The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-10
Manager Selee Will
Settle the Cues
ton Today.
SHREWSBURY STREET FAVORED.
Two Lots Offered There and
Either Will Make a
Good Park.

Frank G. Selee, principal owner Of
the Worcester base ball team, came to
Worcester yesterday, and, before he
leaves, the base ball grounds for next
season will be determined on.
It's pretty safe guessing that the
Worcester team for next season will
play on Shrewsbury street grounds, OPP
posite East park.
It's good guessing also that Frank j.
Leonard will manage the Worcester
team next year.
An irresponsible newspaper said a
few days ago the team would play at
the oval, and another manager would
be secured. Incidentally, it may be
said that several weeks ago The Spy
mentioned the Willingness of H. H.
Bigelow to fit UP the oval, and the
statement was undoubtedly drawn
from that.
Mr.. Selee would not say last evening
more than he intends to hold confer
ences today with owners of two sites
on Shrewsbury street, and also with
the Bigelows. When, however, he add
ed that now is the time to settle the
point as postholes should be dug before
the frost sets in, it isn't hard to guess
that he has in mind a new site.
But the site chosen may not be the
Henry-McGuire-B Buckingham lots. I'M
mediately below those lots Is a big
piece of vacant land owned by Corne-
Illus Maher & Son, real estate agents in
Walker building. This land has been
used as a public dump for many
months, and in the last few months
the owners have top-coated it with
loan. 1t is entirely filed and graded,
almost ready to be converted into a
ball park Mr.. Selee spoke of that land
last evening, expressing surprise and
pleasure at it's condition.
Mr.. Selee has consulted with officials
of the Consolidated Street Railway
company in regard to the Shrewsbury
street grounds. The street railway
company has offered to assist in build
ing grounds there. The irresponsible
newspaper said it had refused. The
company has also offered to equip the
dummy track for electrics as far as
the ground, which would be a great
convenience. Car. could line up on the
East Worcester street side of the
grounds, ready to carry the patrons
back to the city at a moments notice.
Mr.. Selee intended to consult with the
Bigelows last evening. He tried to make
an appointment with them, but could
not. He will see them today. He has
an appointment with owners of another
site, one of the two on Shrewsbury
street, and will see the owners of the
other. He said last evening: at shall
see everybody interested in site for
the grounds tomorrow"
The street railway company isn't
overjoyed at any prospect of having the
af ho Ga1n
able to gather that from what the Of
ficials said to him. He does not think
the oval far away, but he thinks the
accommodations for transportation are
not good. He said on this point, IT don't
think the oval is very far away If some
thing can be done toward furnishing
better accommodations. But the street
railway officials fear they can't. They
say they can not supply better power
on account of the distance from the
power station"
The third rail project isn't agreeable
to the street railway company. Mr., Sc
lee was informed that the company
could hardly find room enough on the
location for a third rail. Mr.. Bigelow
insists there is, but the Consolidated is
running that road now The Consolida-
ted says there isn't. What the Consoli-
dated says goes.
The objection of the street railway
company is easy to understand. Before
he left the city, Manager Leonard of
the team found that out. The street
railway company has enough to do in
summer time, taking care Of the lake
traffic, particularly during the hours
that the base ball crowds want trans
portation. The free shows at Lincoln
park bring thousands to the cars and
the road has all it wants to do looking
out for this traffic.
Mr. Selee has not been feeling any too
well for the last few days, and is re-
turning to Boston from a vacation in
Connecticut He stopped off at Worces-
ter and intends to settle the question of
grounds before he leaves.
The owners of the two sites on
Shrewsbury street have made excellent
offers. The Henry cGuire- Bucking-
ham site will be given at slight rent for
three years, and the Henry Brothers
have offered to fill in their lot. The es-
timated cost of filling in is about $1,000.
The entire cost to the club, for erecting
buildings and fence, filing in and rent,
is $4,000 in three years.
The Mahar lot contains about 100000
feet of land, sufficiently large for ball
grounds. 1t would seem from Mr.. Sc
lees remarks last evening he is favor
ably impressed toward the selection of
that lot but much VIII depend on the
terms OF lease.
He is favorably impressed with Wor-
cester as a ball city. To him belongs
the credit of properly sizing up Wor-
cester. While know-it-alls in this city,
who thought they could properly size
up the base ball situation here, contin-
ually said Worcester was dead in base
ball. Mr.. Selee insisted it would make a
good ball town. Three years ago he
made that remark Two years ago he
tried to get a franchise in the Eastern
league, but the officials of the league
wanted a big price, and he wouldn't pay
it, The experience of last year showed
Worcester a goood ball town. Speak
ing on the subject last evening, Mr.. Sc
lee said Worcester proved itself a good
ball city, and would do better next
year. The club came out ahead. and
at that was under a greater handicap
than any team in the league. He said
the money spent on players, advance
money, car fare and such expenses,
which would never be incurred except
under the peculiar circumstances of
last years team, was immense. The
late start and the failure to get players
the management desired at the outset,
put the club in bad way
He spoke well of Manager Leonard's
management. He said there is no more