The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-26
LEAGUE LINERS.
Pop SWEET and w. ]. Clarke to
Catch for the Home Team.
Sacramento Engages J. ], McClosksy to Man
age the Capital City Club-Meeting
Of the Magnates.

An ADJOURNED meeting OF lHc HldldSeIS
of the California League was held yester-
day afternoon in J. j. Mone's office. a
permanent organization for 1891 was effected
by the election OF the following officers;
President, }. J. None; Vice-President I.
W. Hobson of San jose; Secretary. Henry
Harris; Board Of DirectorS-M. L. Finn, L.
p. Robinson, Samuel Ginsberg oil Sacra-
mento and Henry Harris. Contrary 10
general expectation, Colonel hoblnSoh uiu
not nominate candidate for the Presidency
in opposition to Mr.. None, and the latter
gentleman was unanimously elected to the
Office. 1t was decided that the league
should be composed Of four clubs this year,
with teams from the following cities: San
Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and San
Jose. The Committee on Constitution re-
ported progress, aud was given an extension
of time to ful6ll its duties. The Board OF
Directors was appointed a Committee on
Schedule, and instructed to report at meet
ing to be held one week from next Sunday.
The season will open on March 22t and
close on November 22i The opening game
in tlis city viii be played by the san Fran
cisco and san Jose teams, and the SacTa-
men 10 ard Oakland teams will play their
initial ntest at the Capital City. The adj
visibility Of playing Sunday morning
games at Oakland was discussed, but no
action was taken. The time for cOmmenc-
ing Sunday afternoon contests in this city
was fixed at 2:S0 O'Clock. Gate receipts in
all towns will be equally divided after eX-
penseS have been deducted. After the an
nOuncpmrnt was made that the California
League would continue under the protec-
ton Of the National agreement, the meeting
adjourned for two weeks.
The Sacramento Record Union last Satur-
day said tl5at the withdrawal of Mr.. En-
right from the management left the entire
team on the hands Of sam G!nSberg, who
was Mr.. EnriEht's partner last year. Mr..
GinsbpTg was somewhat difndent about I'M
deFtaklug the responsibility, and Tor some
time it has been an omen secret that he
WOuld not refuse 4 E God Cffer for the fran
chiSe In fact, mp 70 within few DAYS ago
the franchise was all but sold to J. !. Ne
Closkey, the well-knOWu player-mauager,
late of The Texas League. But as the let
ting OF The team into outside hands would be
likely to take away much interest in the
success Of the team, and as Mr.. Glusherg
was the recipient Of many protests from
those who delight 10 yell for the local team
when &c IS strictly q Sacramento OrEaniZl-
tiou--he gave up the idea and decided
to retain the team. But the actual
man cement of the team will be in new
hands. McCloSkey instead of purchas-
ing the franchise, will be employed
as captain and manager of the team.
lie is said to be an excellent man
for both positions, being good ficst base
man and fielder and possessing the neces-
sary executive ability to fill the position of
manager, toe. NcCl0skey will be here in a
few days aud will proceed at once to organ
iZr the team. MI. Ginsberg has not been
Idle in this respect, however. So far no.
body has been signed, but it is understood
that Bowman and Staplet0n Will be engaged
arrgA fssNn N..TH
are agreeable to Mr.. GinSbeTg and they will
be the first two men TO sell their services TO
the management. ReitZ thinks he is worth
more than Ginsberg cares to paw. Every
body knows ReitZ was the peer of any in
fielder that played ball here last year. and
Ginsherg Is well aware of the fact, but he
claims he cannot afford to pay what Reitz
asks. An agreement may be reached, how
ever. If not young Ward, who did some
work 1T the second bag for Spokane las
year, will be signed, MCCloskey having
recommended him in a letter 10 Mr.. Gins
berg. Goodenough talks as though he has NJ
intention OF playing bail in California this
summer. He says lie has an engagement
with one Of the big Eastern teams.
: +, hertS has said nothing about signing
with Sacramento this season and Mr.
