The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-30
Will NOT CONSIDER BABB
CLUB SUPPORTERS WILL NOT toll
ERATE THE .DESERTER.
Manager Watkins Is After Fast
Third Baseman-Great Hopes for
Another Pennant winner.

1
The announcement made in these col
umns last Sunday that there was a prob
ability of Charles Babb again being men,
Der of the Indianapolis team caused many
of the loyal supporters of the club to send
communications to Manager Watkins
which were far from complimentary to
Babb. There were number OF communi-
cations. and Manager Watkins made the
announcement the latter part Of the week
that Babb would not play in Indianapolis.
After duly considering the matter he APP
preciates the fact that Babb would not be
desirable player to have on the team.
1t is said that early last week Babb con-
ferred with Manager Watkins and seemed
to show evidence of being inflated because
an item had been published that he might
be given another chance. Terms were not
agreed to at that conference. Later came
the communications, and the management
decided that further conferences with Babb
need not be held
Manager Watkins believed for a while
that the public would welcome Babb be-
cause of his ability to play third base. but
efforts are being made to secure another
! first-class man to cover the third bag. 1t
was a wise move not to sign Babb. Such
men should not be given another chance.
He deliberately deserted the Indianapolis
team last year, after declaring to Manager
| Watkins that he had no intention of leav-
ing. Even If peace has been declared be-
! tween the various leagues Babb should not
be given another chance. Let some other
| club have him. Another third baseman
can be secured or maybe one of the men
already signed may be able to fill the posi-
ton well. indianapolis won the cham
pionship without Babb, and can get along
next year without him.
Manager Watkins is not in the least wor-
ried over the reports coming from other
cities in the American Association concern
ing the star players that have been signed.
He says Indianapolis will be strong next
season as any team in the association.
George Tebeau has announced that he will
have a faster team in 1908 than he had last
season. This may be. but Tebeau will have
to secure some very fast men to replace
Odwell, Flaherty. Cancel, Dunkle, Flour
| noy, Tannehill and others who will be with
other teams next season. Such fast men
| are hard to find and only few of them
! are in the market. Tebeau'S claims that
| he will have a pennant winner are not con-
sidered seriously here. Speaking of the
indianapolis team for next season, Manager
Watkins says: I'VE will practically have
the same team in 1903 as the one with
which we won the championship last sea-
| kim, for instance. Last winter he played
ball in California and became stale during
the latter part of the summer. He will not
play this winter, and will be able to put
up a stronger game for next season.
Fox will be able to bat better. He began
batting left-handed last year, and will
show Improvement next season. O'Brien
will play better game at short, and we
Will have good man at third In the out,
Pickett or Jones Coulter did not begin
the season very well in 1902. but he finished
well, and next year he will have more con-
fidence both in the field and at the bat. In
the catching department we will have Hey
don, and possibly Woodruff change
catcher. Williams, Killen and Kellum will
be members of the pitching department.
and we have other good men signed. So
you can that Indianapolis will be strong
next year Killen was injured in a practice
game last spring, and was not able to pitch
good ball until late in the season. We ex-
pect he will start the season next year as
one of the winning twirlers. We are not
withstanding all of the other clubs will be
greatly strengthened next year.
Concerning the recent Chicago peace con-
ference, which ended by the American
Association becoming a member of the Ma
tional Association of Minor Leagues, the
Sporting Life says:
1.-THE inestimable results of the successful
Chicago peace conference can hardly be
| pictured in words. For the National Asso-
citation it means a future of tremendous
possibilities in prestige, power and benef-
icence; for all leagues stability alike in
adversely or prosperity; and for all club
owners vastly increased security for their
investments and better prospects for fair
return thereon. To sum up it is safe to
say that nothing has ever occurred in base
bal-save only the starting of the National
Association-of such supreme Importance
the national game as the uniticatiOn of the
National Association at the ever-memora-
BILE Chicago peace conference.
"And the artistic end of the sport viii be
quite as we'll conserved by the improved
and happier conditions bound to follow the
complete ascendancy of the National Asso-
| citation. Under the new era players SAL
aries may be somewhat less, but for that
there will be ample and satisfactory COM
pensation in the widened field of labor, the
assurance of steady employment, the guar
antee of full payment and the effective
system of meritorious promotion only pos
sible under properly organized baseball.
Probably discipline may be also somewhat
more rigid, but that is not only necessary.
but makes for increased public respect and
support CAPABLE. decent and tractable
players have nothing to fear in the matter
of discipline; the other kind need not be
considered at all
. .'Messrs Watkins and Bryce, of the
American Association also deserve special
commentator for their share in the work
for union. Messrs. Watkins and Bryce,
while zealously guarding the interests of
. their league, were at all times sincere in
their desire and active in their efforts for
peace on honorable terms. Their work was
characterized by an intelligence. energy.
astuteness and diplomacy the writer, who
was in close touch with every phase of the
situation from New York to Chicago, has
never seen equaled in great major league
| deals We, therefore, say advisedly that
the American Association can never repay
these two gentlemen for their grand and
unselfish work in behalf of that organiza-
ton, aside from the great benefit their per-
sistent and sincere pacificaton efforts con-
ferred on the sport at large.
New Southern League.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Nov. 29-The New
Co,,tbar, g,,e uaS launched bera m