Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1912-05-16
Think new !. 5.
League IS A
BLOOMER
BY HARVEY T. WOODRUFF.

Just how seriously the new United
States Baseball League, which opened
| its season recently, must be. taken
will not be indicated for a month after
I II has played its first games. Those
I interested in the present big leagues
do not expect the newcomer to last a
month and place July 4th as the limit
of its life.
/ Possisbly there may he some misap'
prehension regarding the pretensions
and ambitions of the new league on
| the Pacific Coast. The United States
! League does not at this time pretend
to be a rival of the American or Ma
( tional leagues. II has neithed the play
ers nor the parks. Its hackers assert
II will travel along its own way with
expenses as light as possible, stealing
no players actually under contract,
and will bid for public patronage on.
the ground that there is room for an.
other organization.
Pittsburgh, Cleyeland, Cincinnati,
Chicago, Reading. Pa, New York,
Washington and Richmond, Va, COM
pose the circuit. In only Chicago and
New York of these cities are there two
league clubs at present. The new
conner expects to derive enough sus-
tenance to live during the absence OF
:he other club. This is possible but
not probable.
Outlook seems Hazardous.
/ In Chicago and New York the out
| lcok would seem hazardous. The Chi.
Cago location Is Gunther Park, which
for many years has been used as a
semi-pro-diamond. II Is located on
, the north side, which is unoccupied
territory so far as league ball is con
cerned, but the location is As to 80
minutes from the downtown district,
while either the White SoX or Cub
parks, against which the United
States League team must compete,
can be reached in half an hour. More
over, the transportation is not good.
Gunther Park cannot care for more
than 1000 spectators without sending
them into the field. The team prac'
! tically is composed Of the same club
which formerly was known as the
( Gunthers. They play brand of base
ball, however, about equal to that OF
the Glass C leagues. 1t is not bad
baseball to watch.
When the knocks are fully launched,
It must be admitted that Gunther Park
has been the best Saturday semi.pro.
park In Chicago. II ranked with
Jimmy Callahan's Logan Square Park
before Callahan left the semi-pro.
field to return TO the White SoX as
n Sunday park. Crowds of 5000 have
not been uncommon. But Gunther
Park, when in the semi-pro. ranks,
always was considered dead one
for weekday ball.
"Bathhouse John" Interested.
If.the local club could play only Sat
urday and Sunday ball at home, and
travelling expenses on such long cir
cult were not so heavy, the club might
20 along, as the GALAXY list cannot be
considered heavy. Whether the club
can draw we'll enough on the road
with the name Chicago attached is the
question. "Bathhouse John" Cough
lin, an alderman, Is generally sup
posed to have financial interest.
In many cities on the circuit, old
timers whose names once were some
thing to conjure with, have been
signed as managers, and there will be
n curiosity at first to see the clubs In
bction. Whether city rivalry can be
worked up and clientele established
will depend somewhat on the charac
ter of games played and the way the
league Is conducted.
So far no particular hostility has
been shown by organized ball because
the new league has been regarded a.
joke. II 1t begins to look like 9
success the tune may change. While
there Is a disposition on the part OF
the press, In this city at least, to ac
cept the new league on its actua
showing without either boosting oil
knocking, the majority of baseball
critics are skeptical of its enduring
powers, So much for the new league