The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-08

1t is the old, old story.
The hopes of the base ball cranks are
once more dashed to earth.
Worcester will have no team in the
Eastern League, after all.
1t is a disappointment to Worcester
and to the Eastern League alike
But it is all true.
Twenty-four hours ago all seemed
favorable for Worcester. and when
Manager Finn came to Worcester, yes
terday morning, it was with the ex-
pectation that the deal would be
quickly closed
He had not been in the city long
when he ran up against a snag, the
only possible snag that lay in the way
OF success. That snag could not be
surmounted, so Worcester must be
counted out.
The snag, the stumbling block, as it
were, was the matter of grounds. Man
eger Finn and those back of him in
the deal were expecting to play on the
falr grounds, but a brief conference
with President Leander F. Herrick
made them change their mind. Presi-
dent Her1ick was willing to let the
grounds, but only day by day. The
grounds are now in the market and it
was for that reason that he was unwill-
ing to give Manager Finn a lease for
the season, or even for half the season.
TO fix up the place for base ball erect
the necessary grandstand and bleach
ers would necessitate an outlay of
$4,000 or so. This amount Manager Finn
would have been willing to eXpend had
he been able to feel that the ground
would not be sold and cut UP into
building lots before the season had
hardly opened. 1t was more OF a
chance than any man would care to
take.
Finding the fair grounds were hard
w available, an effort was made to Sc
cure some sort of an arrangement
whereby the old ball park on Grove
street could be utilized Mr. Sails
bnry, however who owns the property,
is averse to letting it for any length
Of time for such purposes. AS at the
tair grounds, there would be the build
ing of grandstands and other accommo-
cations, to say nothing of a fence to
enclose the grounds. And when all
this was DONE those who had borne
the expenses would not feel at all set
tied. They might be asked to vacate
the property at any time.
Of course the oval site was consid-
cred, but it was given little more than
Passing consideration for the reason
that none of those gentlemen who were
interested in placing a team here were
IN favor of going down to Lake View
to play the games. 1t was found the
professional games would not be al
lowed upon the Holy Cross College
grounds, so all the possible sites We're
considered and rejected.
With no place TO play the games,
there was no use of holding an Eastern
League franchise, and Manager Finn
returned in the evening to New York,
considerably disappointed that his eff
forts here at securing grounds had been
so barren of results. He has ALWAYS
liked Worcester for a base ball CITY.
and during his time spent in the CITY
became more convinced than ever that
Worcester people wanted base ball, but
that 1t must be of a higher grade than
the New England League could offer,
In New York he will formally withdraw
his application for Worcester, and at
the meeting Tuesday some other city
Will get what Worcester wanted, and
what she might have obtained had
there been a suitable location avail
able
Now that the deal has fallen through,
bAiC AuCtS Va lllS case CAN De DuDllSDGQ,
They show that The Spy has main
tanned all along namely, that the ter
rltoral rights objection had been re-
moved, and THAI Finn was sure of his
franchise if he wanted it. Mr.. Finn
came to Worcester yesterday morning
from Providence, where the evening
previous he had held a conference with
the officials of the New England
League, of which Finn is himself a di-
l1n he
Worcester was not represented in the
n. E. League meeting, but the subject
was talked over, and a price named,
at which figure Mr.. Finn could buy of
the New England League, through its
president, T. H. Murnane, the rights to
Worcester. One quarter of the pur-
chase price, it was decided, should be
given to Mr.. Rice of this city for his
trouble in this city, and the rest should
go to the league as a whole, either to
be divided among the clubs or TO be
used in defraying the leagues running
expenses.
The meeting in Providence adjourned
with the understanding that Manager
Finn should come to this city to make
final arrangements, and that if every
thing went as smoothly as was expect
ed, a meeting of the New England
League directors would be called for
o'clock this afternoon in Clark's ho-
tel, Boston. when the formal vote au-
thorizing the disposition of territorial
rights in Worcester to Mr.. Finn would
be taken He could then secure from
the Eastern League meeting in New
York the franchise.
OF the Eastern League end of the
deal, Manager Finn was equally sure.
He received assurances by wire from
President Powers yesterday afternoon
that Worcester was all right, and could
have the franchise for the asking next
Tuesday. Worcester was wanted in the
league, and Manager Finn in turn
wanted Worcester. Upon the admission
of Worcester, too, meant the retirement
of the two Canadian cities, Toronto and
Montreal. But so long as Worcester
does not go in, the two cities across
the line will remain in membership in
the league
At Tuesdays meeting the new cities
to be admitted will in all probability
be Albany and Hartford. At Albany
the backing is of the gilt-edged order.
There is plenty of money, and in addi-
ton the street railway company has
offered to construct, free of all ex-
pense, two base ball parks, one for the
daily games. and the other where Sun
day base ball will be tolerated without
interference.
The probable circuit now looks like
Springfield Providence, Hartford, AL
bany Syracuse, Toronto, Montreal and
Rochester, with Worcester on the out
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