San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-04
WEST TEXAS LEAGUERS
CAREFULLY PLAN OUT
LOOP REORGANIZATION
Here's Complete Scheme for
Operation of Little
League Out West.

San Angelo, Tex, Feb. 3.-Thirteen
West Texas towns, six Of them fran
chise holders and the others prospec-
tive candidates for berths, will this
week receive from President Sam Crow
Their of San Angelo proposed new
plan for the operation of the West
Texas League in 1923.
Baseball men and chambers OF COM
merce in Ranger, Stamford, Abilene,
Lubbock, Sweetwater and San Angelo,
six of the eight cities in the league
last year, and Slaton, Plainview, Cisco,
Breckenridge, Eastland, Coleman and
Ballinger will be asked for their opin-
ions of the scheme and any sugges-
tions for its improvement at once in
order that a meeting may be called
for not later than February 10 or IL
to perfect reorganization. o.:
The plan proposes the shortening OF
the playing season from 40 to 100
games, opening May IL and closing
August -, with a July double bill
a reduction from $75 to $50 in the
daily guarantee to visiting clubs and
budgeting of the leagues expenses by
assessing each club $50 for each game
at home instead of 10 per cent OF the
gross receipts. The monthly salary linn
it for each club would remain at $500
and the player limit at twelve men,
each exclusive of the manager, as
agreed upon at the annual meeting in
Swetwater last fall. Each club would
also be required to make affidavits
monthly, signed by officials and play
ers to the effect that only the salaries
stipulated in the contract were paid
without bonuses or donations in any
shape or form. Penalty for violation
would remain a fine Of $500 for the
first offensc aId expulsion from the
league on a second infraction of the
rule.
Frank Buchanan, assistant to. Mr..
Crowther, and secretary of the San An
gelo club last year, drafted the pro-
posed scheme. He estimates that a
team can be maintained in a six-club
league with the following expense !:
Training season, $1,000; uniforms and
equipment, $500; players salaries,
$4,000: managers salary, $3.50, based
on $3.50 a month for five months; sec
! $1,000; guarantee to visiting clubs,
$1,000; guarantee to the league, $3.50,
and all other expenses, $3.50; total ex-
penses, $14,250. He cites the following
sources of revenue, most of which may
be drawn upon before the season &C
tually opens: Three hundred season
ticlsets at $50 each, less tax, netting
| $500; 100 ladies' season tickets at S11
each, less tax, netting $1,000; grand
stand boxes and fence advertising,
$500; opening day receipts, $500. and
concessions at park, $1,000; total re-
ceipts, S12, 100.
Average daily gate receipts of only
! SAB for the 80 games at home, besides
season tickets, would be necessary to
meet the difference of $3.50 between
| the estimated expenses and receipts, Mr..
Buchanan figures. Thus losses such
as sustained by some of the clubs the
| last two seasons could not result and
every town should more than break
even. 1t is pointed out that towns that
were in the loop last year would moi
have the full estimated uniform and
equipment expense of $500. and the
salaries of manager, secretary and
groundkeeper must be further reduced
The estimates on these items, however
are DelltNtu 10 slElhe mean dNtidkt
The staging of baseball campaign:
simultaneously in all the towns TO sell
season tickets and otherwise raise funds
by designating one week, preferably moi
later than the second week in Febru
airy, as "baseball week" is suggested
by the league headquarters. The SIG
season tickets might be sold on three
instruments. $40 down and $40 month
for two months. These. with the sale
of ladies' season tickets, would brinG
$1,000 before the first game was played
President Crowther believes that the
plan is more in accordance with the
size of West Texas towns. The last
two seasons il has required around
$4,000 to operate a club. and the diff
ference between that sum AMI the es'
timated total expenses under the pro.
posed scheme represents about the aver.
age of what most Of the clubs lost. he
says. To preserve organized baseball
for the fans of West Texas and 10
afford the old clubs an opportunity to
wipe out their indebtednesses. he be-
lieves some plan along the lines sug-
suggested should be adopted.