The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-02-23
Renewed Agitation fors Soutl :
ern Minnesota League.
TIME IS RIPE For THE DEAL
What May Be Done in Mankato On
the Inauguration Of the New
Fair Grounds.

] for southern Minnesota baseball
league, started in this city, bids fair to
materialize into something tangible
Last week meetings were held in Roches
| ter and WinOna and great enthusiasm
was displayed. In Rochester especially
was the plan taken up with great gusto
| and the most prominent business men in
the city are behind the movement. The
fans of the city were invited to give
their views on the subject and it was
the opinion of all that the city could cas-
lily support team this summer, now
that Sunday baseball has been practical
y upheld in the southern part of the
state. Another meeting is to be held in
the very near future and it is expect
ed that by that time enough will be
known about the league to make more
lefnite plans for getting the team under
way.
In Winona the meeting was only OF
| few of those most interesed in tho
plan, and those present included only a
few of the better known sporting men
of the city, but the capital represented
was large enough to insure the proper
financing of team and all were enthu-
siastic over the movement Winona
people are already planning on the site
for the pennant next year. AS Winona
is the largest city in the proposed cir
cult, it will naturally be given some
what more of voice in the manage
ment of the league than the other cit
les.
I'm Waseca the men concerned in the
plan are busy making preparations fo
the launching of the team and an eff
fort will be made to form q stock com
pany which shall have complete control
of the affairs of the club. McCleary, the
well-known pitcher, is the man behind
i'm that town, ana as he is the most pop
ular man who ever wore a Waseca uni
form, the team there should be one OF
the best paying properties in the league
In the other cities not a great deal
has as yet been done in regard to the,
matter, but. there is still time for them
to get in line. In Austin and Albert
Lea sentiment is ripe for baseball o.
an organized caliber, and there seems lit
tie doubt as to the placing of teams in
those two cities. In Albert Lea the old
ball park has been dismantled and turn
ed into public tennis courts, but there is
plenty of other land near the business
section well adapted to the purposes
sought and this obstacle will easily be
overcome.
In Owatonna a well-equipped park.
with large grandstand is already at
the service of the promoters, and it
needs only slight overhauling and re
pairing to place it in excellent shape for
the playing of the games there this sum
mer. This is the only city where ths
discussion has not taken definite shape
so that one might know who was real
ly doing the promoting, but it is hint
ed that several of the business houses
of the city are back of the move.
Red Wing has the nucleus of good
team remaining from its last years in
dependent team and is probably the best
prepared of any of the cities mentioned
to enter the season in playing form and
with real team. The city has fine
ball park.
Mankato is baseball crazy, and the
fans there are clamoring loudly for a
good team. If the league really begins
the season the Mankato men promise
the followers of the sport that theil
team will be in the race from the mo-
ment tie flag drops until the time is an
nounced A meeting of representatives
from all the cities concerned will soon
be held, and then the fate of the pro
iect will be settled.
One who resides in MankatO would
hardly size up the city as being crazy
over baseball. But with the inaugura-
ton of the new fair grounds some en-
thusiasm might be worked up by the
fans for a ball team But the expert
ence of few years ago will deter
many business men from investing in