The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-23
SPORTING NEWS.
Prospects For the Reduction of
League Are Poor.
Nick Young Says $162, 500
Cannot Be Subscribed.
TO BRING THE RESULT
He Thinks Louisville and CleVe-
land Clubs
VIII Have to Be Carried Fer
Two Years More.

Washington, D. G., Dec. 23.-"There
will be no fancy figures paid by the
National league" said President
Young today, with a view to securing
franchises which practically have no
value whatever This is particularly
true in regard to the Louisville club,
whose players have all been released
to the Pfttsburg organization to do with
as is deemed best Inasmuch as a good
sum was paid for these releases, all OF
which have been received by me at the
league headquarters, there does not
seen to be any reason for further nego-
tiations looking to the purchase OF a
franchise thus rendered worthless. AS
for the Baltimore club, the $4,000 aSEed
in that direction will prove bar to sat
isfactory settlements among the mag
mates of the National league. The TOUR
clubs depended upon by those anxious
to secure a reduction of the circuit nave
overreached themselves, and it is sim
ply prepOsterOuS to talk about $lb2soOU
being subscribed by the league to bring
about such a result. There would De
no money in it for anybody. Under these
circumstances some other plan must be
proposed looking to a reduction of the
circuit, and nobody need be surprised II
the old twelve-club schedule is adhered
to for the ensuing two years. beginning
with the spring Of 1900
ITO be sure, a ten-club circuit could
be managed. but this would leave two
baseball and helping to defray the ex-
penses of their owners While there
might not be large crowds at the nome
grounds in Cleveland or Louisville, both
of these clubs would do enough business
away from home to justify their con-
tfnuance for a couple of years longer
with a club like the Brooklyn, To-
Gated in New York, there is no reason
why there should not be a profit Of
S125, 600 at the close of the season, but
this will be impossible for the next two
years under the Indianapolis agree
ment. When that agreement was
adopted there was no such place as
Greater New York, and consequently
there is nothing to prevent Brooklyn
from completing the terms OF that COM
pact for 10 years. This is one of the
principal reasons why the Brooklyn
club can not and will not be absorbed
by the New York organization, and it
is simply out of the question to even
discuss such a, proposition.
Among the cities of the National
league it is pretty close for first place
in point of receipts between Philadel-
phia and New York, while Pittsburg,
Chicago. Boston and Cincinnati are
pretty well punched in this respect.
Washington comes next, and with a
team standing in seventh place, or sixth
at the best it could be relied upon to
furnish an average daily attendance of
more than can be said of other more
prosperous cities, but the returns made
to me in the past from the gross re-
ceipts are my source of information on
this subject
When we paid off our indebtedness
the 10 per cent of the gross receipts
which was formerly sent to me was
stopped, and for the last year or so
each club has divided its receipts equal
ly with the visiting team on a so per
cent basis for each patron, with the ex-
ception of the Philadelphia club. Even
since 1892 the Washington club has
made money for its owners, and in one
season its grand stand was paid for out
of the profits without disturbing a pen
ny of the capital stock of the club. So
far as my connection with the league
as its president is concerned, it should
be borne in mind I was chosen for a
term Of four years, being elected unani-
mOusly. Like the Indianapolis agree
ment my term of Office is good for a
couple of years yet, and do not pro-
pose to retire voluntarily. Besides, my
friends among the magnates have
COunseled me against reSigning under
pressure of any sort, and I have assur-
ances that they will stand by me in the
future as they have in the past