The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-16

CATLIN IS HAPPY
Topeka Baseball President En-.
thusiastic Over Outlook
But Club Must Lose Money ON
16S.Game Schedule.
BIG GAMES WITH WICHITA
And This Is Poorest Drawing
Card ON Circuit.
Reduction of Mileage Will Help
Out Revenues. 50
BIG GAMES WITH WICHITA

A. M. Catlin, president Of the To-
peka Baseball association held the
trump card at the annual schedule
meeting of the Western League mag
mates and got all that he wanted in
exchange for his support Of the sched-
ule Of 16S games. AS leader OF the
insurgents and having all the players
on his team signed for the coming sea-
son, Catlin was in a position to force
the schedule committee to give him
what he asked for. ~
Cat1in claims that the Topeka club
was treated as well II not better than
any other club on the circuit. The
Topeka club will be at home 13 Sat-
urdays, IL Sundays, and is given the
opening date and July 4 at home with
the Wichita club, Decoration day at
ST. Joseph and the opening date and
Labor day at Denver. The Kaws will
open at home for twelve games with
Wichita, Denver and Lincoln in sue
cession and will close the season with
twenty-three games at home with Des
and Denver in the order named. The
Kaws will play forty games on the
home grounds before July 4.
Travel Reduced 1900 Miles.
In addition to these dates the Kaws
will travel but 6,757 miles over the
circuit as compared with 10000 In the
1913 season.
Every man ON the club is signed.
including Dowd, the recruit tnftelder
from the New England league, who
wanted more money. With the lineup
which has been announced and the
loss of valuable players there appears
to be nothing to prevent the Kaws
from finishing well up In the first d.
vision. If the club Is in the race all
season, as it is expected to be-, there
30
should not have a big bunch of money
left over at the end of the season. This
should be the most successful year for
Topeka since being in organized base
ball.
Vice President Ed Hanlon, of Sioux
City, Hugh Jones of Lincoln, Dan
Breese of Wichita, and Catlin of the
Topeka team were lined up solid for
the short schedule. Jimmy McGill of
the Denver team was willing to sup
port the delegates favoring the short
schedule because he disliked the MEM
bers Of the board Of directors and for
reasons which control the life Of the
city of Denver as a member OF the
Western League circuit.
President Catlin was the leader OF
the insurgents and upon being as
sured favorable consideration for all,
and other concessions. the insurgents
agreed to play 16S games.
Poor Holiday Drawing Card.
The activities of the Federal League
have caused all other Western League
managers, excepting Topeka. to have
trouble in signing their players and
they expected the long schedule to ov-
ercome at least a part Of the trouble.
For this reason President Catlin and
the others who favored the short sche-
dule agreed to the plan Of the board
of directors that the managers troubles
be reduced as much as possible.
Topeka, therefore must try to bear
up under the 168-game schedule. In
return, the holiday date concessions
include games with Wichita, q tail end
club and a poor drawing card.
Messrs. Holland and Rourke failed to
broach the proposition to pay a daily
guarantee of $125 or the season guaran-
tee of $1,000 and other things which have
caused considerable comment during
the present winter.
Western League teams will make
but three trips over the circuit this
season. Four games will be played
during each series and this will reduce
the mileage for all teams by at least
25 per cent or more.
The Federal League activities have
caused all managers on the circuit ex-
cepting Topeka to have trouble in
signing their players and but few
have the contracts of more than four
or five. Holland, Rourke and Dem
Yer have practically none signed and
the managers are on the verge of a
nervous collapse. The signed contract
of Dowd. who Is slated to play second
base. has been received by Manager