Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-13
NEW BALL LEAGUE.
A Six Club Asso citation Formed
in This City Saturday.
TWO WORCESTER TEAMS.
CANCEL, the Old Boston Catcher,
to Run Club at Oval.
The Lyceums Play at South Worcester
Other Members of the Association to
Represent Marlboro, Fitchburg, cIin-
ton and westboro.

tention to organizing their individual
teams and wait for the opening of the
playing season.
The personnel of the league as it now
stands is Marlboro, Fitchburg, Clinton,
Westboro, with two teams in this city,
making what promises to be a compact
and profitable organization. These were
selected at the meeting held Saturday
afternoon in Kennedy's Hotel on Me-
chanic street. Representative of II diff
ferent mines interested in one way or
another with county base ball were
present, and at first it looked as if there
might be difficulty in forming a league,
for the reason that it would be difficult
and delicate to select some of the teams
and drop the others.
The difficulty, however, was partly
solved when, on an informal ballot, three
teams voted against the organization of
a league, favoring the playing of indie
pendent ball. but under mutual condi-
tions. These teams were those in Graf
ton, Webster and one of the teams from
this city. This left eight teams from
which to select the six, and on the first
ballot the two Worcester teams, Clinton,
Marlboro, Westboro and East Douglas
were the ones to receive the highest
number Of votes. East Douglas, although
her representative had voted for an as
sociation, withdrew, leaving Fitchburg
and Spencer to fight it out. This time
Spencer was thrown down, leaving the
six teams.
No small amount of regret was ex-
pressed that the Grafton association
should be unwilling to enter the scheme.
Manager Charles F. Rice attended the
meeting, and said that personally he be-
lieved the scheme was a good one and
should prove successful The other di-
Nf h &c 1r1h hec
to a league, and so his hands were tied
in the matter. 1t was suggested that
possibly sentiment in favor of a league
might be worked up among the MEM
bers of the Grafton association, but
Manager Rice said he had tried to do it,
but in vain, and said he could frankly
tell the other teams that it would be
useless to make the attempt
The withdrawal of Webster and East
Douglas are undoubtedly to the leagues
advantage. Webster was once a good
town, and may be again this year but
at best it is little more than an expert
ment. East Douglas everybody knows is
a red-hot ball ground but as one of the
members said after the meeting, 'It is
too much in one corner of the man. to
be convenient. Spencer may prove a hot
ball town this season. Those who have
been creating an interest in the game
'lSic nave SOHe at II IN the right sort
of way, and it did seem rather hard
to throw them down. But Spencer in the
past has not shown its ability to keep
up to the band wagon when it came to
ball playing, and if it failed again this
year it might work detrimentally to the
league
Lovers of the national game will be
pleased that two clubs in the league
Will be located in this city. They will
pull together, and when one is playing
local game the other will be out Of
town. In that way Worcester is in
sured of baseball every Saturday and
probably an outside game in the mid
die of the week as well. One of the
Worcester teams will be managed by
Charles Cancel, for many years catcher
of the Boston league team, while the
Lyceums will hold the other local men,
bership.
1t will come as a surprise to many to
learn that Charley Cancel is to have
anything to do with baseball here, but
those on the inside have known all
along that it was Worcester, not Mil
ford, in which he was interested, but
not until yesterdays meeting did
he publicly announce that fact
Camel has the very best of
backing, and he already has his
eye on some good men. There is no
lCdoOll why ne SHOulu not nave a nTSL-
class team in the field. Camel will
probably do the back-stop work him
self, and he alone should prove no small
drawing card.
AS is well known now, the Lyceum
boys do not intend to play straight
Lyceum team this season. They are go
ing to get good men, wherever they are
to be found, and in that way expect to
hold their own in the very best of COM
OatI III
home games on the Lyceum grounds,
while CAMEL has secured the Oval for
his games. The managers of both
teams desire it Distinctly understood
that they will work in harmony, and
have not the slightest idea Of running in
opposition to each other.
The teams are all within easy travel
ing distance of each other, and are so
situated as to be natural rivals Wor-
cester, Marlboro and Fitchburg are all
within a II mile radius of Clinton,
while Westboro, by virtue of steam and
electric railroad connections is as well
located geographically Thus that great
bugaboo Of every small league, heavy
travelling expenses, will be obviated.
Manager Spaulding, who has had as
much experience in county baseball as
any one in this section, will preside
over the destinies of the Marlboro team
as he did so successfully last season.
In Clinton, Frank Connaughton, the
old league player, will be manager and
owner Of the team, while competent
parties will look after the teams in
Westboro and Fitchburg, both Of which
are places fully large enough to sup
port such a team well.
The meeting was called to order short
ly before 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon,
with j. H. Conway of Webster as chair
man and Walter E. Hapgood of the Spy
as secretary There was one accredited
delegate present from each one of the
IL teams, although in some cases he was
accompanied by two or three others in
terested in the game Each club had
but a single vote in the deliberations of
the body. The authorized delegates
were
Clinton, Frank Connaughton; East
Douglas, Edward e. Young; Fitchburg,
Patrick F. Shea; Grafton, Charles f.
Rice; Marlboro, George H. Spaulding;
Westboro, Charles b. McManus: Web
ster, ]. II. Conway; Worcester Lyceum,
T. F. OReilley; Worcesters. Charles
Cancel; Spencer, James F. Lannigan;
Worcester team, Q. w. Leydon.
After the reading Of the minutes of the
first meeting, held two weeks ago the
delegate from each town was asked to
give his views An with the exception
of Messrs. Rice of Grafton and Conway
Of Webster spoke as being in favor Of
league, but did not believe there
should be more than six clubs included