The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-05-29
BOTH PARKS TO BE USED
With Five Teams In the League and
Two Parks Double Headers viii
Have to be Played Sew
eral Times.

II
have to go ahead with the work Of
drafting chart for league composed
OF but five teams. The Hamilton
teams held meeting this week and
decided to drop from the league. It is
too late in the season to think of try
| ing to induce another team to enter
the Commercial league and none of
the teams In at the present time have
any idea OF dropping out, SO the thing
before the league executive is to draw
up schedule for a flve-team league
and have the opening games June 5.
Can Use Two Parks.
Arrangements have been completed
with the Keokuk Base Ball association
whereby the Commercial league will
have use OF the Keokuk league base
ball diamonds during the summer
months when the league team is not
here. This will enable the schedule
maker to arrange the summer series
Of games, playing in both parks, and
make it possible for every team to
play every Saturday, although this
will necessitate double header by
one team every Saturday. This will
be no hardship and in fact will rather
be enjoyed as 1t will give more base
ball at convenient time.
About Hamilton.
It would appear on the seurface that
Hamilton is making mistake, or has
already made one, in dropping from
the Commercial league. Many of the
arguments put forth in the following
article are good, but with proper man
agement Hamilton could make more of
a success in the Commercial than
playing with outside clubs. Hamilton
enjoyed a year of prosperity in 1908
and there seemed to be more enthusi-
asm manifested by fans In that city
than in any year previous. The loss
Of several players would have been a
hardship, that fact is acknowledged,
but it is necessary to depend upon the
ball players whose places might we'll
be taken by some of the younger
blood. There is plenty OF good mater
ial in Hamilton If it is brought to the
front. The Hamilton Press speaking
of the recent action says:
Quite an Expense.
At meeting Of the Hamilton Base
Ball association 1t was decided to
withdraw the team from the CONNER
cial League and play independent ball
| during the summer and fall. The act
ion of the Association In withdrawing
was taken only after a careful con
| sideration of al the facts in connection
with the baseball situation here.
To begin with the team has had tc
1 secure new grounds, which at the
/ very least. estimate will cost $1500t
| in rents and necessary improvements
4 Added to this there would have beer
an expense of from $25 to $35 in fees
4 for Joining the Keokuk association
1 and registering in the A. L. N. A. Had
most, or all, of the games played BY
Hamilton been awarded to them al
home, they would have had to pay this
expenses of the game, such as balls
umpire, etc.
The experience of last year showed
1 that. with a winning team, the gate
receipts did not pay the necessary ex
penses. The people of the surround
Ing country were not particularly in
terested in the games of the league
the Keokuk teams failed to bring an,
number of Supporters with them, ant
i Hamilton was compelled to depend
entirely on its own population, or tn,
portion Of it that enjoyed baseball, fo
its support
Loss of Players.
Last year the pitching of Shepherd
the hitting and base running of Brad
ford and the all around good playin,
of Turner were strong factors In max
ing the team a winner. and by losin,
all three of these men it would hav,
weakened the team to such an ex