The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-16
Topeka GOES UP.
A Move to the Western League
Practically Settled UpOn.
The Plan Is to Draft This City
By Payment Of So, 800.
EIGHT CLUB CIRCUIT.
Would Be a Good Financial
Transaction for League.
st. Joseph With Kid Nichols ia
the Head to Join.
EIGHT CLUB CIRCUIT.

II is now practically settled that
Topeka Will be in the Western league
next year Various plans have been
undertaken from time to time to bring
about this event. but not until within
comparatively short time has there
seemed to be any imminent hopes of
succeeding in the project
1t was supposed that at the meeting
or the Western association in Joplin
last week that death blow had been
dealt as far as Topeka getting .nto the
western league in 1907 was concerned.
At that meeting Cooley moved that he
be allowed to purchase the release of
the Topeka team from the Western
association. The motion of Cooley met
with good deal of opposition, how
ever, and failed to get through. 1t
was opposed principally by President
Dan b. Breese of the Wichita team
Cooley's motion proposed that Topeka
be allowed to withdraw from the
western association upon the payment
of one thousand dollars. The regular
price which was agreed upon by the
magnateS of the association a year
ago was twenty-five hundred dollars
The Joplin meeting, however, failed
to kill the scheme which is on for the
expansion of the Western league.
six club league such as the Western
league has been for the past few years
is not very profitable circuit from a
financial standpoint. The towns in the
league are scattered over too wide an
area. The eastern portion of the
league is in close enough proximity
but there is the long jump to Colorado
which nearly always proves a money
loser, and the trip east never been
very practical from a Colorado stand
point. Consequently the club owners
in the Western league are all de-
termined to do something to do away
with the long Jumps
The present plan is to draft Topeka
by paying to the Western association
the drafting price which is twenty-five
hundred dollars. Under recent rul-
ing of Secretary Farrell. St. Joseph
belongs to the Western league under
an option which they have secured and
team Will probably be placed in that
city This would make an eight club
circuit which would be composed OF
Topeka, st. Joseph, Des Moines. Sioux
City. Omaha, Lincoln, Denver and
Pueblo.
st. Joseph has for several years
been a poor proposition as a baseball
town. However, it is thought there
has been a good reason for this. For
years the town has had a losing team
and the failure of the town in the
Western association last year was
largely due to this fact. The ball
grounds are about three miles and a
half from town and the street car
facilities are none too good, either. The
location of the ball park is near the
packing house district. which is an
other feature which tends to make the
park an unpopular place
In the event that a Western League
team is placed in St. Joe this spring,
which nows seems very probable, an
effort will be made to awaken the Ia
tent baseball enthusiasm in that city
New ball grounds will be built nearer
the center of the city and no money
spared in giving the town a good team
The management of the new team In
that town is as yet unknown, but good
authority picks Charles Nichols of
Kansas City as the manager OF the
new team Nichols is one of the best
ball players the game has ever seen
and has had good success as a man
ager. A few years ago when Kansas
City was in the Western League he
landed the pennant for that town. |
Nichols has been in the major leagues
as long as any player ever stayed |
there. Only last year he played with
Philadelphia. He was a pitcher on
the Boston team several years ago