The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-16
NO SOUTHEASTERN LEAGUE.
sAVANNAHIANs WILL HAVE To DO
WITHOUT BASE BALL.

One of the Most Promising Circuits
the south Has Ever Had-The $50
Franchise Fee Rcturned-NicIS
TOung'S Action Severely Criticised.
II the base ball fans OF Savannah wit
ness any professional ball this season. it
will not be IN this city. The recently
formed Southeastern League has fallen
through, and what might have been the
most successful league the south has ever
known. is dead.
Atlanta has decided to put a club in the
Southern League. and as Nick Young
says the Southeastern cannot encroach
upon the rights of the Southern, the pro-
posed circuit was broken. Jacksonville,
Fla, was offered a franchise, but the peo-
pie of that city do not seem to care for
base ball-they like bicycle racing better
Columbia, S. c., was suggested. but moth
ing was done in that city. And the funeral
notice Of the league was announced.
President Passalaigue has Informed the
owners of the franchises in the cities COM
posing the league of its DISARMAMENT.
The $50, which each club put up to obtain
protection from the National League,
which Nick Young granted and then re-
called, has been returned.
did not prove successful. With the cities
originally proposed it had the brightest
prospects of any league the south ever
projected.
The circuit was an admirable one-could
not have been better. All the cities in the
league were good ball towns. The salary
limit was at a good figure: enough to get
a good team, and yet not excessive. Every
thing pointed to success. But it could not
be-
Although several of the National League
rangementS for playing games here on
their southern trip the fans will not even
have an opportunity of seeing them. The
fence around the Bolton street park has
been torn down and the returns would not
warrant putting it up again simply for
practice and what amateur games might
be played there this season.
The lovers of the national game will
have to content themselves with reading
in the newspapers the scores Of the games
in the big league or on some warm after
noon they might stroll out on the commons
and see the Young Heroes" slaughter the
Little Potatoes" But this is all.
The Baltimore club win practice at Ma
con again this spring. The team Will
start for that city about the middle of
March. After ten or twelve days OF prac-
tice there it will start to work its way
north, playing games on the way.
It is reported that the Cincinnati club
will control Mobile in the Southern and
use that city as a farm and training school
for the Reds" If this is So the people
of Mobile are assured of a season OF very
bum ball, for as fast as the players show
up well they will be taken away. This
kind of thing should not be allowed.
New York is having some trouble in get
ting three of it's best men to sign. Farrell
wants 5000 and will get 1t, but he does
not want to come south with the team.
Meekin has been offered $500, but calls
for more. Jouett, however, will more than
likely come to terms before long; Rusie
got more than So 900 last season, but II is
not expected that he will have such
good thing this year.
This is the way Manager Hanlon puts
It: when the gong rings on April l6 and
the Baltimore team trots out with Nc
Bahon in the box, Robinson back OF the
bat, Doyle on first, Reitz on second, Nc
Graw on third, Jennings on short, KEEL
ley at left, Brodte in center and keeler
in right, 1t will be the strongest base
ball team that ever trod diamond. And
Hanlon is not very wrong when he says so.
Where is Monte Cross? He has not said
a word in two weeks
Goodenough, who played with Atlanta
last season and who is at present in this
city, will most likely play with the Gate
City again this year.
Brooklyn wanted to come here for
month, but has decided to go to Char
lotte, N. c., as they could not obtain
grounds here
The Philadelphia team is terror to all
aspiring National League pitchers. 1t is
the heaviest batting team in the league.
Eight members of the team have bat
ting average over 800.
Among those who were honored with en-
graved silver season tickets to the Polo
grounds in New York were the following
distinguished politicians Gov. Werts of
New Jersey, Senator David b. Hill, Sena-
tor Edward Murphy. Jr., Mayor Strong
and the Tammany chieftain, Richard
Croker.
McCloskey is very hopeful. He predicts
that the Colonies will finish eighth in $50,
fourth in 81 and win the pennant in '9S.
They are betting to in New York
that the Giants will beat out Baltimore.
The small end of that seems to be a good
thing.
There will be more minor leagues this
season than ever before.
Patsy Norton of Columbia, S. c., is
anxious to meet Denny Gallagher, who is
now in this city, for purse Norton says
he is a lightweight, and if Gallagher win
not meet him he will go up against any
man in this section in his class.