The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-23
BALL SEAS0NlS OVER
d u
g i
TEAMS OF THE AMERICAN Asso.
cIAToN COMPLETE THEIR
SCHEDULE
REPORTS FROM CIRCUIT
SHOW HEALTHY CONDITION
Organization Has Met With Fair Sue
cess-Board Of Directors to Meet and
Decide Future Course ~at Once
Louisville indianapolis Farce Must
Be Lived Down.

The ball teams of the American as
sociation-the association organized by
T. J. Hickey at the close of the 1901
baseball Season-have played out their
schedule. The championship honors go
to Indianapolis. Louisville fighting to
the last,must content itself with second
place, and third place comes to st.
Paul.
A meeting of the board of directors
of the association will be held in Chi
cago tomorrow afternoon, and at this
meeting the future Of the organization
will be determined upon. Rumors
have changed the circuit many times,
but if the word Of the different club
owners of the association can be re-
lied upon, the American will start off
next season with the circuit of 1902.
The American association has lived
through it's first season. Alone and I'M
aided the association has missed the
larger rocks and the reports from the
different towns of the circuit would
indicate that the surplus is on the
right side of the page. Al
Fortunately, fanatics are not pos
sessed of long memories. 1.-THE fight for
the 1902 pennant WILL without doubt,
be forgotten by next season if the as
sociation offers any kind Of decent ball
to it's supporters.
1t must be admitted that the finish
of the season was a disgrace. 1t may
have meant much to the association
to land the pennant in Louisville, but
the public supports the ball game be-
cause it believes that of all the pro-
fessional sports the ball game stands
out the one clean SPORT
Games Were Thrown.
The games at Minneapolis and St
Paul were deliberately thrown to the
teams fighting for championship hon.
ors. st. Paul enthusiasts, realizing
that the game was being played, did
not raise loud objection at the part
taken by the st. Paul team, for, with
Clymer on the Louisville team, the
fans here were willing to see Watkins
win out.
Watkins was excused, but this does
not excuse the finish Of the associa-
ton. By making farce of the windup
the club owners themselves did more
in a few days to injure the new asso-
citation than was done all season by
the members Of the organization Of
minor leagues and other enemies Of
the American.
This is one thing that the American
association will have to live down.
The Saints drew third place in the
race. At the start off the st. Paul on
thusiasts thought they saw pennant
moving toward Lexington park at last,
but the vision faded away.
In all fairness to Manager Mike
Kelley 1t must be said that with the
team picked for st. Paul before the
season was on Kelley would have land
ed the championship honors for st.
Paul Fanatics insist that the man
agement must give them pennant
winning team before the management
can expect the support, but they must
give Kelley credit for making the only
real try noticed here in years.
If Kelley had been allowed a chance
to go through the season with the men
he picked for the battle the disgrace
full finish of the first season Of the
American would have been avoided.
With Joe Bean, Roy Evans, Danny
Shay, Dave Brain, Warner and even
Bill Wilson on the team Kelley would
have finished up at the top. But these
men broke faith and disappointed the
manager at the last minute, and when
it was too late to fill up the holes.
Had Fair Support.
While the local management has not
yet announced the attendance for the
season, it is not believed that the club
finished behind the line. A number Of
small crowds have turned out to the
games at Lexington, but several big
days were noticed, and the Saints were
fortunate enough to, participate in
number of the big days on the road.
The finish OF the race was not sur
prise to the fans who made a close study
of different q
lumbus appeared to promise a runaway
race, but the Senators proved, as every
ahead Of their form, and when the knowI.
edge of this reached home it demoralized
the team.
Knowing Watkins, the fans knew that
watched the Indians from the start
They knew Tebeau just as well, and also
kept tab Of the Colonels: Kelley's Saints
pected stars gone, it soon became appar-
ent that third place was the best thing
possible for st. Paul
Kansas City and Milwaukee had bad
time getting started right, and Milwau-
kee played choppy ball from start to fin
tsh. Altrock proved a tower of strength
to the Brewers. and held that team above
Minneapolis and Toledo.
Next season will be the time to watch
the Millers. Wilmot had bad time get
ting off. The~season was not two weeks
knew that he was to ~f have 'e ball team
snatched up and the Miller leader went
through the season doing the best posi-
BILE with experiments He has tried out
the men he intends to hold, and has 10
Gated the men he intends to offer posi-
lions to-
The st. Paul management has not yet
announced the list Of players who have
been secured to new contracts. Higgins
has received a number Of offers from the
big leagues, but it Is more than proba-
BILE that he will try it another year with
the Saints. Among the other probable