The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-17
HAMMER HOLLAND
Wichita Making Desperate Ell
forts to Retain Team.
Money and Manager win DO It
st. Joe Papers Busy.

wichita. Kan. Dec. 17.-Nothing new
has developed in the Wichita baseball
situation. No word has been received
from the prospective new manager but
the chances are that he has not receiv-
ed the message wired last week.
The chances are that number OF
new faces will be seen in Jobber uni
forms next season. When the present
difficulties are ironed out 1t Will be up
to the new owners to strengthen the
team. Much valuable time il being lost
every day. There are number OF Class
"A ball players who can be secured at
the present time who are free agents.
These players are gradually being
signed.
George Hughes will not be with the
team next season and that means that
first baseman must be secured. Two
other places on the infield will be
strengthened. A veteran catcher who
can handle the pitchers will be secured.
Two or three pitchers will be added to
the staff and an outfielder secured to
take Middleton's place. Some Of these
players may be picked up with little
cost to the new owners. Some may be
secured from big league clubs and
some will have to be purchased OUT
right. At any rate there In plenty Of
work In 1iew for the new manager to
get together a winning team and the
sooner he has authority to get busy the
better his chances will be.
Holland Working Hard.
Jack Holland is still firing broadsides
at Wichita through the st. Joseph
newspapers. He doesn't seem to know
that his guns are loaded with blanks
and it u a waste of time. Jack is peev-
ed at Wichita because a $1,000 bonus
was said to have been promised him
h~, ho UUiChito 20 Pov lot,-
tia into the Western League and the
bonus never materialized. There is no
doubt but that the influence Of Holland
and Isbell secured Wichita a perpetual
franchise in the league. Now Jack
wants to cancel the perpetual part.
The st. Joseph Gazette is peeved at
Jimmy McGill because the Denver mag
nate Is backing Wichita. Here is the
way the Gazette puts the situation:
Now the fans of Wichita, backed
up by Jimmy McGill on Denver. and
the Topeka club owners want to dictate
the policy Of the league. The real men
OF the league, those who own the fran
chises in Des Moines. Omaha, st. JOS
eph and Denver. are told to jump in
the lake. These men. who make the
Western League what 1t really is, must
listen to the dictatorship Of the two weak
towns, which amounts to Jimmy Nc
Gill.
cares cares whether or not WICHITA or Topeka
stays In the Western League? Not
nickel's worth. He is playing McGilrs
hand and cares not what happens to the
an 50 W Hn h Uns Win Rh
he have the votes Of those two clubs and
s es fT frn is - asspred with wicnita
some chance Of losing out-not muchs per-
haps. but It would 1ex . chance. ana
Jimmy likes his baseball dollars.
~ Weakness Somewhere.
There must be something wrong with
things around the circuit when men like
Frank Isbell and William Rourke allow
two weak clubs to tell them what cities
should and should not hold franchises in
the league.
Kansas City wants in the circuit and
There is a chance to close up a weak spot
ever. say no; they want to keep the fran
cnise in Wichita-and probably drop a
few more thousand dollars. II the Wlch-
franchise and players. 1t could use the
ern Association. which is being reorgan-
lied, and could give the fans something
nearer what Is due them Baseball s,tsd Of the
the reach of Wichita
Nothing to $4,000 Offer.
Suppose the Wichita directors accepted
me a sar mt on iaxe OF ' s% Taersd oy
be in debt and have no franchise and no
players
Hupposing again that Wichita entered the
Western Association. How much more
would have to be added to the 5000 debt
to secure fourteen players of Western As
sociation ability good enough to finish
well up in the race? At least calculation
the neighborhood of $4,000 in debt.
Wichita fans will not support Class c
baseball. and that il the best the West
ern Association can hope to obtain. Okla
homa City attempted to enter a lower
3 failure: Wichita had the Kansas State
transferred to Pueblo. and no interest was
taken in the games. The City league
drew much better crowds.
The talk that wichita win not support
LASS A baseball Is joke.
Give the fans q team that will finish
even as high as fifth place and they viii
turn out 100000 strong. for the season
That is better than the alleged strone
cities of the league. Omaha, Des Moines
and st. Joseph, have been doing.
SOUTH DAKOTA ELECTS CAPTAIN