The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-30
STAG PILE SIFTINGS.
The Atlont- Journa, saws:


roasting showed his way by few moody
fanaties, and this reason has been laid
bSre at last
Primarily Powell did not sell on account
OF the wordy chickering's which stung him
at stated intervals through the past cam
palgn, but because he believed there was
conspiracy afioat to drive him away
from Piedmont park. and virtually out OF
the city. In this connection it Is stated
here that none of the recent purchasers
were In any way connected with this
plan. The evidence. however, was brought
to him that a plan was under way to
Kill his lease at Piedmont park, which ex-
p1res at the end of this coming campaign,
and fight would have been necessary
for him to have retained the lease for
even this season.
why did / sell? Well, | will tell YOU
although before have said nothing about
this matter. To begin with. 1 was making
the fight alone and l could not buck the
Influences at work against me to drive me
out. My lease on Piedmont park expires
this season, although | have an option
for several years to come. However, the
park has changed hands recently and
would have had hard fight to retain 1t
from what I have found out. In fact, If l
had remained in Atlanta another year
am certain that l would have been forced
to build me a new park before l could
have opened my season, and as | had al
ready put out $1,000 refitting and rebuild
ing Piedmont, 1 was not willing to do
this. Add to this the fact that [ was SOAK
ed on all sides by taxes from city, coun-
ty and state and you see what l would
have had to fight.
Now, there is one man I know was
working to this end-Dick Bosche. have
heard from several quarters that he was
making a hard effort to have my lease
killed. l have done a great deal for him
here, and why he should have started
this movement I can't quite see
But he wasn't the only one. There are
| others who had the same idea in view. If
l had retained my lease 1 would have
had to make a hard fight along this line,
and this, added to the fact that many
seemed to want home people at the head
and the added taxes which no other team
in the league has to pay, first led me to
take the step which has ended with my
retirement. OF course, none of the parties
now In control had anything to do with
this matter. They were in no way inter
ested in forcing me out. but I know the
scheme had been well planned and was
working"
This Is the situation in a nutshell. There
would have been no fight against Powell
by the park board, and a prominent mem
Der of this board stated today that Bosche
had nothing to do with the affairs of this
institution in any way. and had no influ-
ence over their actions. However. it Is
certainty that the mogul figured he was
in for a fight to hold his lease, and that
this influenced him to sell out.
Atlanta is after a new man according
to the following:
If Joe Bean is bagged mogul his adj
dition to the local infield will start in mo-
ton a strong quartette for these inner
breastworks The Jersey City boy is
speedy on the paths as we'll as infied ter
ritory and uses his noodle to good effect
With Stafford and Dexter to take care
of the first swerve around, Bean at sec
ond and Morse at short with Bernie Nc
Cay and the Dutehman tussling for third
affairs should break gently all the way
around. There's not a member of this
bunch who can't whirl and the bludgeon
who doesn't know the game from soup to
nuts. bean ranked among the star in
felders of the eastern league and was
fast enough to draw a salary banked
around s400 per month Money may not
be a test of an athletes ability but In
the words of the celebrated Jingle in De
Wolf Hopper's Mr.. Pickwick-"It helps
an awful lot" If they are not worth the
price the coin doesn't flow in any heavy
bulk
When Abner Powell stepped down from
the head of the Atlanta club the past
week, selling his belongings in the Crack
err state to Fire Chief Joyner, the South
| ern league lost a member whose place
/ will not be easily filled, says the Nash
| vile American. Powell has been one of
| the principals in conducting the pastime
| since the league was formed He knew
| the business from end to end; was a
strong factor in the business affairs of
the circuit and most of ALL knew how
| to deal with players and how to secure
winning club Powell Is man of his
| word. Once he started out on certain
mission he seldom failed to accomplish
what he went after. There were no squab-
| bles to be had with him. A player under
| him was expected to come up to expecta-
| lions, otherwise he could not be a member
of Abner's crew. The Colonel manager al
ways worked for the good of the sport
and his absence from the managerial staff
| of the Southern circuit is bound to be
felt in the next race. Mike Finn is an
other man who has departed for other
| fields. leaving a vacancy that will be
! hard to fill Like Powell, Mike is a strong
man in baseball affairs and knew well
how to guide the destinies of the organ
ization. Both men furnished fans good
| sport and many an enthusiast has been
| heard to express regrets over Finn and
| Powell's leaving the organization.
| The big price-S1S, 500-paid for the At
| lanta franchise calls to mind what the
clubs in other cities are worth. New Or
| leans of course, is the most valuable the
Pelican franchise being held at $4,000 AS
a moneymaking proposition the franchise
is easily worth this amount In four years
time the team has earned much more.
10 hos u,aS in xyb
had charge in the Crescent City. He
cleaned up $4,000. Last year $4,000 was
made above expenses. Nashville, Birming-
ham and Memphis baseball franchises are
probably worth $4,000 each. Little Rock
comes next at $4,000, while Shreveport
and Montgomery are held at $500 each.
Dan Lally. who was with Butte, Mont,
in 1904, has placed his name to a Fisher
man contract after much correspondence
with Manager Fisher. His acceptance was
received Saturday and the deal promul-
gated with President kavanaugh and Sec
rotary Farrell of the National Association
of Baseball Clubs. Lally Is slated for the
first corner and it is thought that he Will
make a good man. He has had the
perience and while not a 300 hitter. Lally
a ball fast and possesses a good aim.
About two more men and the 1905 Fisher
men roster will be finished.
Manager Powell left Atlanta yester-