The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-04
NEW LEAGUE To
BE ORGANIZED
Salt Lake City Will Be Head
quarters of Big Baseball
Association.
LEASE IS SECURED AND NEW
BALL PARK WILL BE BUILT
Understood That William H.
Lucas VIII Be President of
the League.

William III. Lucas, for several years
president OF the Northwestern league,
and L. #. Thicl OF Chicago. Thursday
night announced that arrangements were
practically completed for the organiza-
uon OF the Union association, a baseball
league composed of Salt Lake. Ogden,
Butte. Helena, Great Fails and Missoula,
1t was also announced that Mr.. Thiel
property facing south on Eighth South
street. between Main and State streets.
and that a new baseball park would be
built on those grounds.
The new league, both gentlemen insist,
Will be a so, and will not he Fourth
of July league. Mr.. Thel, who Will
own the Salt Lake franchise, says ho
does not propose To float stock or to take
anco OF the league He said his perma-
ncnt investment In a new baseball park
would be the guaranty for his sincerity
In the matter.
Mr.. Lucas and Mr.. Thiel have been in
the city several days ncog, trying to ar
range for suitable location for a base
ball park, Negotiations were begun for
Walkers field but long-term lease such
as the promoters wished was denied, and
finally arrangements were made for the
lease of tho Eighth South site.
Plans Are Announced.
Although the new league has not yet
been formally organized II Is understood
that Mr., Lucas will be It's president and
that the league headquarters Will be In
Salt Lake City The plan is TO have
games six days a week, with a weekly
rest every Monday. Ladies days and
children's days arc a part OF the plan Of
the new league.
Mr.. Thiel announces that work on the
new Salt Lake baseball park Will he be-
gun within two weeks. IIis plans In.
clude grandstand that will seat 5000
people. ladies' parlor, a club house for
the players. a grass diamond and field
With parking both inside and and outside of Of
remain in Salt Lake permanently from
now on.
Mr.. Lucas emphaticaIly denies that the
He says that on October Il he secured
protection for the territory covered by
the proposed league On Sunday he
OF the National Association o: Profes,
sional Baseball clubs, TO be held in Chi
cago on November Is. AS soon as he
returns the first annual meeting OF the
Union association viii be held in Salt
Lake
Al present. Mr.. Lucas said. the organ
ization OF baseball clubs in all OF the
cities proposed for membership except in
Ogden has been begun, Within the next
few days the organization OF a club in
Ogden will be started, and ii is believed
that the club Will be organized there.
Salt Lake and Butte.
The promoters OF the league were chief
ly concerned about the organization OF
that with these two cities the future Of
the league rests. In Butte. John J. Nc
Closkey, the former well-known big
team He has the Butte franchise and
has secured downtown park. Mr.
Thiel. as has been stated, has already
finance the club. He depes that he has
arranged with Cliff Blankership TO man
age the Salt Lake team. He says he has
not yet secured manager for the Salt
Lake club. but is in correspondence with
several big league players and that nc
will be sure TO have competent man
ager for the local team.
Helena and Great Falls have both
good downtown parks. and the organi-
Zation OF these two clubs is well under
way. Missoula is still flirting with the
Northwestern league. and has raised slO.-
600 for Northwestern league franchise.
However there is Jttle likelihood OF Mis-
soula breaking into The Northwest league.
so the club already organized will be
transferred TO the Union association,
History Discouraging.
The history OF Salt Lake as a member
OF an Interstate league is somewhat dis.
coura ging. In almost every case the
league has been failure. However
nothing succeeds like perseverance. and
II things are as bright for baseball in
Utah and Montana as the statements of
the promoters appear TO indicate the
league should he a SUCCESS The trouble
has been in the past that tho railroad
fares In the long jumps have eaten up
tho profits Of baseball Salt Lake has
always been a good baseball town. and
has always had the big crowds OF the
league: 4 winning team in Salt Lake
next year would undoubtedly draw big
crowds.
w. II. Lucas, ono OF tho organizers OF
the new league. who will also be its presi-
dent has been In baseball all of his life
T5c was born aud raised at Cleveland
Ohio. and learned the rudiments of the
game on the town lots there. At Con
cordia college he first distinguished him