The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-12

States Baseball League does not wish
TO be considered major league or
ganization. and does not pretend to
be arrival OF the big leagues.
We do not want to put ourself In
false position yesterday said f. c.
LanAgfaf. eHHsr- of the Richmond
franchise. We never intimated that
We were major league and the term
third major league as applied to US
by newspapers is wholly wrong. 1t is
better that the fans understand us
now, and do not expect too much
from US. We believe there is room
for another baseball league. and do
not think II must be major organi-
cation. We are a o5 and 50-cent
league. and fans cannot expect us to
put Zip the same grade OF baseball as
the big leagues. which charge 10
cents or more.
When a theatergoes visits a pop
ular- priced vaudeville house. he does
not expect to see Lew Fields. David
Warfelds or Frank Daniels. Neverthe-
less, the popular price houses draw
just as well as the high class thea
tiers. The patrons are we'll Statistic d
with the cheaper talent. and when
have had good run for their money,
league the same way. There Is no
reason why a league Of evenly match
ed teams cannot he got together
which Will play close. interesting
games. There are many fans who
cannot afford to pay 20 cents or more
10 see a big league bali game. We
will educate such fans TO 60 to our
parks. and We believe 1t Will not take
lsng to get them educated.
The newspapers have led the pub
lie TO believe We are after some of the
high-priced stars. This is another
feature which l desire 20 make clear.
We Will have good ball players in our
league. but We are not prepared TO
pay big league salaries. AT least. |
will not have any OF the big fellows
on my Richmond team and do not
think any OF my colleagues will have
any on theirs. All Of our clubs have
money back OF them. but we are
not squandering any OF It, We pro-
pose TO conserve our resources, and
il We do not have profitable pa id
admission in 1912 we will play out
our schedule That Is one thing that
what happens We propNsN to play out
our schedule.
Another thing ! wish to make
plain to the fans is that We are not
going TO build any pre.entious grand
stands of steel. We will have plain
wooden stands. but hope to accom-
rnodate all the fans that care to see
our teams play. Everything must
get start. A third league will come
sooner Or later. atfd Ne beiiVe- there Is
room for one no*::' 1t least. we are
willing to take chance. We are not
making a pretentious start. out If Ne
~ tn rir~
from season to season. We will de-
velop star players OF our own. and
possibly in a few years some OF our
unknown youngsters may develop in
to Cohhs. waEners. and Collinses
1T has been said that our league
was got up over night. I speak the
truth when say that Whitman and
sn.sself have heen working on this
league for eighteen months. We
thoroughly went ever the ground and
interested men on whom we though
ter to Get started. but now that We
have selected our eight clubs. We be-
lieve our hardest task is over
I4andgraf is chairman of the United
States League Schedule Committee,
and says he will do nothing on his
schedule until the big league schedules
are announced.
We Will avoid as many conflicts
with major league teams as we pos
sibly can" he said. ''Of course. we
are bound to have conflicting dates
in New York. We will not pay any
attention to the Virginia League or
Tri-State schedules. as we believe our
teams will get the crowds in Reading
and Richmond whether the other
teams are home or not. However, we
will do all We can to avoid conflicting
dates In Brooklyn. Washington. Pitts
burg, Cincinnati and Cleveland"
Landgraf said that Richmond and
Reading surely would be represented
In the league this season. He has be-
gun work on his Richmond park. and
Whitman has a park in Reading which
cost him more than 100000. II it
found these two cities cannot support
teams. the franchises viii be turned
over to other cities in 1918.
However. we believe We will make
more moneg In Richmond and Read
ing this season than in the larger
cities OF the circuit" continued Land
graf. Our league. is big advertise
ment to these towns. and. as We pro-
pose to give them better grade ball
than they have been seeing, fans are
naturally eager for us to start AZ
ter seing only teams from petersburg
Danyills and other Virginia League
cities II VIII b 4 big treat to Rich
mcnA fans 10 see teams from New
York, Pittshurg, Cleveland ana our
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