Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-02-07
.OLOF KRANzISS|GNED.
Promising Young Pitcher First to
Join the Rock Island
Ball Club.
HAS MADE A FINE RECORD
President Sexton Has Encourage
ing Reports From All Over
the Circuit.

OlOI ~. hfanZ, Oh DlSnOp Hill VINO
attracted attention in the baseball
world last season by his pitching for
the Cambridge semi-professional
team. has been signed by Rock Island.
He is the first man to Join the local
club
He is % years of age and is said to
have the qualities that insure him a
high place among the occupants of the
diamond box, providing he is proper
ly coached and continues to exercise
the good judgment that has thus far
characterized his work. Other towns
in the league were bidding for Kranz.
Belden Hill having been especially
anxious to secure him for Cedar
Rapids.
Report About Peoria Groundless.
nj. H. Sexton, president of the
league, returned today from Decatur,
where he attended the state conven-
ton of the retail merchants as dele
gate from the Rock Island Merchants
association. On his way home he
dropped off in Peoria to investigate
a report. and which. happily, he
found to be unwarranted, that the
distillery town was about ready to
throw up the sponge because those
behind the club there had been"de-
feated in their desire to have the
association adhere to the plan of
former seasons of paying the visiting
teams $40 per game instead of divid-
ing the receipts, as IL has been de-
cided to do the coming season. Mr..
Sexton was assured by Messrs. Hur-
ley and Bartson. who hold the fran
chise, and who are known to have the
support of leading business people of
the city, that Peoria would BIZ there
with the goods as early as any city
in the circuit; that while the guaran-
tee plan was preferable to the fran
chise-holders there, they were not
'ssore heads" and would work just
as earnestly for the success of the
league as if they had had everything
their own way. Mr.. Sexton has re-
ports from all other towns in the cir
cult. aud as a whole he says he could
not hope for brighter outlook.
other Ball News
l.. NJ. Stockwell is a candidate for
umpire in the new league. 9f
The Cedar Rapids association has
elected these officers: Scot Metcalf.
president; u G. Blake, secretary, and
George Kudy, treasurer.
A telegram from Rockford says:
1.-The Rockford association in the new
Neutrality-suspicious. league was or
ganized tonight at a meeting held at
the Nelson hotel. Nearly one hun
dred representative business men
were present and considerable enthu-
siasm was shown. A board of direc-
tors was elected and Frank S. Eimi-
son named as secretary. Hugh Nicol
will probably manage t he local team. "
The Davenport Baseball association
was organized at meeting last night
by the election of the following Off
GERS: f. M. Sharon, president; Max
Ochs, vice president. and j. L. Hayes,
secretary and treasurer. The club
has options on the McManus and Dit
mer tracts. either of which is suitable
for park purposes. Both are located
at the western terminus of the Third
street line. Financially the Daven-
port association states through its
officers that it is in good shape. hav-
ing promise of the support of the bus
ness men of the city.