Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-16
BALL MATTERS DULL
E'thinE Doing IN Regard 10 Matters People
WaHt to Klow.
WESTERN LEAGUE CIRCUIT STILL OPEN
Denver Meeting Postponed and Mag
mates Gather ~ 81. Joseph to
Onsult I'm Regard to
Next Move.
Nothin' do!n'.

Nothin' do!n'.
That is the present status Of affairs in
the world Of base ball. During the week a
meeting was held at Buffalo, the ostenslble
object Of which was to adopt uniform play
ing rules. Much debate was had, and a
slight modification was recommended for
the rule In regard to strikes and balls. The
most notable feature OF the meeting was
the admission to full fellowship Of delegates
from the American association. After de-
nouncinE these men as outlaws and pro-
nouncing the ban OF accommodation
against them, It must have afforded Pat
Powers Immense satisfaction TO sit In the
same meeting with them. But Pat
is doubtless q philosopher-all. truly
great men are-and knows when he
is, licked. In talking abouf matters
one Western league magnate said
he could not understand how these Amer
icAn delegates happened to be present, and
then naively added; They must have been
admitted as representatives Of an independ-
ent league" To a man up a tree, It would
seem so. Surprise over their admission will
not DO very widespread, though. for faith
in Pat Powers alleged authority TO bind
and loose IL not very deep outside Of cer-
tain quarters, and even there some skeptl-
cism exists, In any event, the meeting is
not likely to be long emembered nor to
have any direct effect on the course of
base ball, for at his first opportunity Ban
Johnson declared that his league would not
be bound by the rules adopted there, and
Thomas Jefferson Hickey said inca tooa."
These gentlemen being the representatives
Of the only two independent leagues cperat-
ing between the Rocky mountains and the
Atlantic coast, 1t is probably all of with
the Buffalo code.
No, gentle reader. It is not q mistake TO
refer TO the two Americans as the only in
dependent leagues. The National. SO long
lovingly referred to as the "big'' league, is
rapidly going the way Of other "big" things
in this country, the big fellow for ex-
\ ample. When Ban Johnson entered the
aeld the National league magnates laughed
him to scorn. They wouldn't listen to him,
and invited him to go his length. Well.
Ban johnson put the big" league on the
hog. and didn't half try. He simply went
ahead and organized his teams in the cities
selected, played ball. made money and now
ssreneiy faces a world that frowns on all
base ball leagues but his. In the interim
the big league is split in the middle.
four clubs against four clubs, an effort to
elect 9 president is tied up In court and the
NhOiu 0hoh III buNha tOuulNlOu luhI III u
most complete reorganization must take
\ place before any business can be transacted.
SO the National is a long way from
being Independent. When Tom Hickey was
president Of the Western league he had no
hesitation In entering as a member Of the
National Association of Minor Base Ball
Leagues, OF which p. +. Powers is presi-
e When Tom Hickey became president
of the American association he refused to
acknowledge longer the suzerainty Of Mr..
Powers, declining 10 be classed as a minor
league. Tho American association was i'm
mediately denounced as an outlaw organi-
zaton, its sole offense being It's refusal to
enter the minor league fold. Mr.. Powers
wanted his Eastern league to be considered
the real thing and was supported In this
by MT. Tim Murnane. esq, president Of the
New England league, who furnished Mr..
Powers with q very Instructive and. In some
ways, amusing compilation from the census
OF 1900, to show how absurdly fallaeious
were the Hickey aspirations to major
league honors. But Hickey declines to bC
classed with the minor leagues, and, there.
fore, Is declared an outlaw by the power
Of Powers; Up to date Hickey is severa
parasangs In advance Of the procession leC
By the president Of the Eastern league
1t will, therefore, be easily seen that Tn,
Bee IS quite correct in calling Ban John
son and Tom Hickey the only inderenden
base ball presidents In the eastern hal
OF the United States at present. Al spaId
ing may be somebody In this class, but Pa
Powers never will.
Another feature Of the week was tn,
postponement OF this Western league meet.
ing which was to have convened at Den,
yer last night. This was put off on,
month. No very deep research is needed t.
develop the reason. When the Kansal
City nesting adjourned. the circuit wa
left incomplete, and so far as surface In
dications go no great progress has beef
made toward filling the gaps. 1t is nov
certain that neither Milwaukee nor Indian
apolis. which were so confidently claimed
will be on the list. In Des Moines tn
prospects are the poorest. At Kansas Cit,
little or nothing is known. The Western
league enthusiasts still claim that Man
ming and Nichols will put in a team Their
to compete with the American association
but the public expression all seems to dis
credit this talk. Colorado Springs, Den
YER. st. Joseph and Omaha are the onl
towns the Western IL certain OF. Presi
dent Whitfield Il reported to be negotlat
ing with Peoria with a fair degree OF sue
cess. No other reasonably available can
didate appears. With only about six week
left to make up the circuit, 1t is plainl
up to the Western to hustle.
Tom Burns, the Colorado Springs none
burner, has acquired the magnate habl
for fair, He doesn't sleep at night, OWN
to the pregnant thoughts that surge throug
his teeming brain, each big with posi-