The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-09-08
WILL START NEW
BASEBALL LEAGUE
PROMOTERS OF PLANS FOR ALL
STAR TEAMS PROPOSE TO
LAUNCH ENTERPRISE IN
AUSTRALIA

C'hNhii"ti, W., sept. o.-Ine an
nouncement was made i'm Cincinnati
last evening by Edward V. Wilbern
and Jefferson Livingston that they
VIII leave America for Australia with
In the next two weeks to organize a
baseball league In that country, which
will be on the same par with either
the National or the American league
in the United States. Wilbern and
Livingston are the men who were
back of the plans to organize the all
star teams in this country and to
take them on their tour of the twelve
largest cities In the United States.
Their plans were frustrated by the
action of the National Commission
last Thursday morning i'm deciding
that the players in the National and
American leagues could not go on
the tour.
we intend TO go over very careful
~ the athletic situation i'm Australia
and to have a number of conferences
on this proposition before we go into
It," said Mr.. Livingston here this
evening.
I'VE shall go to Australia as the
guests OF Hugh Mcintosh, the fistic
promoter in that country, and Editor
Corbett of the Sydney Referee. Cor
bett is the best known and best liked
sporting man in all that country and
can give us n fair idea of the cities
expected to be members of the league
We have letters from both these men
saying that the time is ripe for real,
genuine major league i'm that country,
that the Australian capitalists will not
go into ii because they know very
little about the game.
within the past five years the
game OF cricket has become lowered
in the eyes of the common people of
that country, inasmuch as cricket is
not so exciting as the Australians
would like To have it, They have sew
eral baseball teams in the many cit
les of that country now, but these
are not bound together by any means
without any schedule or organized
head. Therefore Mr.. Wilbern and I
arc going To see If we can make base
ball in that country pay.
I'VE think there is chance to
make good profit on our money in
vested and will run the risk of los
ing few hundred thousand dollars
i'm the effort
Both Mr.. Wilbern and Mr.. Livings-
tone are millionaires. While they did
not say so, it is evident that they
will run the risk of losing this much
money just to see If they can make
the kind of organized ball that is
prevalent in this country pay I'm that
one.
I'VE have gone over with Chairman
August Hermann of the National
Commission the plans that were used
in building up the leagues i'm this
country and will use precisely the
same methods i'm Australia" said Mr.
Wilbern.
I'VE shall have board of govern
ors, which will preside over all con-
tests between players and clubs. Just
how many clubs will be in the league
will be decided later, when the people
take to our plans. Mr.. Hermann has
kindly given us many details of the
leagues here, which will be invaluable
I'm that country. We intend to be
gone from eight to twelve months, II
present plans hold good. and who
knows but what We my return To
this country with a team that can
trim the winner of the worlds cham
series? At any rate. there |
are enough people in Australia inter- |
ested in baseball to make the league |
profitable. Several attempts have
been made to organize the clubs OF
that country into league, but all
these. so Mr.. Corbctt and Mr. McIn-
tosh write us. have failed because
no one with the money necessary has
been willing to back them.
I'VE want to make II clear to any
body who wants to know that we are
not enemies of organized baseball I'm
This country and that we will not try
10 break into the game here. But We
an and we will break into IL In Aus
ralia, giving them classy ball and
heir moneys worth"
.