Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-13
WANTED. A LEAGUE.
Talk About Chances for Wor-
cester Nine.
The New England League and Central
Massachusetts Scheme Both Talked
of BY Enthusiasts.

Base ball talk that has direct bear
ing upon Worcester, is rife these days
Among the base ball cranks here-and
their name is legion-it is the upper
most theme for discussion. Nearly
everybody seems to think that Worces-
ter should have something in the way of
base ball the coming season; but they
do not know exactly what they want
or how they can obtain it. Apparently
there are about as many opinions as to
the sort of team Worcester would be
likely to best support, as there are peo-
pie to advance them.
Some say that the scheme of organic
ing a central Massachusetts, league
should be carried out, with Worcester
as one of the places. They name Graf
ton, Marlboro, Milford, Spencer, Mill
bury Whitinsville, and a host Of other
places as being willing in all likelihood
to go into such an organization. These
think that two games a week, possibly
three. might be played by each team,
and that it would be a paying venture.
Others assert that what Worcester
wants is a purely independent team that
can play when and where it wants, and
meet the strongest amateur teams of
New England, and occasionally a New
England league team on the oval
grounds. But many obstacles are in the
way of each of these propositions
In the past week or two, since it has
become almost certain that Worcester
has not the slightest chance of being in
the Eastern League in '98, those who are
most anxious to see base ball of some
kind here have many of them fiocked
over to the New England League idea.
That is, to get Worcester back into the
New England, where she was five years
ago. Jake Morse's ideas on the subject,
as published in the Spy last Monday
morning, are quoted and considered by
the more enthusiastic as being practic-
able. They say that Worcester should be
in the league
If there is any real movement for a
New England League nine here in Wor-
cester, ii lacks so far, amy head. Man
ager Spaulding Of the Marlboros and
Manager Rice of the Graftons, two Of
the most successful of all the county
league teams last season, are both in
favor of New England League team,
and are willing to do what they can to
get one here. 1t is said they have assur-
ances from the officers of the league that
if the necessary money can be sub
scribed here to make the team a GER
tainty, there will be no difficulty in get
ting into the league.
Manager Spaulding of the Marlboros
has been in the city for the past two
days looking over the ground somewhat,
with a view to ascertaining whether he
can interest local lovers of the game
sufficiently to warrant an application
for franchise. This afternoon he is to
meet Mr.. Rice of the Graftons. The
two will then probably talk the whole
matter over and decide whether it is
worth while to go ahead and make an
effort to organize a stock company for
the purpose of carrying New England
League team through the season.
In conversation with a representative
of the Spy, who talked with him We'd
neSday afternoon, Manager Spaulding
admitted that he had been looking about
a little in the interests of the New Eng
land League. But so far that was all
He believed Worcester, with its 100, 00C
and more inhabitants, and the large
number of country towns from which to
draw, would and could support a nine
properly managed and in the hands OF
the men. He said that he knew for a
fact that the clubs already in the league
were more than anxious to have Wor-
! cester in it's schedule, and would be
willing to make some concessions to gel
| them in.
He believed that there were enough
gentlemen interested in the sport in this
city to make it a comparatively easy
matter to get the sum of money neces-
sary to start team off in good shape
He also ventured to say that it would
be a paying investment, and that be-
fore a New England League nine had
been ru Inning here many months those
who had refused to subscribe to the
stock when it was offered to them would
| regret it.
Nothing may result from the present
agitation, but at any rate the develop
ments of the next two or three days will
be watched with considerable interest
| BY all lovers Of the game in this city.