The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-22
RAsE BALLS OUTLOOK.
a Way the Fans Are Discussing
the Situation.

Iu6 OlLu&LlOns
VIII Savannah have base ball next
YEAR That is a question that has been
asked frequently of late by the lovers OF
the sport
Alta meeting of the Southern League As
ISOLATION. held at Chattanooga recently.
If was announced that Savannah was rep
resented by proxy" and that in the new
eiqnt club league organized for the season
of 1894 Savannah was included. This is
raassuring TO a certain extent In the
nreseut state of affairs, however, there is
nothing to prevent the new league, so
called, from dropping Savannah and sub
stituting any other town in this section.
Manning, VINO managed the Savannah
team last year. will manage the Kansas
CITY team this Year He still holds the
savannah franchise, however. There are
a GOOD many people here who are of the
opiniOn that if Manning is not going to
rim a team in Savannah next spring he
should give up the franchise and give
somebody else a showing. Because he
held the franchise one season they do not
think that he possesses a title to it in fee
simple forever. There are two sides to
the question, Though. 1t is understood
here that Manning is willing to sell his
savannah franchise for $500 or S4OO and
that he would be more than glad in fact,
10 have an association organized here to
take the franchise off his hands and sup
ply Savannah with base ball next sum
mer.
A Savannah fan, who is well posted,
gave a MORNING News reporter some
points upon the ethics of base ball and
the characteristics of the players which
throws some light upon the situation.
''Eou see, these fellows are all out for
the stuff" he said. "A crowd of 'em
gets together and fix it up among them
selves to run base ball league down
south. They calculate how many clubs
they can put in, and then they divide out
the franchises among themselves and
each fellow starts out to get I'D a club.
The people in the towns where the clubs
are put amt got anything more to do
with it than they have with these travel
ing show companies. The thing is put on
for their amusement, and they are eX-
pected to pay for the privilege of seeing
it. seer OF course, when town gets am
bilious and organizes its own club
they have to take 'em into the league,
but that isn't the professional way of
doing it. When man takes franchise
for savannah or any other town he is eX-
pected to put in club there, or if he
finds some other town that suits him
better he can get his franchise trans
ferred there The franchise is his so
long as he can hold it. If there weren' t
any franchises any fellow could put in
club wherever he wanted to, or if l had
a franchise for Savannah some other
fellow could put in club right along side
Of me and go ahead making arrangements
for games. The franchises are for the
protection of the men who are running
the thing. That is what the league is for.
/ To give systcm and protect the people
who put their money into it. That's
what makes it professional base ball
"Will we have professional base ball
this sUmmer3 I think we will, and YOU
can bet they won't leave the best base
ball town in the south out. That's Sa-
vannah. The day of high salaries for
base ball players is past. Plenty of good
men can be had now for small money,
either.
There amt no reason why we
shouldn't have base ball next summer,
and good ball at that. An association
could be organized here to buy Manning's
franchise, and a good club could be got
ten cheap. The league salary limit would
cover the cost for the players. A good
man to manage the team is the first
thing that's wanted. The railroads will
give the clubs cheap rates. An eight
club league ought to pay next
season, and if two Of the clubs were to
drop out, it would be all the better "
The suit of President Sperry, of the
Macon Athletic Association, against the
Southern Baseball ASSOCIATION, is attract
ing some attention in base ball circles.
Macon was left out of the last associa-
ton, and now Mr.. SpeTy has entered
suit for 5000 damages. The suit has
brought out some interesting facts. When
the Southernnassociatlo was organized
Tor the season of 1898 a sinking fund was
provided for, and Vice President Sam
Altmeyer, of Macon, was appointed
trustee. a certain percentage of the re
celpts of every game went into the sink
ing fund. When the league disbanded in
August Mr.. Altmeyer had over 81 100 in
his possession belonging to the sinking
fund. By a resolution he was directed to
return to each club the amount it had
paid IN, which he agreed to do. This Mr..
Altmeyer has never done, notWlthstand-
ing frequent demands upon him from the
managers of the different clubs. Just
why Mr.. AltmeYer has not done so is not
known, as he is reputed to be a business
man Of considerable means.
Now, President Sperry, of the Macon
club, has enjOined Mr. Altmeyer from
paying this money until his suit against
the association is settled. 1t is
claimed that the old association, which
was disbanded by consent of all the clubs
remaining in it, is a dead issue, and that
the new associat ton which was organized
at Chattanooga is an entirely separate
Institution. 1t is not explained, however
how the same people that held the fran
chises in the old association continued to
hold the same franchises in the new asso-
citation. The matter appears to be rather
complicated The Macon suit will proba-
bly, fail through. Even if the clues lose
the amount to which they are entitled in
the sinking fund, the loss to each will be
small, as there is only 81, 100 to be divided