The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-30
BUTTE News.
GOSSIP Of THE DIAMOND
Talk of Reducing the Number of
Clubs.
WILL NOT BE EIGHT CLUBS
Baltimore and Cleveland Will Be Adam
doned by the League - Eastern
Deal Is Certain-Ofer for
the Orio1e Franchise
WILL NOT BE EIGHT CLUBS

After all the talk about reducing the
National Baseball league to eight clubs
it is about agreed by all concerned not
to make such a sweeping reduction at
this time Baltimore and Cleveland, it
is planned will be abandoned. The
National league baseball magnates have
practically come to an agreement on the
circuit for next season. All hope has
been abandoned of pairing the circuit
down to eight clubs, and the schedule
which will be proposed at the meeting
in New York Feb. IS will provide for 10
clubs. The programme includes the
abandonment of Cleveland and Balti-
more. The Spiders will so to St. Louis
and the Western League club at Column
bus will be transferred to Cleveland.
A conflrnlatory report has come from
the Ohio city, and with it the assurance
that Frank De Haas Robson will take
his team to the bailwick of Won der
Abe Mr.. Robson's threat that he must
have an interest in any baseball club
which is located in Cleveland is not re-
garded seriously by the Western league
magnates, and no hitch is expected to
arise when the actual transfer is to be
made.
President johnson of the Western
league admitted that he had done moth
ing in regard to fixing up the schedule,
at the same time intimating hat he was
waiting for the final disposition of the
Cleveland National league franchise.
President Killelea of the Milwaukee
ball club said that he was in favor of
transferring the Columbus franchise to
Cleveland. He considered that Cleve-
land would round out the western Cir
cult to a nicely and that the city would
probably be one of the best in the
league.
In speaking of the St. Louis baseball
muddle he said that he believed that |
Won der Abe would lose his case and his |
appeal to the supreme court would |
hardly materialize. In case the ST. |
Louis magnate should care to carry the |
case higher he would in all likelihood |
be compelled to give a bond amounting |
to perhaps 100000 and it was not likely |
that Won der Abe would be able to |
raise that sum or get the security for |
that amount.
Receiver Muckenfuss of the ST. Louis
club is said to be playing into the hands
OF the magnateS who are interested in |
getting Won der Abe out of the league.
Muckenfuss has been promised a posi- |
ton under the new regime in the Mound
city and he is now bending ali of his
energies to get the tangles Strengthened |
out in regard to the Sportsmans Park |
association. Won der Abe claims that |
Muckenfuss has played him false and |
der poss' has threatened to bring suit
against his former protege.
Muckenfuss will have the backing of |
all the parties interested, and it's is as
serted on good authority Mr.. Robson
will probably be in possession of the
ST. Louis franchise within a week or 10 |
days, and then the final chapter in the
drama, Won der Abe and His Credi-
tors" will have come to a close.
Despite the contradictory reports
from the East that the Brooklyn Balti-
more deal might fall through, it is al
most certainty that the consolidation
will take place. A street railroad in
Brooklyn has taken a hand in the affair."
The street railroad company con-
tributed $4,000 to the new baseball
grounds with the understanding that
the trolley dodgers would have a cham
pionship team in the field next season.
1t was expected that the money would
be paid back, but with last years team
in the field the investment could be re-
garded in the light of a donation The
street car company now demands that
the consolidation take place, and it
promises to decide the issue
Muggsy" McGraw has made an offer
of $4,000 for the Baltimore franchise,
but, with Hanlon and his aggregation
cut of the Oriole town, baseball in that
locality can be regarded as KILLED"
Baltimore as a national league town
will be stricken off the map and the 10
club league schedule will be passed.
AS far as Montana is concerned there
is no clue to the identity of any well
defined plan to organize any kind of a
league in this state 1t is more than