The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25
BASEBALL LEAGUE PLANS
The Meeting of Magnates in New
York Without Result.
Washington aud baltimore The
Rocks on which the Managers
Not for SHIe-President Powers Tn
able 10 Dictate-BiS cities Doubtful!

/ NEW YORK. March 24-The delegates
to the Eastern Lesgu. meeting at tba
( Fifth Avenue Hotel held d secret couftb OF
/ four long hours and adjourned TO meet
again next Thursday. alter first agreeing
/ to preserve an air Of mystery whom ques-
/ toned as to what had been done. Possibly
one Of the reasons why The delegates dij
not care to talk WIS because the Eastern
! League just at present is in quite fix
| over the chance to admit Baltimore and
/ Washington to the circuit While p 7.
/ Powers wanted 70 make room Tor the new
members. who have but recently been
/ dropped 10y the National League he is
meeting with obstacles that are al present
. hard to surmouut and for that matter some
/ OF the delegates are rather Inclined 20
proceed with the circuit they had last year.
! In order TO admit Baltimore and Wash
/ ingtou, and at the same time avoid a
ten-club circuit Powers had figured that
[ the Springfield franchise could be trans
! terTed to Washington and the Hartford
franchise to McGraw's town. But Spring
, field. represented by c. T. Sheau. regis
tered such a formidable protest To-Day that
there was an immediate tie-up. 1t appears
( that Springfield has always been a money
maker up TO last season. But when Tom
| Burns, the manager. went TO Chicago ne
! took with him much of the old interest in
/ the game. Burns is again manager of the
Springfield team, and there is a boom there
now in baseball. Shean feels that he can
80 ahead with profit and also says that
Springfield people take pride in being rep
resented. So when the delegates began 10
] talk the circuit question over this morning
Shean promptly informed them that
Springheld's franchise was not for sale al
any price. No amount Of argument could
alter Sheans determination to stick. so
that the delegates tired out. turned to
Hartford represented by William Barnie.
There was no trouble about transferring
this franchise 10 Baltimore as far as Bar
ME was concerned as be has been anxious
to make this deal for some months past
but there was opposition, it is said, on the
part Of several clubs which believed that
the attitude Of the Baltimore public to
ward the Eastern League. because of the
influence of McGraw and Robinson, would
be detrimental. Some Of the delegates eX-
pressed the opinion that a conference with
McGraw and a suggestion that he interest
himself financially in the new Baltimore
club would serve to make the road easier
to travel. not only for the league. but also
for Barnie. Just how this snag was treat
ed is not known, but it was reported that
President Powers had an engagement to
keep with McGraw, who was stll in the
city.
When It was found that things were cf-
fecually blocked, II was dec ded to ap-
point a circuit committee which should 20
ever the ground and make a report on next
Thursday. This committee is composed Of
G. w. Sweeny, OF Rochester: f. J. Leon !
ard, Of Worcester: p. Hyle, Of Syracuse;
pf a. f4sfF
SheaD. Of Springfield. The fact that Pres |
ident Powers was not included in the list !
was not explained, but IL does not reflect 1
upon him in any way. If the committee
should recommend the dropping of Ralti-
more and Washington it would probably
go. as the influential Eastern League
clubs are handling this matter now. One
Of the delegates SAID tonight:
Most Of us would be perfectly satisfied
10 20 on without Baltimore and Washing .
ton but President Powers believes that /
those cities should be taken in by ali means /
If Springfield means business it will be nee /
cssary to drop one or two Southern cities /.
from our calculations. Hartford is a loser
but there are other towns in the North that /
could be taken in, notably Newark or Jer- (
sey City"
President Powers on the other hand ar
CUES that Baltimore and Washington viii !
make the Eastern League more powerful .
than ever before and that they should be
taken In hand al all hazards Powers has |
great influence with the Eastern Leaguers.
who. by the way. reelected him for the
eighth successive year and raised his sal
AIRY $50 over what he got last season. Tho
situation, therefore is dependent upon F..
whether Powers or certain members Of the
circuit committee can win. u Sheau
would put price on his franchise some
o. u fr.g "a Lfa 10 d f.Hltr