The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-08
BASEBALL TALK.
Question of Towns In New West
ern Association.
President Shiveley Is Now Dis
cretley Silent.
lola SOLD FOR $500.
lola SOLD FOR 5000
Probably Other Owners May Do
the Same.
Leavenworth Appears Uneasy
About Its Franchise.

Since the ice was broken, with refer
ence to changed circuit for the West
ern Association next year, when Okla
homa City bought out the lola fran
chise, the most important question with
those who are playing over last sum-
mer's games beside the blazing hearth
stones, is, who will be the next re-
cruit?"
The first man that the question would
naturally be directed at is President
Shiveley. But that worthy whose base
ball star is truly in the ascendance,
valves reply with this evasive state
ment: Il cannot talk now. There are
some unsatisfactory ways of having
town give up its franchise" And then
Shiveley was silent. This implies that
the president of the Western Associa-
ton believes that if some other towns
want to get into his circuit, the .'SatiS-
factory way is for them to buy in
But it appears that Shiveley, who was
vested with power to change the towns
in the league, has been at work. About
a week ago, the entrance of Oklahoma
City in the place of Tholens Lamp
lighters was announced in a dispatch
from the territory city. Down at lola
an air of uncertainty seems to still be
attached to the transfer. This extract
from the lola Record tells of the home
feeling:
1.-The chances seem to be that the
lola franchise in the Missouri Valley
league has been sold to Oklahoma City
for 5000. Yesterday a dispatch appeared
in a Kansas City paper, stating that
the team had been sold, and today an
other dispatch is printed, stating that
President Shiveley was in Oklahoma
City yesterday, and completed all the
details of the transfer. Mr.. Tholen will
neither affirm or deny the authenticity
of the dispatch, but he leaves the inn
preston that the team has been sold.
hot ic f0 hi q
said he would take $500 for the fran
chise and the players, and the inference
is that he has left the matter in the
hands of somebody, President Shive-
received definite information that the
sale has been consummated.
1T may be solo, said Mr.. Tholen this
morning, in answer to question, but
I have received no notice of it. If they
give me $500 for it they can have it, for
there is no doubt that they can crowd
me out anyhow if they want to-
Mr.. Tholen was shown the dispatch
from the Kansas City paper, and asked
to affirm or deny the statement made.
II don't know anything about it, was
his statement eff it's sold don't know
it"
The chances seem to be, therefore,
that the franchise has been sold.
For some reason or other Leaven-
worth is on Uneasy Street. concern
a rumor set af1oat, calculated to make
the Leavenworth fans come to the res
cue of their ball team, or whether the
facts in the case are well founded, can
not be gathered from this clipping from
the Leavenworth Times:
The manager of the local team said
yesterday:
'"'Leaven worth's franchise will not be
sold 1 had an offer for it in Kansas
City, but stated at that time that it
was not for sale. I am signing players
right along and we will keep the team
here I am confident that I can get
more stock subscribed here and will
keep the team in Leavenworth and
work up a better patronage than we
enjoyed last year"
There has been a rumOr that the To-
cal franchise was to be sold, but it
was strenuousIy denied on all sides. The
manager stated that he was not quite
as sanguine of the success of the new
circuit as were some. He feared that
the long Jumps to the Oklahoma towns
would cut too deeply into the receipts
of the league and said that some spec
ial guarantee provision would have to
be made in order to secure the older
towns against the loss which might be
entailed by the experiment.
The local association signed two new
players yesterday in Pennsylvania who
have been playing in the eastern league.
They are Roy Kerr and E. Wooley, out
fielders. They wehe recommended by
Catcher Ulrich of last years team as
first class men. Ulrich brought several
of the good players here last year and