The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-17
base BALL Season PLANS
Scranton Clubs New Owners Net and
Organized Yesterday.
". G. PARKE Is THE PRESIDENT
Old Park to be Used-Wili Be Rebuilt
"pOrkey" Brooks win Assist Man
ascr MsDcrmott Who Attended
Yesterdays Meeting.

with the new owners. his coming mas
resulted in well defined plans FOR the
season which indicates for this city
! base ball on businesslike and popular
scale and promises a first-class lot Of
players If money and effort can procure
! them. s.e
At meeting held yesterday in the
office of II. y. Simpson the following
officers were elected: w. g. Parke'
president; Thomas II. Brooks, Secre-
tary and treasurer; John II. Brooks. as
sistant secretary and treasurer. The
! other shareholders are II. =. Simpson.
F. s. Barker. G. f. Wade and e. H.
Memory. The charter was obtained
December % under the name of the
Scranton Athletic association, which is
capitalized at $4,000. Yesterday the
lease, franchise and other effects pur-
chased at sheriff's sale by Mr.. Simpson
from the old association We're trans
| ferred to the Scranton Athletic asso-
| citation.
The selection of Mr.. Parke for presi-
dent will be received with more or less
surprise as it was generally believed the
office would be filled by Mr.. Simpson.
who was instrumental in forming the
new organization of owners and who
is believed to hold the largest block of
stock. Mr. Parke. however. was chosen
for the presidency in order to permit
Mr. Simpson to perform certain work,
the chair.
John II. Brooks. the assistant secre-
tary and treasurer, Is the popular
! "Porkey'' Brooks, the youngest son of
| Reese G.. Brooks. His office Is a new
one in base ball. but in this instance
was created for an important purpose.
He will be the direct representative of
the owners in dealing with Manager
! McDermott after the season opens and
will work In conjunction with him; he
will have charge of the grounds and
tickets and will execute the orders of
! the association. Last year he was
l'captain and shortstop of the Princeton
varsity base ball team. and his knOwl-
edge of the game. 1t is thought. Will
make him a valuable aide to Manager
McDermott
Old Grounds viii BE Used.
| At Yesterdays meeting it was prac-
tically settled to occupy last years
grounds A proposition from the Scran-
ton Driving Park association was not
considered, as the distance OF the park
from the business section of the city
makes the location undesirable. If the
new association had been formed as
| early as last November park might
have been located on the site OF the old
driving park on Providence road, but
the season Is now so far advanced 1t
was considered unwise to attempt tO
the ground, as some serious mistakes
might be made in the hurry. ---
In view of the fact that the Della ware
Iackawanna and Western company
has refused to lease additional strips
of land along the two ends or westerly
side of the present park, the plot VIII
have to be used with its present dimen-
sions. but the fencing. grandstand
bleachers, ticket office, entrances and
surroundings are to be so altered and
improved that the old cranks will not
recognize the place and scores OF new
enthusiasts will undoubtedly be at
, tracted to the games.
An l. will be added to the present
!, grandstand and extended at an angle
, parallel to the first base line. Along
, the fence back of first base and toward
} the new l. of the grandstand will bt
J built new bleachers. The present
} bleachers to the left of the main en-
, trance will be continued in service. Al
, the present fencing, carriage way
D ticket Office and entrance are to be tori
down. In their stead will be built an en-.
trance where three passage ways car
,, be utilized on special day. At thi.
, point fence will be built inward, thu:
= providing more room on the sidewalk
There will be a new ticket Office at the
entrance and a business office for the
officers beneath the grandstand.
Altogether the fencing and othel
woodwork throughout the park will b,
thoroughly renovated and painted, ant
the diamond and outfield will be mad,
as perfect as possible. thus insurinS al
, attractive resort rather than the ole
: place Of horror for persons who wisf
, to be comfortable when the home clul
, loses
: There w i'll BE q Pre- cparatOry S:aIOn.
? BY April Is and possibly three day!
! earlier Manager McDermott will hav,
2 the players together in this city ant
? will start with them for a two weeks
practice trip preparatory to the regula
{ league games, which will probably be
t gin about May 7. The schedule has no
5 been made but it will undoubtedly pro
$ vide for the first games of the season
! on about the above date; until then tn,
I players will not be permitted to pla.
\ here. AS many as eighteen men ma.
be taken on the practice trip. and th'
0 season will be started with not les
. than fifteen. Practice games have al
ready been arranged with Harvard an,
Brown universities. Fall River and New
Bedford. of the New England league
and Trenton and Jersey City, of tn
= Atlantic league.
OF last years players the followin,
g have signed 1896 Scranton contracts
n Frank Ward, second base; Pete Eag
: an. left field; Pat" Meaney. fielde
n and pitcher; Tommy johnson. pitch
o er. Those on the reserve list, but no
;. signed, are Dan" Stearns, first base
n william Sweeney, Shortstop: Jack
v Huston, third base. and Dick Brown
e pitcher. All these except Brown wer
: on the team at the close of last season
d Brown Is on the blacklist for refusin!
d to play. He jumped the city early il
|. the season and played later in the Vir
n ginia league Under an assumed name
Manager McDermott. vino leaves tn
d city today on trip south for severa
e players. will try and locate Brown an
n induce him to play.
= New players signed are James Nc
r CURE. tn I'd baseman. late of the Am
y sterdams; ". L. Bradley, outfielder lat
e of the Richmonds; Edward Rafferty
s catcher, late Of the Gloversvilles; Joh
Hess, catche-. late of CarbOndale: w
f. Heller. shcrtstop. late of the Michi
gan league; EDWARD Herr. pitcher, la t
j. of the Norfolks: J. B. Sherer, fielder
d late of the Roanokes, and John Cron
% in, pitcher, on trial with Brooklyn
70 These number twelve under contrac
IF and four reserved, a total Of sixtee
" available players, or fifteen, If Brow
cannot be found.
Manager McDermott is on track O
!. fielder, pitcher and two first base
r. men. If one of the latter is engaged
II Stearns will be released. McDermott'
trip for players will occupy nearly
week. He will then return to Fra
River preparatory to coming to Scran
n ton on Feb. 1 to remain here perma
n nently.