The Portland daily press., 1896-11-30
SOME BASE BALL TALK.
Annual Meeting of the Portland AssO-
citation Next Monday.

cIaLl0n Next MOnuhys
Prospects of State League-what the
Reorganization of the New England
League Means.
The annual meeting of the Portland
Baseball and Athletic association will
occur at Swett's hotel week from to-
night at 73O O'Clock.
While Portland forfeited It's franchise
by Withdrawing last summer the Gorpo-
ration still exists, and it Is proposed to
keep 1t alive, waiting meantime to see
what turns up in a baseball way.
It is understood to be the programme
Of the Boston coterie of sports, who want
New England league without theMaine
clubs iii to disband the present organiza-
tion and form another OF a circuit of
their own selection.
at this meeting the Portland associa-
tion will apply for mem bership, though
such application will be little moro than
matter of form, for the programme as
now mapped out by the Morse-M Murnane-
Marston concern does not include any of
the Maine cities.
Ihere Is, however, a strong movement
for state league, and it ia more than
probable that this experiment will be
tlied. Many of the strongest players of
last seasons New England leagne have
expressed willingness to play in Maine
at reduced salary rate, rather than go
to some of the cities which it is pro-
posed 10 include in the M-M-M New
England circuit.
The reason of this is apparent. There
is very little prospects that, with possibly
two OF three exceptions, the cities named
wonid be able to meet their obligations.
AS matter of fact this scheme of the
Hebrew Celtic com bination was formu-
lated not SO much to perpetuate baseball
in New England as to make a little
money for the syndicate in the way in
which SO many New England cities have
been bunoeed in the past. The idea is to
collect what money people will subscribe
who are interested in baseball, put in a
manager, who is in the deal, hire players
and let the game proceed until after the
fourth of July. The syndicate get about
all the receipts the subscribers see a
couple of months of very inferior base
ball and the players get a couple Of
wesks salary If they are lucky. 1t would
be the merest folly Of course to pay play
ers, If they will play without, as they did
in New Bedford last year. The game
has been worked time and again, and is
the real secret Of the opposition to the
Maine cities. There isn't so much money
In making the long trips" to this state
as there Ia in organizing new clubs in
cities like Worcester, Lowell and Salem.
The game was never worked in such a
wholesale manner than it was two years
was organized. 1t was apparently a
failure, but it is more than probable 1T
worked just as its promoters intended it
shoull. Evidently the com bination
fhinks 1t is about time to tap these cities
egain.
Ihs people s.who want to see base
ball flourish in Maine experienced a
painful shock, week ago last Sunday
when they read in the Boston Herald
thet ''Thers is absolutely no ground fol
any assertion that the southern section
Of the New England league will listen to
any deal that will mean the transfer Of
the hanger plant to Portland, and that
southern section magnates wouldn't
come to Maine Iohovn OF words to
that effect. As matter of fact the
transfe- of this Bangor team isn't mat
ter which Portland psople had set their
hearts on to any extent, SO we can bear
the pronunciomento Of Prof. Morse,
much better than we otherwise might.
Mr. Morse in his proclamation cites
Manager" Doe as one of the "authori-
ties'' who have declared that the Maine
teams won't be tolerated. Just what
this "nlanager'' has to do With it ism t
go easy to see. New Bedford, if we re-
member rightly, was expelled" from
tho league short time ago, along with
Augusta for non payment of dues. Au-
gnsta owed s25 and New Bedford S40O
or more, including what was due it's
players, but both got the maximum PEN
atty.
As iHa1ter VI ieco LILO pian tnat DOe
worked in New Bedford is the one that
is planned for next season in several
cities. Work the public for all it is
worth ard pay no bills. not even play
ers' salaries. No wonder the players
prefer to play in Maine, where at least
the people VINO back at baseball are able
to meet their obligations.