The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-06
FEDERALS BETTER OFF
THAN AMERICAN WAS

Chicago, Jan. 6.-Friends and pros
pective patrons of the Federal league
who fear its hackers are trying to
masticate a bigger meal than they can
digest before the opening of the next
baseball season, and enemies Of the
new organization who hope these
fears are true, may be interested to
know that the Feds are a long way
further advanced in their war Jam
paign than the American league vas
at MS time in 1901, when it was max
ing its fight on the National league.
When the twentieth century dawn
ed on the morning Of Jan. I, 1901.
Ban Johnson and his doughty band of
warriors, captained by Comiskey, had
only a hazy idea what cities would be
included in their circuit when the next
season opened. At that date there
were clubs technically members of the
league and there vas talk Of starting
with a ten-club circuit.
81. Denied Expansion Permit.
The American league closed the sea-
son Of 1900 with teams in Chicago,
Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Indianapolis,
Kansas City, Detroit, Cleveland and
Buffalo. In December it asked the
National leagues permission to eX-
pand SO as to occupy the baseball
plants in Baltimore and Washington,
vacated by the National league when
it reduced it's circuit from twelve to
eight clubs. and also to take over the
old American association grounds in
Philadelphia.
The National leaguers decided they
would see Ban Johnson and his asso-
ciates blistering in the lake of blazing
birthstone before they would grant any
such request as that, so the American
league decided to go ahead and take
the territory anyway. That was in the
middle Of December, 1909, and by the
time he new year started the ambi-
tious leagues affairs were in a decid-
ed tangle to all appearances.
For the purpose Of invading the
east, the Kansas City franchise was
transferred to Washington and the
Minneapolis club was succeeded by
Baltimore. Philadelphia also was in
cluded in the circuit on paper, but
what franchise would be vacated to
admit the Quaker City was not deter
mined at the time. =. t."
Virtually there were nine clubs In
the circuit, and as it was planned to
include Boston there vas talk of a
ten-club league. ".@
indianapolis Dropped Out.
Before the middle of January the
indianapolis club owners quit and
that left eight members in the league
l-Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleve-
land, Buffalo, Philadelphia. Baltimore
and Washington. The American
league did not then have to build
modern stands of steel and concrete
in Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Washington. The needs of the game
at that time and the building REQUIRE
ments of the cities could be complied
with by means of wooden structures,
But work was not started on any of
these until weeks after Jan. 1, 1901.
and it was close to Feb. / before the
American league was sure even of its
grounds in the quartette of eastern
cities 1t proposed to invade. In the
four western towns-Chicago, Cleve-
land, Detroit and MiIwaukee-the new
major league had its plants already
established of course.
The Federals have their circuit fix
ed and have leases on grounds in all
except one of the eight cities. The ex-
ception Is Toronto, which only recent
ly has been taken in to replace Cleye-
land in the circuit, and in the Canadi-
an city the owners hold options on
three sites from which one is likely to
be picked in a day or two.
Six Plants to Be Built.
In six Of their eight cities the Fed
erals have to build plants before they
can open their season. The six are
Chicago, Indianapolis, Buffalo. Toron-
to, st. Louis and Baltimore. Only the
Kansas City and Pittsburgh clubs