GinSbeTg has not approached him on the
subject. McHale'S father does not want
him 10 play ball He told the Sacramento
manager that he would give " Bob - Just as
much TO stay home as he was offered IL
play ball; bat it is quite likely that last
years lively Sacramento right-feder will
again he with the team this season. Cedar
is in Cincinnati ana DAILY is attending t. his
laundry business in Chicago. Harper was
made an offer t. pitch at a slightly reduced
SALARY from last year. but he positively re-
fused 10 play with tie Sacramento Club for
cent less than he received during the
season OF 1880. Since Harper's refusal to
sign It has been pretty definitely settled that
hustln, the swift tWirleT who did good work
ID tie Northwestern League during the lat
ter part Of asst season, viii he one of Sacra-
mento's boXmen. The other, 10 all proba-
blIity Will be France, the left-handed
twlr.er who, it will be remembered, was
signed 20 pitch for Sacramento during the
last season, but who never filled his engage
ment, because he was stricken down with
yellow fever at Galveston. Another new
player who mas been mentioned by Nc
. Closkey is Peoples, young fielder who ha:
won fame in the East.
Il have a bit of news" said Manager
Harris yesterday, that | Am certain will
please many Of the cranks who shouted for
the San Francisco team in 1883. Pop SWEET
i'll be one of the catchers of the home club
this year. ! induced him to put his sigma
BE- ture TO Il Frisco contract a few days ago.
and Will pay him handsome salary for his
work. SWEET was good catcher before lie
went to the Boston Brotherhood team, but
ms LasteIu experience mas doubtless greatly
6enehted hlm. lie has been working under
one OF the best men in the busine ss-Cap
tain Mike Kelly-and handled some of the
greatest pitchers in America. His work in
the East has often been highly praised
Radbourne, the veteran twirler, said he did
not want better back-stop than Pop
SWEET preferred to stay at home among hi:
friends and relatives, and with the glory O
the Boston champions enveloping him, vii
surely Oe more popular than ever in this
city" Harris will also have the catcher of
another champion club in the San
FRANCISCO team. The new back-stop will
be w. j: Clarke Of last years Of
tumwas, of the Illinois Iowa League.
Clarke made such an excellent record in
1870 that number of Western Association
managers tried to secure him after the close
Oh the season. Harris, however, closed
Terms with Clarke some time ago. After it
became known among certain managers
tllat the catcher had signed to play here one
OF The Western Association magnates
wanted TO give Harris two well-known
good lHhelders in exchange for Clarke The
catcher was Informed of the proposition
but declined to 90 20 the Western Associa-
ton team, saying it had been his desire for
long time to visit California. Clarke
batting average last year was close to 300
and he had fine fielding record. E. c.
Morgan, Secretary of the Ilinois-Iowa
League, said III the Sporting Life last week
Ottum~a vas composed of men that went
In TO wln-daring base-runners, who always
had their heads with them, and had a man
tClarkel second TO no catcher In the league.
who. could and did catch almost continuously
from June until September. 1t was per-
sIsSent, natd team work, coupled with
united determination to win, that pulled
Ottumwa to first place"
1t Is almost shameful that Jim Mcdonald
should be allowed to open negotiations With
Eastern teams. Here is a player who has
more friends in this city and Oakland than
any man who was with tie Colonies iast
year. He received the second highest vote
In the balloting tor the most popular PLAYER
In the California league. Managers saw
they are endeavoring to play favorites vet
Mcdonald IS a greater fayorite than any
PLAYER except Levy, thus far signed. 1t is
not McDGnald's popularity alone, however,
that entities him to position in the Cali
fornia league. As an infielder he holds his
own own IN last company, has, good eye and
what is better finds the ball with his bat.
Tue reason given by Manager Robinson for
not re,engaging Mcdonald is that he is too
SLOW IN EXECUTING double. plays. 1t re-
NAMED for Norris, alias Tip" O'Neil to
discover this shortening and the poorest