The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-15
Sporting Gossip
The Baseball Transfer.

The Baseball Transfer.
This week opens with the ball team
still in ST. Paul, and though Club
Owner Lennon still withholds any
announcement of his intentions, it is
safe to predict that the local fans
will have the Saints with them when
the American association season of
1903 opens.
The American association made a
hard fight to improve it's standing by
putting a team in Chicago, but the
Hickey men have apparently lost their
tight, and the chances are that an
Their attempt will never be made-at
least as far as Chicago is concerned.
The present time offered the oppor-
tunity and though the association
magnates grabbed hard they failed to
clutch the chance. When the season
of 1903 ends it will be too late to ex-
pect another.
Before this baseball year closes the
big leagues will have arranged an
agreement with the minors, and this
agreement will close the doors OF all
large baseball towns against the
Hickey league. Territory will be pro-
tected in this promised agreement,
and,F having one narrow escape, Com
iskey and Hart will see to it that an
OInGF opening Is not OIEefeQ. f--tt .e@.-~e :,
The American association magnatess
the majority of fhern.NwfH firmly
believe from this time ION that the
association missed its one grand chance.
when 1T failed to move into Chicago,
but some failures are lucky ones, anu
Hickey and his followers, Write they
wilEzneyer admit it, may have escaped
an awful smashup when Lennon re-
fused to transfer his team.
Three Teams in One Town.
Chicago may be pining for a third
baseball team, but a town even the
size. of the Windy City, is going it
rather strong when it endeavors to
take ON three, professional teams.
There are many days in Chicago when
the fanatics do not tramp all over
each other in an attempt to get to
the Inside Of the ball parks. and there.
has been no particularly strong, argu-
ment advanced to prove that there
would be a panic out in front Of the
American associations park on any
one of these dull days.
The fact that the American aSSOcta-
ton can play as fast ball as the big
league teams, or the fact. that the
Hickey league employs players who
can play rings around the rank. and
file of the American or National
league teams does not enter in. the
consideration of the associations
chances in Chicago.
The Hickey league magnates are
willing to match their teams against
the big league teams in exhibition
games and are willing to back their
chances with wads Of money, but. this
offer to make good does not help out
What the Chicago fanatics would
consider at all times is the fact, that
the association is in the minor league
class, and therefore in class below
the big leagues. With New York and
Chicago playing at Comiskey's park,
cago, American association, play
Kansas City, Milwaukee or Minneapo-
lis.
The argument Of non conflicting
dates cannot be advanced, for now,
with peace in the big leagues, the
schedules of these big leagues will be
arranged, as far as possible, toward
arrangement would leave small
chance for the Chicago American as
ISOLATION team to play without being
opposed by one or the other Of the
big league Chicago teams.
Dangers of a Raid.
One more important point that
should not be overlooked by any
minor league intending to invade Chi
cago is the danger Of a raid engineer
ed by the Chicago big league mag
mates.
At the present time there is no ex-
listing agreement between the big
leagues and the Association of Minor
Leagues, and should the association
put a winning team in Chicago 1t
would be possible for Hart and Com
iskey to wreck all hopes by taking the
cracks of this association team. The
big leagues have agreed to respect
contracts, but this agreement at the
present time does not extend to the
minors, and the raiders could not be
checked.
An agreement between the minors
and the big leagles will be reached in
the near future, and friends of the
Chicago transfer can point to this
promised agreement as sufficient pro-
lection, but when the big leagues Sign
an agreement with the minors that
agreement will provide for a draft, and
the raid on the dangerous minor
league club in Chicago would merely
be delayed a few months.
The association magnates may ar
que that they are in good financial
shape and able to meet all prices fixed
by the big leagues, but even the
strongest team In the country could
not Withstand such an attack, and
then, too, the ball player Is always
more anxious to go up than to come
down.
Though the association men may see
It in a different light, there is just one
chance to win offered in this proposed
transfer. The association has the
chance Of putting team IN Chicago
that may turn up pennant-winner,
while both the Hart and Comiskey
teams are down fighting for the lob
ster championships Of their leagues.
With the American associations
Chicago team leading In it's race and
the Chicago American and National
league teams trailing in their races,
the association would stand a chance