Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1909-10-09
SOUTHWEST
LEAGUE Is
ALMOST SURE
Phoenix and Tucson Are Be-
ginning to Set Up and Take
Notice of Baseball Activity
Along the Border

Baseball bugdom in the SoLuhwest
is now beginning to agitate a winter
bah league now that they see the
time approaching when the cry OF
play baIr' is apt to cease for a + .
months.
Papers are picking it up and keep
ing the agitation boiling and there is
practically no reason why it should
not be productive of results, say
after the Phoenix and FL Paso fairs
with their attendant tournaments, ar.
over.
The climate is ideal for winter ball
Both major and minor leaguers come
to either Arizona, New Mexico OF
California to spend their off season
aImot ev,ry year and there's nothing
that most of them would like better
than to hook up with a winter organi
cation aud toss the sphere a little in
order to keep in trim for the spring
openings back east or on the coast
Not that a league with s-.ason ax-
tending from December until april
would be advisable but say about half
that time
1t is a well known fact that many
leagues are noulishing in the eass
and making all kinds Of money, with
towns of from 1000 people up, and
twenty-five cent ball at that The
Kansas State League. the Southern
Michigan League, Wisconsin League
and others too numerous 10 mention
are in this class, and play from May
to the middle of September var aftcl
year and make money.
Out here in Arizona the people arE
paying fifty cents for the Independent
ball. TIL people are not kicking OF
the price, as long as the sport is TO.
coming, so it stands to reason thai
even a four-club organization, playing
about a two months schedule or even
less would make it ray.
But it is not propos a to confine
this proposed league to four clubs.
Of course at the start Douglas, Bis
b e. Cananea and FL Paso would be
counted in. Then there's Morenci
with its aggregation of classy players.
Phoenix, too. would come in in min.
ute. as they'fe signed up the bulk OF
the Vernon Pacific coast league team
who will r port at the close OF the
coast league season. Phoenix has
also Frank Godfrey until recently
with Bisbee and one OF two others OF
note on her list.
This activity on the part Of Phoenix
has aroused old Tucson from ner
lethargy and they ar beginning &c
creep about up there and talk winter
ball to the Queens taste.
Then jumping over into New Mex
leo we have the Socorro team ana
AIbugu .rgue would be Johnny on the
spot too. if anything started. 50
with Tucson Phoenix, Morenci, So
zorro and Albuquerque, with the Big
Four there would be nine CLUBS, so
there would be no difficulty in organ
ling an eight-cIub league at the start
ca.
Manager O'Donovan has BEEN talk
ing league ball for some time but
four clubs was his idea. AS the talk
has been passed around it has grown,
on paper, to six clubs, and the Iatest
idea now seems to be eight.
There is now but one objection and
that is the distance apart Of some OF
the towns fer instance the jump h
Albuquerque and SocorTo. Some are
inciin ID to howl about FL Paso, also,
but it would be the next thing to out
OF the question to having all IN gaui-
zstion unless the White Stockings,
with the golden molars of Pop ed
munds and the circus-clown antics Of
Wylie were included therein. Il
Passes distance from thu rest of the
circuit is amply made up for by ths
size of her drawing population.
It isn't the LACK of material that is
keeping the organization back right
now, it's simply the matter of the
various magHates of the Independent
clubs getting their heads together,
perfecting an organization and draft
ing the schedule of games.
These woods are full of players
now that the organized ball leagues
CT the east have finished their season
Some of them, as is the case every
year, will put in profitable season
playing winter ball on the coast, while
others will hook up with independent
teams.
Even Yuma has blossomed forth as
la bush-league town with admission
secured into the newly-organized I'm.
perial Valley League. Yuma has
grabbed Chick Arnold Gandil from
Sacramento and he will report at the
close of the coast league season or in
a few days. Walter Johnson, about
the best man on that misfit club OF
the Washington American League
team will pitch for Yuma.
Whatever happens Bisbee will be
right in line every minute and can be
counted on planting both feet in that
Cactus League or Southwestern
League or whatever it will be decided