Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-27
ROGER IN SPRINGFIELD
The Papers of That City Determined
 to Support His Team.

to Support His Team.
 The following from the Springfield Daily News explains itself:
 In q maze of blurred type the fol lowing paragraph was detected in an article ill yesterdays Union:
 One of the Meriden papers uses as an argument i'll favor of Bristol the fact that baseball is dead in Spring field. This is based on an article which appeared several days ago in the Daily News. Why this paper should throw cold water on Springfield having q franchise is a mystery The writer of the article must be in league with Bristol. At any rate it de serves but passing comment
 The Daily News. is very glad of this opportunity to again explain it's atti- tude on the baseball situation in this city, and hopes that this time it will be made sO plain thst even the most dense of sporting writers here and i'll Meriden may have no difficulty in see ing the light.
 When the question Of providing Springfield with a team in the Connec- ticut State league WIS first brought last winter, tle News did not hesitate to go on record against any such plan. It was hoped in these quarters that the city would soon find an opportunity for representation in D better organiza- tion, and the News has just enough pride in home Institutions to believe that this city can hold its own in the fastest of minor leagues. It was the same kind of local pride that was shown by every paper in Hartford 10er4 s@n4, 4a- arose.
 But the News on all occasions stat ed emphatically that the moment that Springfield was once settled in aHY league, every support in the world would be given rthe new enterprise in these columns. Accordingly the News, i'll last Thursdays edition, printed the following, ill order that the attitude of the paper on the subject might be clearly understood:
 All hail, then, to Springfield's new manager, Roger Connor. Let the cranks stand by and give him every encouragement. and show by their generous patronage to the State league that the city is worthy of still better things. At the outset Manager Connor inspires confidence He declares that Springfield will have the best baseball to be seen in the league, and assures the local cranks that no such dead -ones'' as have queered the game i'll many places shall be turned loose on the local diamond.
 If the new manager lives up to that promise he will certainly be heartily supported. It. is no wild prediction to state that he will do as he agrees. He has made good in past years in all most every baseball enterprise with which he has been identified, and has won an enviable reputation in the na- tional game.
 He has bluff, independent manner that is not generally found in the av- craze baseball promoter. He totally lacks the soft shoe, time serving spirit of some. and the sullen, thickwitted ignorance of others. He does not hes itate to criticise anything he dislikes, but is eminently fair in discussing even criticism of himself.
 Therefore, it may be said that Springfield enters the baseball field under encouraging circumstances. A good manager and q good team seem to be assured at the very start. With these great advantages there should be no excuse for local cranks staying away from the game. There will be a good many interested eyes looking at Springfield next spring. Let it be clearly shown that baseball is not by any means dead here, and that it can survive many blows given. Let it be clearly demonstrated that good man. ager and a good team are just as well come in Springfield as that poor manager and team of cheap skates are undesirable. Let every man be- come an enthusiast. and try to keep the sport alive here next summer, for cer- tainly city of Springfield's size should be able to support q baseball team of high character.
 Is there anything in the above that would lead even the imbecile to believe that the writer of the article was .'in league with BristolT' Did any paper in Springfield extend a more hearty welcome to Manager Connor than is given in the above? If so, the News failed to observe it.
 The article in the News which the Meriden paper made the great to-do over was merely a story calling atten- ton to the fact that the papers on the circuit were treating Springfield as an interloDer in the organization. The News objected to such view and took the Meriden paper, in particular, to task in an unmistakable manner. The Meridian man was careful to print, however. only that part of the article which he considered would serve his purpose.
 The article referred to may be wor- thy of but passing comment" but even that is more than anything in The Union sporting colnms has been accorded of late.
 In conclusion The News wishes if. distinctly understood that good local baseball for the coming season will be nowhere more heartily supported than in the columns of this paper. Mana ger Connor was told this at the outset, and has declared that he is more than pleased with the article which appeared in this paper on baseball thus far.