The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-20
FINDS IT NO BLUFF.
St. Paul's Mistake in Sizing Up the
Baseball Situation-Minneap-
oils May Be Next. -
Wilmot Gets Two More New Players
Will Train at Leavenworth
in the Spring. .s..-~-

in the Spring. ,.-.~.-.
After several weeks of delay, ST. Paul
called Lemons bluff and found it was
no bluff.
In other words, St. Paul refused to give
Lennon permission to construct a down.
town baseball park, and, contrary to eX-
pecta tons of some of those in authority,
Lennon declared he was through with the
game. St. Paul is now minus a baseball
team.
Lennon, of course, had no choice in
the matter. Hickey and his associates
declared that he must get down town
park or SELL He could not get the park,
he had to Sell. But even had Lennon
been given the alternative of keeping up
a team another year at Lexington park,
he could hardly have been expected to do
so. Baseball at Lexington has never been
a money maker. Comisckey lost money
there, although he made profit as long
as he had grounds nearer town. st. Paul
thought Comiskey was bluffing two years
ago when he threatened to move his team.
and St. Paul discovered its mistake when
it called Comiskey's bluff, just as 1t saw
it's error this year when 1t called Lennon.
Lennon has lost money, and big money
at that, the two years he has been con-
nected with the game. Last year he ran
one, two, three, all during the season, but
he had no support. Not being close re-
lation of the government treasury, Mr..
Lennon did not wish to continue the pas
| time of forking.
Lexington Too Far From Town
Lexington park is too far away from
| town for ball team to draw good crowds
! there. Nicollet park possesses the same
!, disadvantage in a lesser degree. But Mic
olet park is in the midst of a great resi-
dence district Hundreds of persons can
attend the ball games, and by taking the
Nicollet or Fourth avenue lines or cross
| ing to Hennepin or Lyndale and transfer
| ring, can reach home in good season for
dinner. Visitors at Lexington park must
go down town and transfer, for the inter-
| urban line feeds a very sparsely settled
| residence district.
| What both Minneapolis and St. Paul
need to make baseball really profitable, Is
a cross town system Of trolleys. Other
reasons for the construction of such a sys-
tenn might be advanced, but the benefit
| that would result to baseball is easily seen.
Give the fans an opportunity to reach
home quickly after a game, and the at
tendance would take care Of itself.
One Year Of Good Baseball -"
| Just now the fact remains that st. Paul
has lost its ball team and that Minneapo-
| lis will suffer a similar fate within the
next year unless all signs fail In the
| year remaining, however, the fans will
have an opportunity to see good baseball,
if records count for anything. Manager
| Wilmot said to-day:
ALTHOUGH it may sound like the same
old story, I can promise the public good
baseball team this season. Since the last
list was given out a few weeks ago., I have
! signed Mcintyre, who played first base
for Helena in the Pacific Northwest league
last year. Mcintyre is a big fellow, who
batted in the neighborhood of 400 last
| o6 yxhn ia 70 ct
| have also signed Walter Slagle, the best
pitcher in the Pacific Northwest league
He also was with Helena. I saw him pitch
two games last year. both shutouts. His
opponents got three hits in the two games
I have not yet given up hope Of getting
McCreery, but if land him. expect tc
play him in the outfeld, if Mcintyre comes
up to his reputation.
Will Train at Leavenworth.
eve shall do our preliminary training
this year at Leavenworth, Kan. Even
If the weather is bad, the men can get
all the running they need to take off sur
plus flesh. We shall use the Y. M. C. A.
building as dressing quarters, and will
) have every advantage in the way of baths
etc.
, Il have twenty-six men signed now,
nearly a dozen more than I expect to
: keep. I shall take about fifteen men to
Leavenworth, but those fifteen form a
7 pretty strong team themselves. In Slim
mel, st. Vrafn, Vasbinder, Sporer and
Slagle, we have very good bunch OF
pitchers, and Yeager behind the bat has
any of the men in this league skinned
He can clout the ball, too. Then in the
, infield will be Mcintyre, Anderson
Schmeer and Schaefer. When you sec
3 Schmeer you will say he is about as near
> the real thing as any shortstop you eve,
saw. Anderson at second base is fast az
$ chain lightning. and most Of the fans here
2 know how good Schaefer is. Last veal
9 he wasn't hitting, but on his record be.
3 fore that he ought to be a slugger
! Schmeer and Anderson as we'll as McIn
t tyre are good men with the willow also.
n Fast Men In the OutfieId.
|, 'In the outfield will be. McCreery, Lip
e pert and myself. I am not the Stoves
=. man in the world on my feet, but Upper
: can beat me and McCreery, can beat Lip
Il pert. Both McCreery and Lippert ar,
+ good felders and hitters, too. If do no
IL land McCreery. Lally will complete tn,
Y tyre doesn't make good, we will use Lall,
in the outaeld Ind McCreery at first
It Mind you, all these men except McCreer,
e are actually signed, and I have a doze1
= more in reserve.
k You can put one thing down as certain
: The Minneapolis team next year WILDE al
altogether different proposition from tina
| of last season. This year you will Sc
some ball playing, whether we win game
| or not -'..>
In Patriarch of Baseball RetIres. 49,
With the retirement of Uncle Mic
Young from the office Of the secretary G
l. the National league, there passes from tn
!; national sport the man who has bee
re connected. with baseball longer than an
IS other persons now living. The retremen
30 Of Uncle Nick is not one thatlis force
;e upon him, as it is likely that he woul
TO have been kept in office as long as
i wished to stay. :Ssss -
e. N. E. Young was connected With. til
TX game Of baseball when it was nothin
" but an amateur sport, and as playe
8 he ranked well up among the good pitch
ers He was instrumental, more than ain
ed one else in getting the game started q
ly a professional sport, and from the veI
10 first he held an office. For many years h
A. was the only officer that the Nation,
league had, holding the position Of pres
tident, secretary and treasurer 1t was M
until last year that he retired as pres
dent Of the organization:
or Young has been a guardian to the spo
ever since his connection with it. TT
retiring officer has been esteemed and n
- spected by every one and it is not know
-, ! that he has an enemy in the world c
-, account Of his connection with the nj
TO tional pastine; which is great deal to SO
d of a man who has occupied the positic