Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-23
HAvENoR GETS PARK IN CHICAGO
Milwaukee Magnate Secures Ample
North Side Grounds.
INVASION OF BIG LEAGUE FIELD
New Circuits Are Planned in Both
East and West.
OMAHA IS DIRECTLY INTERESTED
Western League to BE Recast on
Lines that Mean Better Base
Ball for It's Many
Patrons.

FHNPonAs
Charles S. Havenor has bought a tract
of eight acres on the North Side in Chi
csgo.
This might be overlooked in the rush
of business as a mere real estate deal.
But 1t has more importance than that.
1t Is really the opening gun in what bids
fair to be the merriest war ever sprung
In the base ball world. MIR. Havenor hap
pens to be the owner OF the Milwaukee
franchise and team in the American As
socIa ton of Professional Base Ball clubs.
and the tract of ground he has Just Sc
cured title to Ia to be used as the park
for the American Association team in Chi
cago. Just when It will be put into COM
mission is not definitely determined. but
the well-posted men. who have been watch
ing proceedings closely. do not expect 1t
will be postponed longer than next season.
1t may go over for another year. because
the American is In an agreement with the
major leagues that has two years yet to
run, and might not like to break it. But
this Is improbable. IS
TebeRu Leads the way.
For many months signs have pointed to
the coming conflict. and the decks are now
pretty we'll cleared. George Tebeau. who
is generally credited with being the moving
spirit in the deal. has gotten himself into
pretty good trim for the fight. and he has
both the finesse and the courage to tackle
the great major league leaders in a fin
fish fight. In fact, II may be seriously
questioned II a brsin!er base ball fighter
than Tebeau lives today. He started ten
years ago with a shoestring. and has run
It up TO. the proportions of several tan
yards sipce then. For the greater part
of this time he was the target for the
hottest fire that ever ceniered on one man
in the base ball world. but he went along
as steadily as a Dreadnought sailing
through a fleet OF fishing smacks, till he
Is now in position to return the fire, and
II is without the range of human prob
abilitie that he will be mAgnanimous
enough to let things drift along as they
are. He is ambitious, and the only way
In which his ambition can be fed is to
make his present league a bigger one, and
10 take his associates along with him.
These include some of 'the present Amer
lean Association owners and some of the
Eastern league magnates.
Outline of the Invasion.
When the American association and the
Eastern league notified the National COM
mission of the rejection of the concessions
granted those leagues as Glass "A MEM
hers, and Voluntarily resumed the status
of Glass A, II was the impression that the
time for open hostilitles had nearly come.
The move of Havenor is the opening shot.
Chicago will be invaded with a team on
the North Side. Plttsburg, st. Louis and
Cincinnati will also be taken in, and the
circuit of the American association will be
completed with Louisville, indianapolis,
Toledo and Columbus. With Sunday ball
permitted in each of these towns, the cir
cult seems almost ideal. It is short, com
pact and made up of Hive ones, and all big
enough to support major league ball. Chi
cage can easily sustain a third team. and
ST. Louis will not be a serious proposition
If the right kind of ball is given.
In the Eastern leagu a new circuit is
to be made up, taking In Baltimore, Wash
ington. Newark, New York. Buffalo, Tor
onto, Boston and Philadelphia. This cir
cult does not look so good on paper as
does the Americans, but the promoters
have confidence in their power to Invade.
with this arrangement the big leagues
will be all but powerless To r~etaliate by
placing clubs in the territory of the in
Vaders. for Il would be difficult TO do so
without organizing entire new circuits.
Anything is possible in base ball, though.
since the American league. under the lead
ership of Ban johnson, Charles Comiskey
and Cornelius McGillycuddy. invaded the
National leagues territory and made good.
So It Is time to watch for retaliatory moves
on part OF the majors.
where Omaha Comes In.
omaha's interest In this move is direct
and important. II the new American as
ISOLATION circuit is formed. as outlined,
A. Nnr....~. u{II - s.aaaat IN much mora
desirable lines. 1t Is not worth while at
this late date to go into any history as
to how Omaha came TO he left out of the
American association circuit when IL was
formed seven years ago. 1t was, and has
beer out since. But with the new deal.
the Western league will be made up OF
Milwaukee. Minneapolis, St. Paul. Kansas
City. Omaha. and perhaps Des Moines'
Sioux City and ST. Joseph. n may be that
Denver will be taken into this circuit. but
the question Of travel expense is one OF
much potency in the matter. Des Moines
and Sioux city are morally certain TO he
in. for both are going along we'll now and
are In a great deal better condition TO sup
port a team than they we're twenty years
ago. when they had teams In the old West
ern. ST. Joseph is well thought of because
OF It's size and the fact that IL has been
without ball for several years. II may be
ripe. The extra cost OF getting TO and
nom Denver viii more than offset the
extra gate receipts received there, unless
an advance In admission price Is charged.
ana this would be the occasion for a dread
mi roar n tempt That matter Is yet
10 be determined. IL Denver Is included.
then the choice for eighth place is between
sioux CITY and ST. Joseph. with the weight
OF population in favor of ST. Joseph and
the item Of interest In favor OF Sioux city
Another Possibility.
From the present Western league circuit
another tight little league can then be
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