Evening journal., 1913-05-15
THRILLING
RACES In The
OLD TRI-STATE
Many Changes Mark Beginning
Of Tenth Year of
Organization
TEAMS IN BETTER
CONDITION THIS YEAR

No longer can the Tri-State League
be regarded as a youngster II Is now
In It's tenth season, which is a pretty
good life for an organization whose
experiences have been as full of thrills
as President Carpenters organization.
Begun as a genuine State organiza-
tion. with scope in conformity with
the size of its towns, the league was
by the civic ambitions of persons con-
nected with the various clubs sudden
ly expanded into limits that were un-
heard for such an organization.
Every town wanted the pennant
They liked baseball, and enjoyed see
ing the games played. but a leading
thought in the ambitions of the back.
ers Of the teams and the fans was to
down the other town.
Thus York couldn't rest content to
be hehind Lancaster, and Harrisburg,
another near neighbor, was deter
mined to outstrip both. Altoona and
Johnstown we're engaged i'm a similar
deadly rivalry, and the demand for
players able to turn the trick made
the hackers go out to get the best, no
matter how, where or at what cost
Not even the rosters of the National
and American leagues, the allied and
controlling bodies of baseball, we're
proof against the search for winning
players. There were raids on half a
dozen clubs Many players jumped
the salary proffers went boosting up.
and finally in some cases condition
was reached where Tri-State teams
outbid the big leagues for a player
they were determined to get.
n IA 4 asa.N
last A time came when the Tri-State
League found it necessary to get to-
gether with the big leagues, but the
spunky little organization did 1t on
terms of credit to itself.
The amount of money spent during
this period of warfare explains some
OF the financial troubles that have
come later. During the war the re-
sources of many sportsmen and lib
eral spenders were so well drained
that they simply had to withdraw from
the game. Debts were then incurred
that have been a burden ever since,
and the help of many a well-to-do man
was lost who would now be a giver
But within the last two or three
years a wiser policy has prevailed
and State baseball is handled on
basis suitable to the size of the towns
In the circuit This year should be a
paying one, and the towns should sec
excellent baseball, for the league has
reached the rightful point, a feeding
ground for the big leagues, and not
their rival in playing strength.
Only one manager survives in the
league who was with II in the first
year This Is George Ileckert, who
was leader of the York club, which
captured the first championship in
/ 1904. Heckert repeated in 1906 and
in the other years has always been a
formidable factor, finishing second
four times.
Max Lindheimer and Curt Weiganf
we're the pilots OF the winning VIII
Transport club in 1905. I'm a memoir
able race, I'm which for the greater
part of the season four clubs we're IN
the running, York, Harrisburg, Al
toona and Williamsport In the clos
ing stages of that race Johnstown
made a wonderful finish. and cut in
past all its rivals but Williamsport,
finishing a remarkable second.
The 1906 race was decided by the
famous 3-2 game between York and
Williamsport, the greatest contest,
perhaps, ever played in the Tri-State
League.
Williamsport. with it's great teams
/ of 1907 and 1908. under Wolverton,
captured pennants without being seri-
ously pressed. except by harrisburg,
under Heckert
Since that time no Tri-State team
has been able to capture a pennant
twice in succession.
Marty Hogan put Lancaster under
the wire in 1909, his greatest rival
being Reading.
Guided by Hank Ramsey, Altoona
made a runaway race in 19lO,' and
there was no doubt as to the result
from the time the season was half way
finished.
Bill Coughlin drove the Reading
team under the wire a comparatively
easy winner in 1911. and last year the
man who was president of the win
ming Reading club triumphed as a
manager. for il was George Cockih's
team that won in Harrisburg.
With Heckert back in York, at the
head of strong team; with Cockill
CARRYING a number of his champions
of last year; with Coughlin heading
a strong Allentown combination; Conn
immensely popular in Trenton; Jimmy
Jackson looking after Wilmington, o
team that he rejuvenated last year
and Jimmy Castle at Atlantic City fol-
a long stretch OF home games from
July 2 il looks like a wide open race
Expenses have been cut down, ant
railroad Jumps shortened The pros.
pect is, therefore, for a profitable sea
son. and one that will produce lot o