Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-21
ROOM NOW FOR THREE
MAJOR LEAGUE CIRCUITS
Population OF Big Cities Has In
creased Greatly in the Past
Ten Years.
INTEREST IN BASEBALL KEEN
Ratio Of Fans Per 10000 Is Far
Larger Than 1t Was Ten Years
Ago-Federals' Three Mistakes in
Granting Franchises.

NEW YORK, February oo-Those
VINO laughed n year ago when II was
| remarked that the Federal League was
here TO stay. laugh no longer. And
| statement that there was room. and
ample room. for third major league,
aren't taking exceptions any longer.
| Ten years ago there wasn't room for
three big leagues. Even five years
ago there wasn't But there Is to-day.
/ There Is more room to-day for three
big leagues than there was for two
| big leagues at the time that the Amer
! lean League horned It's way into the
big league show.
| The population of Greater New York
was 3,i3,.202 in 1900. the Population
| enough to support three major league
clubs Yankees. Giants and Brooklyn
| Dodgers. Splitting the population
! three ways meant that each club had
! about 100000 persons to draw from
! The population OF Greater New York
is now about 100000, enough to sup
| port I'VE major league clubs and still
have over 100000 persons to dra "
! from.
Chicago's population in 1so2-03 was
100000. That means that each club
had $4,000 persons to draw from The
population to-day is about 100000
which. split three waya would leave
100000 population for each club.
BaifiInore's Population 10000.
Baltimore's population now is around
100000. population greater than
Washington, Cincinnati. Pittsburgh or
Detroit. Baltimore certainly deserves
tho major league rating that the Feds
gave to IT. Buffalo Is another city
mat the Feds gave major league
status They We're justified In doing
H. Bunalo's population to-day is about
10000. a population far greater than
that OF Cleveland. Detroit, Pittsburgh
Cincinnati or Washington back in
| 1902-03
Newark. " J., is more justly en-
| utied To major league franchise to-
day than were Detroit, Cincinnati or
! Washington back in l9O2-O3. Newark's
| population to-day Is about 375.O0a
| while the population of Detroit in 1903
was about 100000. Washington's around
10000 and Cincinnati's $4,000
Tho Feds in their first year on,
made three mistakes as to granting
franchises. indianapolis and Kansas
| City are too small for major league
ball. The population of Indianapolis
now Is around 100000. while that OF
Kansas City is about 100000 The
! Feds rectihed the Kansas City error
recently by transferring the franchise
| Probably In 1915 they will transfer
| the indianapolis franchise to Clcvela nd
or Detroit. Either OF these cities, with
| populations over the 100000 mark are
| able to support continuous baseball
The other error was In placing a
team In st. Louis. The Missouri city
| is great baseball town, but II Is
| doubtful If 1t can support three major
league clubs within the next five
years Tho population of the town Is
| only about 100000 bit too small to
give baseball support TO three clubs
Mny Continue in sc. Louis.
| The Feds may decide to continue In
| st. Louis and let II be the survival OF
! the ittest. Two good clubs can OPP
crate at a profit I'm st. Louis and the
Feds may take a permanent chance on
| their club being one of those two.
II the Feds decide. to shift tho St
/ Louis franchise they could take De-
troll Cleveland. Cincinnati or Milwau-
kee. Milwaukee. which hasn't major
| league representation, Is n good base
ball town and probably would support
! n big league club Its population is
over the 100000 mars---a population