The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-01-02

buyers thought that league team in
the city would not be a paying propo-
sition as fans from surrounding cities
would not come to the games so they
gave up the idea for this year at
least This still leaves the Portland
matter unsettled.
Sweet dreams of another big bundle
of dollar bills for the fattening of the
family bankroll are stirring Freddie
Welsh and his manager, Harry Pol
lock, to action. Pollock says with
the exception of Slight difference
between a guarantee offered by a To
ledo promoter and Welshs demands,
a match between the champion light
weight and Johnny Kilbane, feather
weight king, is clinched. Edward
Mcdaniel manager and matchmaker
of the Toledo a. A., has practically
landed the fistic plum. Mcdaniel has
offered Welsh a fiat sum of $4,000 to
box kilbane. according to Pollock, but
Welsh says that Toledo's big fight
stadium will hold an enormous crowd
and he wants the privilege of per-
ceHlaSe Ol tue gate.
Most umpires in baseball after their
strenuous duties on the diamond in
the summer months prefer TO remain
idle in winter. But Joe O'Brien, Troy
boy. is an exception. O'Brien work
ed in the American association last
season and probably will return to
that circuit again next season, al
though there's a mighty good chance
of his landing with either the Nation
al or American leagues. Just as soon
as Joe finished his duties in the
American association he returned to
his home in Troy. found job for
himself in West Albany and now is
tolling ten hours day.
Although Joe Wood, Smoky Joe
who led the American league pitchers
in 1915. did not pitch major league
ball last season the new owners of the
Red Sox want $4,000 for his release
Wood was a holdout all last season.
His arm bothered him in 1915 but
now he says it feels as good as ever
Cleveland asked the new Red Sox
owners TO put price on Woods re-
lease and much to the Indians sur
prise Boston asked $4,000. OF course
If Woods arm Is 0. X and he could
go out next season and pitch the
kind of ball that marked his efforts
when he was right $4,000 would not
be such a big sum for the pitcher,
but it is big gamble whether Wood
could come through.
Joe Stecher, wrestling marvel. has
decided to quit the game. This is
about the third time within the last
two or three months that Stecher has
reached this decision. This time,
whoever. Stecher says he is in earn
est. Stecher has had a remarkable
career in the wrestling game and the
only unfortunate part of his career
has been the failure of the promoters
to get Frank Gotch out of retirement
to meet him.
Any promoter can stage a McF'ar-
land Gibbons match providing he
cares to give Packy $4,000 for his
end. According to Chicago reports
Mcfarland has come out of retire
ment long enough to say that he
would gladly box Gibbons again in the
event that a promoter could be found
who would guarantee him $4,000 for
his end. That's lot of money for
Mcfarland, especially when it is con-
sidered he has been in retirement a
long time. And following the disap-
pointing observation-disclosures bout at
Brighton Beach it is not believed
that return go would prove nearly
as good a drawing car as the first
bout. SO even though packey is will
ing to come out OF retirement 1t is
doubtful If any promoter will care to
have Packey sign up at his figures.