The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-05-26
THE PRESIDENT
Is OPTIMISTIC
SEASON 0PENC ON JUNE 6
The Umpires and Official Scorers
Will Be Chosen at Once and
the Games Will Start.

The Knoxville Journal and Tribun,
says: Following the election of Am
Gaines as president of the Southeastern
Baseball League and the announce
ment of a schedule of games Monday
night, baseball affairs in Knoxville
took ON an even more roseate tingC
Tuesday. Active preparations for the
opening of the season one week from
next Monday and the selection Of
members of the local team by Manager
Moffett were commenced, while on all
sides were optimistic expressions con.
corning the new league and promises
of support from local fans.
President Gaines said yesterday that
he thought things were looking ex-
tremely good for the future of the
league, and that he anticipated fine
sport here and in the other cities
Throughout the circuit.
sour league is under the protection
of the national association, continued
Mr.. Gaines, sand Mr.. Ferrell has al
ready said number of COMPLIMENTS
ry things concerning it. Mr.. Farrell
has said, and it is correct, that the
towns of the Southeastern have an av-
erage population considerably larger
than that of most Glass ID league towns
and that he expects for it very sue
cassful career"
"The towns of the Southeastern, /"
said President Gaines, "are good ones
There is Asheville, which has always
been corking good baseball bug, and
in which the fans are now hungry for
the kind of ball that we eXdect will be
hand--d out by the Southeastern. The
same may be said concerning johnson
City, while the residen of Morristown,
and all ball bugs Everybody knows
the record that Knoxville made last
year when the Sally league was here,
and it is expected that history will re-
peat itself in this respect
"Down at Rome the people are sim
ply baseball 'crazy.' At meeting of
the board of trade of that city the other
day, one prominent business man rose
to remark that he would subscribe 800
for lhe support of the team in the new
league and before he had regaine his
seat, fourteen others were on their feet
with similar declarations. Rome will
have fine ball ground and the league
will certainly make hit there. Gads-
den will draw from Atlanta and Ala
bama City as well as from the home
town, since the three are connected by
interurban lines. So, you see the
prospects are fine for cracking good
little league that will dish up classy
ball for the fans"
Asked concerning the umpires, Mr..
Gaines said at the first, at least, each
town will have its own umpire. This
arrangement will be made, as some of
the smaller towns are anxious to keep
the expenses at the start down as low
as possible. Should this form of base
ball arbitration prove unpopular in
any of the towns, or should any COM
plants arise, three competent profess
sional umpires will be secured to act
as arbiters in the league.
1t is very probable that "Big" Ran
lin, wis., known TO local fans, will act
as the umpire in Knoxville. Mr.. RAN
kin is former Harvard baseball star
and coach and will officiate as umpire
in the series between Yale and Harvard
early in June. Mr. Rankin knows
the gBme like book, and his physical
ar such that his decisions
would have considerable weight, even
in the event that they did not coincide
with the opinion of some player.
The league will be handled in me-
fashion, so, of course, it will
be necessary for each town in the cir
cult to have an official scorer, that the
records of the players may be kept and
sent into the national association.
These will be appointed by Mr.. Gaines,
acting somewhat in conjunction with !
the managers of the respective teams.
But little remains to be done now,
and it is expected that all things will
rapidly round into shape for the open
ing day, so that the initial games will |
be very successful and the infant league |
will make its debut under most auspi- !
cious circumstances. Each of the clubs
has posted forfeit of $3.50 with the
treasurer of the league, and now the !
will devote their attention
to getting together fast and experienced .
of ball tossers. i
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Miss Florence DiclSey has returned !