about
in the order named. Milwaukee has added
great strength to itself recently in securing
Porter and Bignall, of the defunct Bay City
nine, and may, if good fortune and good
playing go hand in hand succeed in getting
better place, although there is scarcely a
chance for winning the pennant The st.
Paul team has done such fine work of late
that its friends are sorry its record early in
the season precludes the hope of a position
above the middle of the list. The shakiness,
too, of the league prevents the management
from attempting to strengthen the team. 1t
is probable, therefore, that very few changes
will be made. The first five games played by
Saltwater will count in the champion ship
series. This will take two victories from
Quincy and one each from Saginaw and
Grand Rapids. Neither st. Paul nor Mime
apolis will be affected. The summary in
cludes all the counting games of Bay City.
The games of Evansville are not given, as
they do not affect the standing of the other
clubs. The list Of games won and lost by
each team is given below: