Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-20
SOUTHERN LEAGUE
MAY Be FORMED.
FANS FAVOR SHORT CIRCUIT
BALL
II Coast League DissoIves an Assoola-
ton From the Southwest May
Cater to the Baseball
Public

With the dissolution Of the Pacific
Coast league seemingly inevitable be-
cause of the threatened withdrawal of
Seattle, the unsettled conditions at San
Francisco and the uncertainty which
envelops the Los Angeles team, the
fans are beginning to turn their atten-
tion to the project of a reformation OF
baseball on the coast and the prob
abilities of q southwestern league is
being considered as the solution Of the
situation.
1t has been pointed out that with
San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento,
San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego.
the state presents a field for such an
organization which promises to furnish
the fans with all the baseball amuse-
ment to be desired and at the same
time guarantee fair returns on the in
vestments.
The problem OF greatest embarrass-
ment to baseball promoters on the coast
in recent years has been the big item
of travelling expenses in the circuit of
the Pacific Coast league cities, and this
one item has been the chief source of
worry to the magnates at the end of
each season when it came time for cast
ing UP the debit and credit sides of the
ledger.
With the formation of state league
such as is herein suggested, practically
four of the coast league cities would
remain and by substituting San Jose
for Fresno, Sacramento and San
Diego for Seattle and Port
land, the returns would be largely
increased and the expenses of main
tanning the clubs would be materially
reduced, as the one item of travelling
expenses would be reduced fully fifty
per cent and probably in a greater pro-
portion.
All the California cities are within
a radius less than any other league in
the country, with possibly the few ex-
ceptions of small state leagues of the
middle west.
Circuit Would Be Small
With the circuit so compact that trav
cling expenses would be a very small
item and the distances to be Travelled in
making the jumps from city to city so
slight that few hours would suffice
for the longest jump, and with the
league purely state affair and involv-
ing civic pride and patriotism to
greater extent than now prevails, there
seems to be no obstacle of sufficient
moment to prevent the practicability
of the idea
San Diego would be the smallest city
of the six, and it has a population of
nearly 10000 persons. which is sufficient
to guarantee the financial success of
the team that might be located in that
city.
Sacramento is next in point of popu-
lation, with 10000 inhabitants, and San
Jose, with it's $4,000 souls, is the only
other city in the circuit with less than
100,0 moo inhabitants.
Oakland and it's 125,000; Los Angeles
with 100000, and San Francisco with
nearly half million, are now support
ing coast league teams and are good
baseball cities under ordinary condi-
tions.
Such circuit as is herein suggested
would enable the teams to play on a
schedule of eight months in year,
furnishing almost continuous baseball.
The attendance, it is believed, would
be as great in the three smaller cities
as it now Is in the cities of Seattle,
Portland and Fresno, which are sup
porting league teams and yet the clubs
would not be compelled to make the
long jumps and bear the enormous and
ruinous travelling expenses which now
stand out as a ghost to scare and make
faint hearted the persevering magnates.
Plan Has Advantages
1t is believed that such plan would
meet with a cordial reception by the
fans in all the cities named and if the
movement is once under way it is as
sured OF loyal support in these cities.
To put the plan into operation would
necessitate the dissolution of the Pa
cifc Coast league. by dropping Port
land, Seattle and Fresno and reorgan-
izing as the Southwestern league, under
the protection of the National Associa-
ton of Professional Baseball clubs, as
row prevails in the Coast league.
The franchises held by San Fran
cisco, Los Angeles and Oakland could
be retained by their respective owners
and the Fresno franchise could be
transferred to San Jose or Sacramento,
the new league giving Mique Fisher
the choice of locations as matter OF
Justice to him.
That there would be no difficulty eX-
perienced in organizing the clubs for
the remaining cities in the seXtet is
accepted as assured. These cities
would welcome the opportunity of be-
ing taken into a real league and the
capital for maintaining the clubs would
be forthcoming.
From a disinterested standpoint and
an outside view it seems that there is
no obstacle of any Importance in the
way. Portland and Seattle are not only
willing to quit the Coast league, but
are considering the idea of jumping to
the Northwest league, where they in
reality belong.
The same item of travelling expenses
bothers the Mercedes and Agnew and
they are outspoken in their desire to
quit the Coast league for the one near
er home.
This makes certain the fact that the
dissolution of the Coast league could
occur without the slightest friction and
would be agreeable to the parent body
in control of professional baseball in
America. as it would strengthen the