The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-04
BASEBALL AS It
STANDS TODAY
Present Conditions and What Is Nee
essary to Promote the
Sport.
PLANS FOR STATE LEAGUE
ONLY SOLUTION WHICH CAN
MAKE 1T A SUCCESS.

Every day the question is asked, How
about BASEBALL?
This means, What will Salt Lake do for
baseball this season? Is il to have base
ball at all, and if so, what kind Of
baseball? These questions cannot be an
swered at present, and they are mighty
hard questions to solve in the future.
Big league baseball is out Of the cues
ton for Salt Lake this year. Many may
ask why, but the simple answer is that
there is no league nor is there any like
hhood of league being formed Of which
Salt Lake can become a member
,o true there Is the proposed Northwest
league which w. H. Lucas is organiziny
which Salt Lake could join If it so wished
To gain admittance it is necessary to find
an angel Or flock of angels willing to
put up about 5000 for the good of the
sport. If any one knows the address
the same known, Mr.. Lucas will jump at
the chance to help him separate himself
from his coin.
Chance for Outside Angel.
1t is just possible that some kindly dis
posed person from the great northwest
has a better opinion of the new north
west league than those who have watched
the checkered career of baseball In this
section of the country in the past Such
person might be led TO believe that
At OdlL Lake ITancnlSe IN SUCH a league
would be great money maker.
If any such there be- it will only be
necessary for him to make his name and
intention. known He will be given the
son in the city would get out and boost
for him and his league. There will be
no Knockers while he is Snendng his
money TO give Salt Lake baseball Should
a person with a dyspeptic disposition
start anything, a committee Of local fans
Will agree to throw this individual into
the Jordan, where he could use his ham
mer on the little fishes. A royal vel
come would be given any one who cared
to tackle the proposition. In Salt Lake
up to date this person has not been To-
Gated, nor is there any likelihood of his
being located.
Conditions as They Are.
The situation therefore resolves itself
into state league, Such league will
have TO be one of professional ball
The reason is that there is not a city in
the state outside of Salt Lake which
can support professional team, even
with salary limit of under 900 per
month. Salt Lake viii therefore have to
adjust itself to conditions in the outside
towns.
These conditions are a semi-profession-
al league where the players are given a
small salary and a position where they
can earn a salary while not playing base
bal. This can be done in Eureka, Park
City, Ogden, Bingham and Murray. These
past and can do it again.
Again trouble arises because there does
not appear to be any big industrial insti-
tuition within the city limits which would
be willing to make places for a team
of ball players, such as the mining COM
panies of the outside towns are willing
to do. 1t is possible, however, for a
hustling manager to locate his team by
finding employment among the different
firms in the city.
Continuous Ball in Salt Lake.
If a state league is formed it should
play three games a week. Friday, Satur-
day and Sunday Continuous ball could
be played in Salt Lake, the same as it
now is in San Francisco in the Pacific
Coast league. Such an arrangement
would give the smaller towns three days
of ball every third week, which the towns
could readily support
The time is now ripe for the organiza-
ton of just such league. It Is under
stood that Eureka is already organized.
Gimlin is of the opinion he can get Og-
den in line, while as yet nothing has
been heard from Park City, Murray or
Bingham If this state is going TO have
any exhibitions of the national game this
season, it is time those interested in these
cities should begin to sit up
and take notice