Morning journal and courier., 1888-03-10
THAT FORFEIT MONEY.


 Base Ball Teams Suing the Bonds
 men of tho Retiring OIubs-PrOspects
 of Their E0t Getting the Forfeit
 Money.
 During the past week talk has been revived on the question of the Danbur5 and the Wa terbury base ball clubs of last seasons East ern league suing the bondsmen of the Hart- ford, Bridgeport and New Haven teams, which retired before the season was finished.
 The New Haven bondsmen have received no official notice of these steps and neither has the Hartford Amusement company. Nevertheless there is an intimatien of legal collection in the air.
 The Waterbury and Danbury people may go ahead and sue all they feel inclined to, but they might as well be forewarned that they will never succeed in getting a cent of the forfeit money. In the end they will find that they have made useless expenditure of money. No court of justice will ever make these bondsmen pay the money.
 Last spring, it will be remembered, the Eastern league was composed of Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Danbury and Springfield, but the latter withdrew after playing 8 few games. Each of the other clubs furnished $25O bonds as a guarantee that they would play the season with the un- derstanding that failure to do 80 would forfeit the bonds.
 When the SprinRfelds dropped out there was great cry for a new schedule, but as everything was going along to suit Water bury and Bridgeport the secretary refused to call meeting of the league. When the schedule was such that the Waterburys had to lay off the secretary very promptly called a meeting. A new schedule was made out up to the first of August. No provision was made for the rest of the season and nothing pIl0 Thn oaha alr71n 11v ended the league season at that time.
 The New Ravens played up to within a week of that time. The Bridgeports and ,Hartfords finished the schedule and then dis banded. The Eastern league was then ended. The Waterbury people were not schedule made out for the whole season. After this time there was no Eastern league recognized. The Danburys and Waterburys proudly called themselves the Eastern league, but the Waterburys virtually disbauded shortly after this. They secured 8 few amateurs who re- sided in Waterbury and were pleased to call themselves a professional team. The Dan burys and Waterburys played sort of hide and seek game with each other, and good share of the time they played exhibition games with other clubs, but had no regular schedule between themselves.
 The Danbury team was in reality the oaly
 
 tember 1. All of the old players were re- tained. The Waterbury team was composed of amateurs and no one would think of call- ing it professional club.
 A good many questions will arise if the suits against the bondsmen of the three teams are pushed. It will be nothing short of miracle if the Danbury and Waterbury people get this forfeit money.
 The New State League. Bridgeport Farmer: "The meeting of those interested in the formation of State base ball league, which was held at the Atlantic Hotel yesterday afternoon, adjourned to Fri day afternoon of next week, when some defi- nite plan of organization will probably be decided upon. One of the matters chiefly discussed yesterday was the number of games which should be played each week. Most of the representatives &vored four games week ly, two on the home grounds and two else where; but Meriden and Stamford opposed this suggestion on the ground that their towns would probably not extend a paying patronage to more than one game a week at home. Mir. Thomas Reilly, who represented Meriden, finally gave his consent to the management for four games 8 week, but Stamford strongly objected, and as conse quenee will probably not become @ mem Der or tue 16hkuos 1HS In66L6E or G06 1uH1 D6S of games to be played weekly was left to the next meeting for decisive action. It was di- vulged at yesterdays meeting that it is pro- posed by the managers of several of the clubs, Bridgeport being one of them, to run their teams on the cooperative plan. If this is attempted the league will undoubtedly prove failure as teams conducted on that basis cannot have the protection of the National agreement. The natural result of net having that control over the players which this agreement secures is that a man who develops brilliant playing qualities can- not be held if he should desire to accept an offer of better pay from some other club. This applies moro es- pecially to the pitchers as phenomenon" in that line is always in demand. Hence the desirability of coming into the National agreement, with it's contract system and the attendant provisions regarding the holding and releasing of players. Otherwise the best talent in the State league would probably be secured by other clubs before the season had advanced very far. The only plan which promises success in the running of a State league is to get protection under the National agreement, sign players at specified salary and pay no higher salary than the clubs can afford. With this system in operation, whether the clubs play two, four or six yames a week, the league has excellent chances of living through the season.''
 Huuors run riot in the blood at this season. Hoods Sarsaparilla expsls every impurity and yitaliEes and Onrichoa the blood