The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-10
EIGHT GOOD TEAMS
WILL PLAY BALL ON THE WESTERN
DIAMONDS THIS YEAR.
Schedule Meeting To-Morrow - Mani
sger Watkins Hopes to Get Two
Holiday Dates Here.

start to-day Tor Milwaukee TO be present
at the scedule meeting of the Western
Lague, which will be held in that city to-
morrow. They intend to get all the plums
for Indianapolis that are to be plucked and
they will endeavor to get at least fair
treatment in the arrangement of the sched-
ule, which has not always been the case
In former years.
Manager Watkins says he expects to get
the first eight or nine games at home,
which will give the players good start,
as there is always an advantage in play
Ing on the home grounds. The local sympa-
thzers are there to cheer on the men and
there is more in the encouragem given
the players than a great many people
think. If this kind of an arrangement can
be made the Hoosiers will take lead the
beginning of the season which the other
teams will find difficult to lessen. 1t is also
understood that of the games on the three
holidays, Decoration day, Fourth of July and
Labor. day, two of them will be played on
the grounds of the Eastern teams of the
league and the other one in the west. This
will give games in Indianapolis on Decora-
zion day and Labor day, which would be
highly satisfactory to the local manage
ment, as holidays are especially good paying
ones in this city. The season is expected
to open May A. probably with Toledo, in this
city. s.s4
Every indication now points to the most
prosperous baseball season the Western
League has ever enjoyed All the teams
are getting into line with better list of
players than have been seen in the West
for sometime The National League has
taken large number of young players this
season and consequently put on the market
great many experienced men who are
still able to play splendid ball and these
have been secured to large extent by the
managers of the Western League teams
All the members of the Western League,
however are not discarded National League
players. There is good percentage of them
who have been playing the last few seasons
with the minor leagues and have developed
into star players This is the class of men
the National League magnates have been
searching for, but the Westerns managers
have succeeded in getting strings tied to
a number of such players. Then too, the
interest in the national game is awaken
Ing earlier this season than usual, which
is considered a good omen. The local fans
are becoming exceedingly anxious for the
playing season to begin. They are now sat
isfed that Manager Watkins has very
strong team selected and they are impatient
for the time to arrive when that team shall
begin to show by actual work just what
The deal whereby Walters was awarded
to the Indianapolis club by the National
League directors, after he had accepted adj
vance money from Manager Chapman, of
Rochester, has been severely criticised by
q number of baseball writers, who were
evidently not in possession of all the facts
of the case. The first negotiation between
the Indianapolis club and Walters took
place last December or the latter part of
November. After some correspondence
Manager Watkins asked him to name the
salary he would expect. The letter was
answered Immediately and a salary named,
which Manager Watkins deemed too high.
The offer was refused and the letter refus-
ing it contained an offer to him, which he
AS soon as this letter was received, Man
ager watkins sent him contract for his
aeaped In tne o af1er ar
excepted advance money from Manager
Chapman, of the. Rochester club, and he
then refused to sign, the contract. All the
correspondence. in the case was sent to the
National League committee, which after
indianapolis and ordered him to Immediate
" refund the advance money received from
action, and one wherein the player was at
fault for accepting advance money after
having ,,tg agreed upon the terms of a contrsct
These same writer's claim that the final
result of the transaction has placed Man
ager Chapman in a false position before the
people of Rochester and the members of his
team. Such is not the case if he were I'M
aware of the fact that Walters had agreed
upon terms with Manager Watkins when
he accepted money from Rochester. If he
was aware of the transaction, it places him
just where he should be and he will find
little sympathy; but as most people are
CT charitable rita enough to believe him It
surely cannot work an injury to him,
1t has recently come to light that the Ma
tional League holds & mortgage on the
Louisville club for $1,000. The story is that
at the beginning of last season that club
became so overwhelmed in debt that Presi-
dent Ruckstahl resigned, and DR.. STICKY,
baseball enthusiast of that city, elect
ed to the vacancy. 1t vas afterward
claimed that he was unacquainted with the
financial condition of the club at the time
of his election. However. it was not long
until he had ascertained the fact that I'M
less some one came to the aid of his team
they would have to throw up the sponge.
pr STICKY wrote to President Young, of
the National League, asking for a loan of
$1,000. The unanimous consent of all the
presidents in the League was NECESSARY be-
fore the money could be advanced. and the
majority of them We're against the loan.
resident Byrne, Of Brooklyn. went to
L in tha and after thoroughly inyestigat-
Stuckys organization persuaded the con-
trary presidents to consent TO the loan. The
STICKY gave club securityto the amount of
$1,000 through President Young. and 1t. Is
SidiilSo tildt liliS security Is sui nolu by
the League.
The chance for the life of baseball in De-
troit this season is, so far, very discourage
ing. Vanderbeck, the present owner of the
Western League franchise at that point, is
badly out of touch with the local admirers
of the game, and it Is desired that he sell
out to a local syndicate which is ready to
buy; but Vanderbeck is holding out for
much higher price than the syndicate cares
to pay. At present ii looks as though he in
tends to stick the season out with a poor
team and kill the game in that city. He
claims that he has signed Gayle Pears,
Whitehill. Gastright, Lohbeck, Gunson.
Struthers, Parrot, Erwin, Gillian, Raymond,
DUNCAN, Campau, Yorke, Evertt and Mari
but it is claimed that some of these have
been signed by other teams. and that the
others dislike Vanderbeck heartily that
they would rather not play at all than un-
der his management
Wood and Pastorius. the battery which
indianapolis secured from Findly. o., comes
with one of the best of regulations. Wood
stood first in the batting list. He caught
in one hundred games during the season.
made fifty-seven home runs. twenty nine
three-baggers and twenty-five two-baggers.