The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-24

- -zsS
The Western association of 1906:
Topeka. Kan.
Joplin, Mo. =
Kansas City, Kan. 80
Springfield. Mo.
Wichita, Kan.
st. Joseph, Mo.
Leavenworth, Kan.
Hutchinson, Kan.
This is the plan of the slate-n1akers.
1t leaked out in this city after Presi-
dent Shiveley's visit here last week.
Decision has been reached to drop Sc
dalia, Guthrie and Oklahoma City, and
| in their places take on ST. Joseph,
Hutchinson and Kansas City, Kan, II
| the latter town will be admitted by
the Association of Minor Baseball
| leagues. President Shive1ey began the
| campaign for control of the river town
| last week in New York city The
/ status of the matter is like this. Under
| franchise cannot be placed in a city
/ within five miles of another city where
a franchise is already established The
American association is in Kansas
City, Mo. The two towns are not five
miles apart. So President Shiveley is
| endeavoring to obtain a special dis
pensation from the Association Of
| Minor Baseball leagues. In this mat
ter he will have to fight Tebeau of
| syndicate" fame. George 7. lent his
aid to Shiveley, though the two are at
| swords points, to get the Western as
ISOLATION into Class c, thinking that
| this concession would cause the Shive-
| ley organization to keep quiet and not
| ask for anything more for a while.
But that isn't Shiveley. He wants q
| franchise in Kansas City, Kan, and
whether Tebeau offers opposition or
| not, he is going to have it.. st. Joseph,
4 No. has already accepted franchise
in the association for next year. Percy
| Chamberlain will have control of it.
L A~@ - 49, 81 - -
| Western league team there for a num-
Der Of years, but recently gave way to
| a successor. He was anxious last year
| to get into the present Shfveley circuit,
announcing himself willing to give
| up his st. Joseph holdings if a town
| like Wichita or one of the territory
franchises were given him. Hutchin-
son is favorite with the president of
this league. 1t has record for draw
ing crowds at ball games and when
the matter was preached on the q. t..
| to a number of fans in Billy Morgan s
town some time ago, it was almost
necessary to tie them down with
weights in order to prevent their max
ing the matter public. They have been
| quietly at work out there, however.
| and one of the best baseball men in
this territory will probably assume
control of the franchise. The three
towns which are to be dropped-Se-
dalia, Oklahoma City and Guthrie
| will probably roar-and roar with
great noise and tumultuousness. But
| they do not draw. There is the rub.
Over at Sedalia if they lose a ball the
| players yell: There go the gate re-
ceipts." Baseball in that town has
been constant drag on the city. They
| do not seem to show an interest at all
| in their team. In fact half of them
| have forgotten that there ever were
/ such things as Goldbugs or Shoplifters.
1t is losing proposition for other
teams to visit there. So they have
been stricken from the list. Guthrie
is not a good drawing town-good
| enough for its size, but not a success
in this association. The people down
| there are the best fans on earth, but
they are shy in numbers and like Sc
dalia, there is not enough money COM
ing into the box Office for the visiting
team. do unto others as they do
unto you" applies mighty strongly
with baseball franchise owner who
gives the visitors big crowds in his
own town and then gets nothing but
the bare guarantee when he returns
the call. Oklahoma City has been a
disappointment. The city started out
like another Wichita or Topeka. for
crowds but gradually has dwindled
down. Still its total attendance ranks
we'll enough, Guthrie alongside of it is
a poor card, with the result that Okla
homa City is expected to bear, the
heavy burden of making up for the
long jump from Wichita If Guthrie
did its share as well as Oklahoma City
the two towns might remain in the
league, but the drawing strength of
one is not sufficient to hold them both.
It is the plan to take the Oklahoma
City team to Kansas City, Kan, next
year. lola would have gone there this
year, had Shiveley been able to get
the town.
So Topeka, Joplin, Kansas City,
Springfield, Wichita, st. Joseph, Leav-
enworth and Hutchinson is the present
/ plan of the circuit for 1905. This in
formation comes from a source which
is authoritative and is printed against
special injunctions, though not as a
result of violation of confidence. There
is but one thing which will probably
break this slate, and that is an
amalgamation with the Western
league, if it breaks up. as some of the
"dopists'' are figuring on. But the
managers of this circuit are not very
anxious to ally themselves with the
Western league towns. "They are
their attendance figures are consulted -
said one of the prominent men of this
league the other day" and I cannot
If they come to us, want to come in
with us. ioin us on our terms we will
consider their propositions. but we
shall under no circumstances CONSOLE
date with them. by giving up our
identity. our personal interests. and
the things we have so successfully at
tanned. The slate which is now made
up is pretty sure to be the circuit for
tnext year. The entrance of Kansas
lefty, Kan, depends upon the action of