Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-02-27
IOWA SPORTS TALK
The Cedar Rapids Gazette Fig
ures the State League Will
Prove a Failure
PREDICTS FINANCIAL FAILURE
Every Reason TO Believe This concIu-
sion is Drawn From the Experiences
of Cities of the Three League
Takes Rap at Marshalltown's Mana
ser-other League News.

4
ger-Other League News.
The Cedar Rapids Gazette, prompt
ed apparently by spirit of jealousy
already predicts the downfall of the
Iowa State League, and has brought
its hammer into action after the fol-
lowing fashion: The Iowa Base
Ball League, comprising the towns OF
Boone. Waterloo, Burlington. Ottumw,t,
keokuk. Oskaloosa, Marshalltown and
Fort Dodge. has been formally Or
ganlzed and the various clubs are sign
Ing up players. The experiment of
state league is being watched with
much interest by local fans. as it Is
not believed that the organization can
possibly weather the year, having the
st. Louis exposition as n serious
counter-att The reports
Preaching here from Ottumwa and other
elites in relation 10 the salary list that
lis being paid indicate that none or the
clubs can hope for profit. boldly
Warner once n star second baseman
on the Rockford team. but now menu
Der of the large class of 'has-beens.
will manage the Marshalltown team
and Snapper Kennedy the Ottumwa
aggregation. Meyers, who had good
| luck in Waterloo last season. will re-
main there. The keokuk team Is COM
posed almost entirely Of the 1903. Lex
| ington, Nebraska, team. who are
,outed as fast ones. Several of the
| players who have signed In the state
league have been sought for by the
Three / managers. but seemed to be
getting more pay with the new or
ganization than the salary limit OF
| the Three League would allow the
clubs to pay"
| This assumption on the part of the
Cedar Rapids writer is doubtless CLEAN
ed. especially from that city's expe~
fence with the Three I League, and
generally from similar experience of
4 the other cities OF that same organi-
cation, which has not been particularly
| brilliant. from either financial or sue
cessful standpoint. Anyone who has
| followed at all closely the history OF
| the Three League knows that tina.
combination has but little more than
| really existed, and 1t is predicted on
the best of authority. when the three
! years compact ends with the coming
season. the league Will go to pieces.
| The natural conclusion is then. from
the Cedar Rapids standpoint that II
the Three League can not make good
how can its rival.
1t Is also a fact that players to a
considerable number. who have been
reserved by Three / League teams.
| have endeavored to secure places with
the new organization preferring 1T,
altho untired. to their former berths.
This gives indication that all is not
we'll with the Three I. and many Of
these players have been secured by
| managers of the Iowa State League
teams. This has caused certain
amount of hard feeling between the
1.-TWO leagues, and accounts TO some
extent, the desire on the part of the
former to see the newly organized one
take downfall before the season Is
over Just where the rivalry be-
tween an Iowa State League game and
1.-THE st. Louis exposition, as attractions
| for the crowds come In, is rather
| hard to understand. The new league
has not yet posed as a candidate for
patronage with an enterprise that is
commanding the attention of the en-
| tire middle west.
The Three l. with its teams scattered
over three big states. and travelling ex-
penses 81 the clubs that have proved a
mighty burden. has been up against
La proposition of no small proportions.
The directly opposite is true of the
Iowa State, for as II stands the
Longest jump Is one of ninety-three
miles, and that in only one instance.
The others average a little over fifty.
Another thing that may not have oc-
lcurred to those who criticize, but which
lis a fact In at least six OF the towns.
lis that whatever monies have been
put in, have been practically donated,
| the givers not placing it with the an
ltieipation of cleaning any returns In
the way of profits. II IL fails to pay.
we'll and good, 1t was given for that
purpose: IT, again. 1t pays. altho on.v
in part that which was not expected
l. will be the result. The promotion OF
the teams was not a money making
scheme, but rather for the purpose OF
fostering the game and giving the
cities interested good ball.
SO far as Marshalltown's manager
lis concerned. it is possible that he may
be what he has been termed, "a has
been" and 1t is also a very probable
truth that the Three has not been
able to retain quite all the really good
players that once dotted the diamonds
under its banners. There Is ut least
this consolation left TO the Marshall
town Base Ball Association that he
has more of merit, both as player AMI
manager, that had the candidate for
the same position, which Cedar Rapids
base ball magnate endeavored to palm
off on this city.