The record-union., 1892-01-25
BASEBALL FOR 's2.
Los Angeles Anxious to Take Sacra-
mento's Place in the League.
The Local Management Must Guaran
tee Against Losses-J. III. Henry
to the Rescue.

| Colonel Thomas P. Robinson, manager
of the Oakland Baseball Club, dropped
into town yesterday, and aside from the
usual hypnotic effect he has upon the
ladies, caused quite a ripple of excite
ment among people interested in base
ball.
| What was he here for?
| The question was asked repeatedly, but
the Colonel only smiled blandly and as
sured the curious ones that he just took
run up for a change of air. 1.-THE Sac
ramento climate always did agree with
me" he would say, land besides I have
quite number of friends and acquaint-
ances up here whom 1 have not seen
since the close of the last baseball sea-
sonn
HERE FOR BUSINESS.
But it was plain, despite the ColonePs
assurances to the contrary, that his visit to
| Sacramento meant something more than
the benefits he expected would accrue to
his physical condition.
To RECORD UNION reporter who cor
nered the magnate he finally admitted
that such was the case.
eS," said he, II am not up here alto
gether for my health l am here for bus
| iness-basebaH business"
The Colonel then proceeded to unfold
his plans.
You see," he said. 1.-The consolidation
scheme has practically gone up the fiume.
1t was Harris hobby, but guess by this
time he sees that the scheme is impracti-
cal. If that plan had succeeded they pro-
posed to try and freeze me out-and Sac
ramento, too, you know. But now they
are after me red hot to stay in. They
want now to have four-team State
| league composed of San Francisco, san
Jose, Oakland and Los Angeles. / am
! opposing them in this, and am fighting
/ for Sacramento. My idea is to have a
slx-club league, composed Of San Fran
cisco, Oakland, San Jose. Los Angeles,
! Sacramento and Stockton. But if this is
impractical, why just drop Los Angeles
and stockton. 1 look at it that Sacra-
| mento should have team in the league
IN preference to Los Angeles and that is
just what brought me up here.
Los ANGELES GUARANTEE.
Los Angeles is working tooth and nail
to get in" continued the Colonel, ''and
may knock Sacramento out in spite of my
efforts. You see the Los Angeles people
have guaranteed each team that plays
| there $3.50 a week clear of all expenses,
and 90 per cent of the receipts besides.
\ oW that's pretty good as it precludes
! all possibility Of any of the teams ever
! losing money there. Sacramento will have
! to make some sort of guaranty in order
/ to stand any show of getting team here.
Your baseball people here do not appear
/ to be taking much interest in the matter
/ however. The only man that seems to
/ be alive to the situation is j. II. Henry,
your electric railway man. He wrote to
the league directors sometime ago, asking
what would be necessary to be done in
! order to keep Sacramento in the league,
! but his letter was not answered, through
neglect. ! came up to see Mr.. Henry,
principally, and am quite satisfied with
! the result OF my conference with him.
tell you he is splendid gentleman,
chock full Of enterprise, and has the in
! tereStS of Sacramento thoroughly at
heart. Now, Mr.. Henry says he wants
Sacramento in the league, and
WILL SPEND MONEY
! To keep her there. He does not ex-
! pect to make any profits this year,
/ and will put in every cent he ex-
poets to make through the traffic on his
! lines. He says he will have two lines of
cars running to the park, and will be able
! to handle the crowds quickly and salts
| factorily. He desires the league directors
! to state just what they want in the way
of a guaranty, and then he will talk bust
ness to them. He authorized me to carry
! this information 10 them. Ofcourse he is
-
/ to assist the local baseball managers"
''What about the present ownership of
/ the Sacramento club?" asked the reporter.
! ''Well,' said Mr.. Robinson, unless
| your people want to be drawing on the
guarantee fund all the time, there will
have to be considerable overhauling
done. l have no doubt that Mrs. Vice
who owns the franchise, is perfectly
capable Of handling the business, but she
| should not allow any baseball players to
run the club for her. We have no OBJ
jections to offer against her or any
COMPETENT MANAGER
| She may select, but we will kick against
/ any such layout as you gave us in the
| latter part OF last season. That was too
raw. When / go back to San Francisco,
| am going to propose to Harris and Finn
| that they take Sacramento in, to the ex-
| clusion of Los Angeles that is, if my six
| club-ieague idea does not suit them, and
that Mrs. Vice be given so much time in
which to decide whether she will run the
| team herself or sell it to somebody else.
I don't want to see Mrs. Vice lose the
money she paid for the franchise, and
don't think she will, even if Sacramento
| Is dropped ont of the league.n
do you think that baseball will pay
we'll the coming season." was asked
"Of course | do. Baseball will always
pay in San Francisco. San j lose is a good
| Dali town, ana so is sacramento, II
! handled properly. In order to make
money here you must have, in the first
! place, competent management, a good
team and properly arranged schedule
The schedule should be arranged this
year so that there will be games here
every other week. This will be all the
more desirable and will Even matters up,
ifmy six-club idea is adopted. But Sac
ramento must get move on as the
saying goes, if she wants a team this
year-that's my advice. Those Los
Angeles folks are workers.