South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-26

Evansville HOWIS Traitor When
Terriers Decide to Quit,
While HeiIbrOner Objects to
Withdrawal.

Prest Louis Heilbroner of the
Central league is having many trou-
Jles with his ive-legged circuit since
Terre Haute decided TO pick another
field OF endeavOr. a few days ago
Webb BeEgs. president of the Terre
Haute Baseball association. applied
for a berth in the Three-Eye league.
HeilbrOneT Immediately checked in
with "A strong objection. asserting that
Terre Haute could not withdraw from
the Central
Evansville also raised "A howl and
is still doing SO, claiming that the
Terre Haute aggregation is acting the
traitor in deserving the Central league.
Heilbroner is determined thar the i.
Hut club shall not desert while Beggs
is as determined that he Will go into
the Three Eye unless different ar
rargements are made in the Central.
Bcggs i Defiant.
IF they won't allow us TO get out
OF the Central league there will be no
baseball for Terre Haute this season,
asserts Pres't Beggs. we Will not
join a league with the circuit now be-
ing planned for the Central The long
Jumps and especially the jumps call
ing for a sleeping car make the club
Improbable. club has no chance
10 break even unless it can sell some
gate receipts. To break even in "a
circuit like the Central we would have
10 have az least $4,000 people attend
the home games. Last season approx
mately $4,000 attended the games.
I'm the Three Eye league there are
no jumps requiring sleeping cars.
Many Of the jumps are by trolley. and
Terre Haute is SO situated that a
Jump could be made TO any other city
without sleeping cars being necessary.
This cuts the expense in two. We al
ready have forfeited our franchise in
the Central league and have told
Pres't HeilbrOner we did not want the
franchise. The Three-Eye league
wants Terre Haute and the fans want
the Three Eye league
Evansville sport writer's who realize
that without Terre Haute in the Cen
tral the river town will be out of
baseball are going after Pres't Besgs
strong One writer speaks of the stu
ations thus:
What Writer Thinks.
Webb Beggs, owner of the Terre
Haute Central league franchise re-
Gently applied for entrance in the
Three Eve league. He made the APP
plicatiOn withOu+ any effort to consult
Prest Heilbi v11er or other officials of
the Central league. His action came
as a surprise and the entire affair
shows that Beggs was ignorant of one
of the primary rules of organized
baseball Owning franchise does not
mean owning the territory. The Terre
Haute territory belongs TO the Central
league and the territory can not be
sold or transferred without the con-
sent of the league as a body The
rule which prohibits one city from dis
rupting a league is a logical one and
a rule that must be obeyed if base
bali is 10 be a success.
IF the cities in a league could with
draw and line up with another league
whenever the fancy struck the owner
10 make a change il would be only a
short time until the game would be
demOralized. Beggs was evidently
thinking only Of himself when he held
the conference with Tearney regard |
ing the Three-Eye franchise. Had
Evansville or some other city in the
league decided 10 withdraw. leaving |
Terre Haute in the 1urCh. il is safe to
presume that Beggs would be the first
10 make a kick and demand protection |
from the league. So far Pres't He'll
broner has taken no official action on /
the case except to say that Terre
Haute would not be allowed To with |
draw. He has notified BeggS of his
stand on the question and evidently is |
waiting for the Terre Haute owner 10 |