The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-29
HITS MACS HARD
Increased Railroad Rate SOaks
w. L. Club Owners.
Mileage To Be an Important
Item in Schedule Making.

When the Western league magnateS
gather in Lincoln, Neb., on February
Il to arrange the playing schedule LOT
the coming season the gathering may
not resemble what Henry Ford once
thought a peace conference should BE-
and it is more than likely that there
will be the usual scramble for holiday
dates at home, and the usual vain Ell
forts of magnates to manufacture the
ideal schedule will probably be exert
ed Also there is a possibility thal
some of the magnates Will go nome
thinking they didn't get just what they
expected. ,.. =.
But. in one thing there is certain TO
he harmony Every magnate VINO at
tends will agreei that a schedule OF
the shortest mileage possible be aoopt-
ed, and in order to cut down the us
lance that will have to be traVeieo
some Of them will probably sacrl1lce
some of their other desires. For, be II
known that the recent raising of inter-
state passenger fares has caused the
club owners to study the railroad maps
more diligently than they ever ala ne
fore.
\ Big Item.
Transportation has always been an
important item in the western league
Tho average club of the league travels
between seven and elght tnousaIiu y
miles on a 14O-game schedule during
season and with fifteen or sixteen
men the Increased fare means that
every club will have to contribute pc
tween five and six hundred dollars
more TO The railroad Golfers this sea-
son than they did last. And II the
schedule is increased, as a number Oh
club owners claim it should, their IN
creased contribution will be more than
this. :, .,.o,,,
Mating this additional drain on his
bank roll leaned back in MS chalr anu
sighed as he remarked; ...
Eyes. they get us going and coming
T+,s too bad the clubs in the league are
not within walking distance or each
other -, ,,o1
Climb is not giving out any lntorma-
tio,, as to what he expects in the way
of at-home dates but inasmuch as
Topeka had only one holiday, Labor
Dav. last season it is generally thoushI
that the local club will he at nome on
the Fourth of July this season. There
is no chance for either. topeka OF
Wichita to get Decoration Day games
as there is a state law in Kansas pro-
hfbfting baseball on this day.
Length of schedule.
IT also seems to be impossible to
get any idea as to what the length OF
the schedule VIII be. So far President
Zehrung has not given ms OPINION on
the matter and some of the cluD own
ers are for a longer schedule Whlle
others have come out in favor OF stick
ing to the 140-game program, ana stun
others have not expressed themselves.
However. it seems probable tnat more
than 40 games will be played.
Local interest in baseball mas re-
vfved considera bly, since the announce
ment of the appointment OF Second
Baseman baltimore as manager OF the
.Sayages, and most of the fans seem to
think that he will prove a great leader
The Savages now have p players
lined up for the coming season, four
teen from last years team and seven
new men. all of whom will likely be
brought on when spring training be-
Gins The old men include: Manager
baltimore; Pitchers Grover. Dashner.
Higgins, Hall. Sanders, Lakaff and
Carroll: Outfielders Trainer and Tyde-
man: InfieIders Cochran, Bostick and
Fisher, and Catcher and Utility Man
The New Men.
The new men include; Widell, out
fielder, from he Nebraska State
league; Goodbred. pitcher, purchased
from the Brooklyn Nationals condi-
tionalIy; Snow. catcher, formerly with
Oshkosh club of the Wisconsin, Illinois
league; Finnegan, a third baseman
ing. a catcher from Kansas City; and
Daniels and Henson, outfielders from
California.
with good pitching staff. which ]
think we have, and with bunch OF
good hitters, 1 believe we can make
them all hustle" Savage stated in a re-
cent interview II look for a much
better year than last year, in a finan-
cial way and I hope there will be a
great deal more enthusiasm here and in
every other town in the league. Ger
tainIy we are going to do everything
in our power to arouse interest in To-
peka and to give the local fans team
that they will be proud to follow"