The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-07
MAY LOSE THE TEAM
LENNON Is READY TO TRANSFER
ST. PAUL FRAN
CHISE
DEPENDS ON CITY COUNCIL
Says He Must Have Down Town Park
or Quit-Many Applications
for the Fran
chise.

1.-THE st. Paul baseball club will either
play ball during the 1902 season in the
down town district or the ST. Paul fran
Chise in the American association of pro-
fessional baseball clubs will be trans
ferred to some other town willing to
stand for baseball in the down town dis
trict'
George E. Lennon, president of the st.
Paul Baseball club, made this announce
ment for the benefit Of the St. Paul base
ball enthusiasts last night. Ihe declara-
ton followed a meeting Of the street
committee of the board Of aldermen.
The St. Paul fanatics are promised a
most excellent change to live through
the 1902 baseball season In dead base
ball town. Lennon insists that he is sin
cere in his announcement and claims that
he has already received several requests
from othr towns anxious to support an
American association team.
When the American association was or
gained Mr.. Lennon served notice that
he intended to give the st. Paul baseball
public the best article Of ball possible and
that he intended making 1t possible for
the business men to attend the week day
games. He could only do this by playing
in a down town park and he started out
to secure the park.
Several sites were inspected by the
American association officers and the
block bounded by Minnesota, Robert and
Twelfth streets and Summit avenue was
selected. Mr.. Lennon found several
buildings on the selected site, but the in
surance company controlling the block
accepted his terms and arranged to re-
move the buildings.
The next step was to secure the pernis-
sion Of the city officials and at the last
meeting of the board of aldermen an
ordinance granting the st. Pau Baseball
company the right to erect a twelve-foot
fence, grand stands and bleachers was in
troduced The ordinance was referred to
the committee on streets and consider
able opposition was discovered in this
committee. The ordinance looked sure Of
a sudden finish and Mr.. Lennon requested
it's withdrawal
It was thought that the matter would
be -en up at the meeting of the as
sembly last night, but with the alder
manic committee holding up an unfavor-
able report the baseball men decided TO
abandon the attempt. With this decided
the president Of the st. Paul team pre-
pared to announce his exact position and
in announcing it he did not mix words.
AL 1 have to say he said to L h Q
Clio e, lis, that my team will either
play baseball down town this summer or
there will be no st. Paul American as
sociatlon team. want to give the base
ball public the baseball that it deserves,
I want to present a st. Paul team able to
play up with the best in the American as
sociation, but 1 cannot do this if ~-le
thing is a losing venture all the way
through.
''The Lexington park is a fine park,
but it is not located faVorably. me
week day supporters of the game do not
get the chance to get out to Lexington
park. A down town park is the tnlng,
and we will either have a downtown
park here or we will have it IN some other
town want to give st. Paul good base
ball, but l cannot do it under the exist
ing conditions.
II am serious in making this announce;
ment tonight In q way | anticipated
that the aldermen would take the action
taken this afternoon, and determined 10
either have a downtown park or move
I have been looking about.
cat the present time have requests
from the business men of several towns
anxious to be represented in the Ameri-
can association Every request is accom-
can play down town, where the people
can get to the games, and L have wired
Manager Kelly to come to st. Paul at
once for a conference.
IF I am permitted to have a down.
town park, we will stay here. If this
permission is refused why Kelly will go
ahead, and; after looking over the situa-
ton, he will report to me. When he re-
ports I will he compelled to announce
that the St Paul club of the American
associat ton has been transferred to an
other town.
81 think that the fans will support me
in my stand. I have from the first plan
ned to give ST. Paul real baseball, and
the fans know this. The fans will come
out to a downtown park, but they viii
not for they cannot, get out to the week
day games at Lexington. Money Is need
ed to run a baseball team, and without
the support of the fans I cannot be ex-
pected to go through a season of loss.
IT am not making a threat It is SIM
pie business propos ton with me. If l
can have a down town park. the team re-
mains in St. Paul If cannot see any
thing but a losing season in St. Paul,
why the team will be transferred. That
is all I have to say about the matter"
The ST Paul fans will hardly blame
Lennon for the position he has taken.
From the beginning Of the American as
ISOLATION, Lennon and Kelly. his man
ager. have been working hard. preparing
to give st. Paul a real baseball team.
A real baseball team in the American as
ISOLATION will demand a large salary roll
Such a team cannot go through the 1902
season ahead Of the game on gate money
like the receipts at Lexington park last
season
The fans say that they cannot get out
to Lexington park. but promise to attend
games played near the business district
Lennon is willing and anxious to play his
games within walking distance Of the