The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-28
POOR OLD WESTERN
PRESIDENT WHITFIELD AND HIS
FOLLOWERS MUST NOW ADJ
NIT THEIR DEFEAT
EVERYTHING LOOKS AMERICAN
Repcrt of BenII-Febeau Trade Is
acknowledgements to Fight
RourIke in Omaha Is
organized.

As The days roll by Whitfield, Rourke
Nqnning and the other Western league
leaders who predicted that the new Atltf-
lean association would never get any
fa rther than the paper stage, are tnlhN-
inc seriously of requesting another guess.
1 ne Hickey ASSOCIATION will hold d meet
ing in Kansas City Monday next, ana
after that meeting the fanatics OF tue
Western baseball world will learn the
true strength of the new organization
The American magnates have been work
ing steadily ever since the Chicago meet
ing and when the time for disclosing
their strength arrives they claim that
the baseball public will be ready to admit
that the new organization ranks third III
the list of baseball leaSt es-following
right behind the American and National
leagues.
In awarding the Minneapolis franchise
to Walter Wilmot, President Hickey COM
pleted the preliminary work of his league,
and with the circuit a certainty the
American club owners have gone ahead
with their preparations for the coming
season. Several Of the American men
have been extra busy, and already Hickey
has a large list of players signed for the
different teams.
A study of this list proves what T h e
Clio b has maintained since the begin
ming of the clash between the American
ana WeStern-that the cry for competi-
tion in this particular fight is an absurd
argument-for on it can be found many
players playing in the American league
last season.
And the fact that they were dropped by
the big league does not mark them as
''has-becns. The American raided the
National at the close of last season ana
secured a large list of stars When these
stars came to the American, players had
to be dropped to make room for them
will I,G1r NAL 10 tIa
citation the strongest minor league in the
country.
George Lennon, president of the St
Paul team, is not sitting idle while the
other American magnateS are rounding
up the players Manager Mike Kelley has
been travelling about the country for the
past two months. and reports received by
Lennon show that Kelley is attending to
business.
Kelley has now secured a strong team
and if present plans are carried out, this
team will do its spring training at Rich
mCnd, Ind. President Lennon had con-
sidered the idea of training the St. Paul
team near the Minneapolis team but he
insists that Kelley is the manager of the
ST. Paul team and Kelley has the right
of way in making any plans that he may
deem fit and proper.
IF Manager Kelley has planned to
train the team at Richmond next spring, t.
Team will train at Richmond Kelley is
in charge Of the st. Paul team"
1t is q bitter pill for Whitfield for
Rourke, and for the reckless critics sid
Ing with the Western, but they must
now, all of them, admit defeat The
Western is out of Minneapolis and being
our of Minneapolis is out of ST. Paul
Tebeau and Beall have traded parks.
and Tebeau has sold his Minneapolis
parks to Wilmot. The deal has been
completed, and the Western if it at
tempts TO enter St Paul and Minneapo-
lis, must build new parks-which it can
not afford to do.
The critics favoring the Western have
stopped writing and are now waiting for
Whitfield, but Whitfield looks a league
president unable to say word
Punishment for Beall was promised.
The former Minneapolis magnate was to
be rebuked if the Western discovered
that he had seld out or traded his Min
neapolis holdings. Whitfield now knows
that Beall has exchanged his Minneap-
Oils parks, and the watchers of the war
are still waiting for Mr.. Whitfields ex-
hibition of authority.
just at the present time Nh BeaA is
treating the Western leaders to fine
exhibition of independence. He appears
to pe politely inquiring as to what ac-
tioa his esteemed companions intend to
iohe' anu He uoes NOT appear 10 De at all
frightened at the promise of punishment
The cards have been switched and
now the Western looks the league that
will never advance beyond the paper
stage. There is just one chance left
for the Whitfield league. The Western
can start off as six club league and,
III doing so, should go through sue
cessful season. st. Paul and Mime
apolis are lost and Whitfield will be
pronounced sage if he forgets all about
the plans TO enter Milwaukee