The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-31
~ Up tot the Minute
~ SPORTING NEWS
~ FROM EVERYWHEKE.
WHO'S THE COAT?
Abbott Now Plans To Take His
Kaws to Hutchinson.
Holland Sacrifices $4,000 To
Let Him Do This?

Let I1lIH DO HlSs
you had better watch your grand
stand with all this crowd" Jack Hol-
land, of Hutchinson, sarcastically re-
marked to Spencer Arthur Abbott
when his team was playing here to
rather slim crowd. Holland was on
his way to his teams dugout to be-
come generalissimo of the engage
ment.
Abbott yelled to him i'll an equally
sarcastic way and offered to bet him
some good currency that Topeka
would draw more people during the
season than Hutchinson would.
This happened less than month
ago. but lot of things can happen in
a minor baseball league in month
during war times. Now Holland is
"ducking out of Hutchinson" and ADJ
bolt who was so sure Topeka would
draw better than Hutchinson is gong
to take his Kaws to the Salt City to
play until something else happens &C
cording to a statement given out TINS
morning.
The new drive for patronage that
the Western league bosses have be-
gun is a great deal more puzzling TO
the local fans than the Hun drive is
to the followers of the war. Usually
when the Huns get into motion IL is
possible to figure out how they ex-
pect to attain their objective But
the Laundering the Western league
club owners have done in the last
week would make Hugh Fullerton 90
fishing in red flannels on the Fourth
of July if he tried to follow what they
are doing.
First it was announced by Presl-
dent Dickerson that a meeting of the
club owners would be held in Kansas
City to discuss plans for the transfer
franchises. Then he announces
that only the Topeka franchise would
be transferred while at the same time
an Oklahoma City announcement
stated that two clubs would be moved
Then the meeting was held in Kansas
City at which Topeka was given the
gate and Abbott, the man supposed
to be most directly interested. was one
of the few club Representatives who
did not attend, allowing the others to
do what they pleased with his club
and his franchise.
Another New Plan.
After this meeting it was announced
that Topeka's Kaws would go to OK
lahoma City and that no other changes
would be made. Now, it is stated that
the KawS will not go to Oklahoma
City at all but that they will be moved
to Hutchinson and that the Holland
club will sever its salt city home ties
and will do the migrating to Oklahoma
City. 1
One rea.on given for the new move
is the fact that Oklahoma City fans
want a man who owns his FRANCHISE |
and will stay there as long as the town
supports the club. TopekanS were led
to believe all along that Abbott owned
his own franchise here and they be-
lieve now that he would keep his club
in any town that would give him sup
port if he really did own it.
Another reason given for the deci-
sion 10 send the Hollanders to Oklaho-
ma and the Abbotts to Hutchinson is
that Holland will be guaranteed $4,000
in Oklahoma City and Abbott will
be guaranteed $4,000 in Hutchinson.
Those who know Jack Holland have
no trouble picturing him in his big
hearted, generous way sacrificing
$4,000 and his home Just to keep a
friend like Abbott from having to
business.
Altho there have been assertions
made to prove it, many local baseball
followers are beginning to believe the |
Topeka franchise is owned and oper- |
ated by all the club owners jointly |
vidual and that they turned it over to
Abbott to run simply because they |
had to have an eight-club circuit A |
great many believe that Abbott, if he I
alone had the say, would give Topeka |
a chance to show what could be done |
with twilight games, and they do not !
believe that he would voluntarily go |
into Hutchinson and allow Holland to |
go to Oklahoma City without fight, |
even tho Holland does assert that he |
is entitled to claim any new town the |
league may annex.
According to the latest announce |
ments, the Topeka club will play |
Omaha in Hutchinson on next Tues |
day and the Hutchinson team will play |
St. Joe in Oklahoma City on that day.
It's Not Hicl<erson's Plan.
st. Joseph, Mo-. May 31.-The at
year thus far is rs per cent better than
1t was during the same period last I
year according to E. w. Dickerson,
president of the league, who spent
Thursday here, and witnessed the dou-
BILE header between Topeka and st.
Joseph He said that with a couple
of changes now there would be no
weakness in the league and that these
changes would be made Immediately.
st. Joseph will open its road trip next
in Oklahoma City. where the
Topeka franchise is to be transferred,
he stated positively.
When asked about the Tulsa situa-
ton, President Dickerson refused to
be quoted. but fntimated that the
Hutchinson franchise would go there
within the next few weeks.
Peoria is too far away to consider"
he said, when asked about the Illinois
city's chances of getting berth in the
circuit. Dickerson said he would be
IN Oklahoma City today and would Wis
1t Tulsa before returning to league
headquarters at Kansas City.
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
R.H.E
Chicago Cat Cleveland) ..............4 Is
c. Williams. sheiienbach and Sebalk:
Enzmann and O'Nein.
Second game II