Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-13
ROURKE TALKS BASE BALL
Local Magnsts Bees Rossats Lining to All
Of the Clouds.
PREDICTS A SEASON or GOD SPORT
Discussion of the Chances of Louis
Vile aud Indianapolis for Places
in the Western League
Other Gossip.

| Manager w A. Rourke OF the Omaha
| Base Ball club is confident that India n
apolis and Louisville will be taken into the
| Western league this season. There is no
| question" he says, "of the anxiety of these
| two cities to get franchises in the Western.
| This being the case, the only thing neces-
| sary in order to enable them to Join the
fold is to make some satisfactory arrange
| ment with Mr.. Packard, who has the Den
yer franchise
"A franchise was granted Mr.. Packard at
| Denver for Ave years and he holds the
whip hand in the situation. | doubt not,
however, but that he will dispose Of his
franchise II satisfactory compensation is
| made In case the league determines that
It wants Louisville and Indianapolis and
Mr. Packard stands in the way OF that con
summation. he places himself in a very un-
enviable position. | think there will be
no trouble in reaching terms with Packard,
| however. He will doubtless realize that Il
the league stands as a whole for the ad-
| mission OF the two eastern cities and his
| interference prevents their admission
mighty unpleasant things could happen.
| For instance. the league might refuse TO
| adopt an equalization Of mileage. That
would leave the Denver team in sore
| straits financially, because OF the long
| jumps II must make to and from home.
| Rourke Makes Prediction.
"lf Mr.. Packard sells his franchise it will
kgo to Indianapolis. Hulens franchise will
/ be transferred to Louisville. have not
yet heard from President Hickey relative
| to the meeting at st. Paul. He has been
| looking over the eastern situation carefully
| and has written me that he will wire the
| western managers when they are to meet.
/ think Saturday will probably be the day.
| am as confident that indianapolis and
Louisville will be admitted into the Western
at the st. Paul meeting as l am of anything
| In the world.
The JOY OF the fans throughout the en-
tire west and especially in Omaha at the
outlook for a rafting good league, such as
we Will have with Louisville and lndianapo-
lis in, is shared by the promoters Of the
game. Naturally we will feel gratifed in
Omaha to be pitted against teams represent.
ing cities OF the type that will compose the
| western. think this step Is merely an
advance toward the reorganization of the
old western circuit. Next year | venture
the opinion, Omaha will be, numerically
| the smallest city in the league | look
for Milwaukee and Detroit to get into the
fold and 1t will be scrap between Des
Moines, st. Paul, st. Joseph and Omaha
TO see which are dropped out to make room
! for the more pretentious cities. There Il
little probability OF Omaha being dropped
out. The base ball enthusiasm in this citv
Is too well established and the game is too
generously patronized to warrant the DOS
sibility OF our being dropped out OF the
| western, no matter what other changes
might be made in the circuit"
Bosses the Carpenters
Manager Rourke spent yesterday morning
at the Vinton street park. where he has a
| force OF carpenters erecting the club house
which Will occupy the vacant space under
the grandstand. AS soon as the ground
gets into condition grading operations will
begin.
with the impetus that has been given the
| western and the influence that has been
added by the probability of the leagues
| expanding toward the east, cracking good
| players have begun to look toward the
! league for positions. Manager Rourke has
opened correspondence during the last few
days with several high-class players and
expects to land the ones he wishes before
| the opening OF the practice season, April l.
| II have a line out for a pitcher who was
| with Cleveland last year" he says, "and
| have every reason to believe that | will
get him. 1t Is certainty that before the
opening OF the playing season in May will
have succeeded in getting enough add-
tions to my already strong team to make
| IL rank up as good as any in the league"