Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-11-19
BALL NEXT YEAR
Annual Meeting of the Three-I
League to be Held in Chi
cago Thursday
TO DECIDE CIRCUIT QUESTION
There Are to be More Than
Eight Towns Coming
Season.

The annual meeting of the Illinois.
Indiana and Iowa league will be held
at the Palmer house in Chicago
Thursday. At this time officers will
/ be elected and the circuit for next
year decided.
Secretary Eddy left today for
Chicago to attend the meeting. Pres
ident NJ. II. Sexton, of the league,
and President j. f. Munger, of the
local association, go tomorrow.
With the present eight members all
eager to be in the game when the
bell sounds next spring and with five
cities clamoring for admission and
prospects of two more candidates
being added TO the number. the tight
little Three-I finds the outlook as
rosy as it could we'll desire. There
is no lack of money and material, the
only question is this: Is it advisable
10 make any changes in the circuit?
The Rockford correspondent of the
Sporting News. thus sizes the situa-
ton:
1T Will not be surprising if the
ma iority feel that the rule. let well
enough alone should be adhered to.
The present eight clubs have done
well and all are in line for next sea-
son with better prospects than last.
They are quite harmonious. too. un-
derstanding and having confidence in
one another. They are proud of. the
record of last season. and certainly
not disposed, without the most care
full consideration, to make any
changes.
Might Strengthen League.
On the other hand. the addition
of say Joliet and Dubuque
might strengthen the league good
bit in n financial way. 1t would add
novelty. a good thing in a small
league. Dubuque was never Il quitter
and Joliet has not had any baseball
of the league stamp since 1892. Both /
are as ripe as can be and were Evans
vile and Terre Haute to eVince any
desire to break away, these two |
would likely be picked without hesi-
tation as their successors. But the |
Indiana cities We're strongholds of |
the league last season and seem to |
be well satisfied to remain in it, and |
unless there is something brewing |
away down deep the candidates are |
getting in rests on the formation of |
1O-club league.
Mr. Sexton said quite emphati- |
caIIy at the Decatur meeting that he |
would not be president another sea |
son. The representatives told him
more emphatically that he would be. |
Nothing more was said at the time. /
the delegates feeling they had made |
it plain TO the Rock Island man that /
they wouldn't hear to parting with |
him. Nevertheless, Mr.. Sexton prob /
ably will decline re-election at the |
Chicago meeting-there are persls-
tent rumors to that effect-but ii is |
a certainty that his declinatiOn isn't
going to he listened to unless he can
advance some reason more potent
than anything the club owners can
imagine at present.
Statesman of Game.
''In a single season MIR. Sexton took
IL place among the statesmen of the
game From the instant he was
elected he Drought to bear on his
duties his far-sightedness, conserva-
tive methods ana business ability OF
Il high order. He, placed himself IN
touch with the men who have the IN
terest of the game most at heart;
he studied the baseball situation in
general and applied himself 70 its
graver problems. The result was
that when the occasion arose for the
minor leagues to take the reins IN
their own hands and insure the sta-
biIity of the sport he was at once
a leader i'm the movement and had as
much to do if not more than any
other man in bringing about the
new and much desired departure.
Rockford wants Mr.. Sexton TO CON
tinue in his present position. The in
terests of the league and the game
in general demand it.
Rosy Reports
Nothing but enthusiastic reports
come from cities who were I'm last
year. Decatur has recognized ana
engaged manager. Cedar Raplds
reports a comfortable sum in the
treasury and as strong support next
year as this. Terre Haute and Evans
vile have nothing 10 worry about III
money matters. Bloomington IS IN
the same position and Rock Island
and Davenport say that they eouldh