Evening star., 1960-01-30
Continental
Backers Face
Uphill Battle
Indemnity Is Chief
Immediate Problem
As Buffalo Joins


NEW YORK, Jan. 80 (AP).-
The Continental League. fl
nally completed with the addi-
ton Of Buffalo as its eighth
member, faced a long, uphill
struggle today in its bid for ma
jor status.
The immediate problem con-
fronting the embryo baseball
circuit is the settlement of in
demnity for the rights to such
International League cities as
Toronto and Buffalo, and tc
the American Association fol
the rights to Denver, Dallas
Houston and Minneapolis-St
Paul. New York and Atlanta
are the other members of the
new league.
Frank ShaughneSSy, presi-
dent Of the International, ma:
declared fatty he will not sur
render Toronto and Buffalo
without a real fight" Ed
Doherty. head Of the American
Association. has demanded ir
excess Of 81 million for the less
Of his four cities.
ShauRhnesSy Critical
"They should have come tc
US in the first place." Shaugh-
messy said. Now they're an
nouncing things, like awarding
franchises to Buffalo and To-
ronto, before they have the
legal right to do So"
Branch Hickey, Continental
League president, said he
planned to confer soon with
Commissioner Ford Frick re-
garding indemnity, territorial
rights as we'll as player control
pension plans and all other
points stipulated by Frick be-
fore the new league is embraced
by organized baseball.
I'VE are prepared to pay Just
and reasonable compensation
wherever 1t is proper and
right" Hickey said. But we
won't be blackjacked by anyone
Meanwhile. at q meeting in
Buffalo, the International
League set an undisclosed but
repeatedly huge price on the
two franchises. From one source
the Associated Press learned
the asking price would be SIT
million-$750, 900 for each fran
chise plus 100000 each for the
league expense Of relocating in
other cities.
Moving Franchises Suggested
Hickey said the franchises of
the minor league cities, en-
braced by the Continental
League. could be moved to other
cities where they might be op-
Grated as farm clubs by the
maj minded Continental
League. In this way, he hopes
to avoid big indemnities to the
International League and Amer
ican Association.
1--WE are embarking on a 60
day program" Hickey said in
response to a question as to
when the new league expects to
start signing scouts. players
and managers.
I'VE will present our program
to the commissioner. We feel
we are entitled to certain pri-
critics regarding player control.
We will discuss major league
requirements, territorial rights,
player rights and indemnity. ]
feel more certain than ever
now that we'll be ready to be-
gin operating in 1861.
I'VE have a number Of prob
lens ahead Of us. but player
and park problems are not
among them.
World Series Is Goal
1T will be four years before
we will undertake to play COM
petitively with major league
clubs. 1t is our aim to play in
the World Series"
Bill Shea, founder Of the Con-
tinental League, admitted the
new parks may not be COM
pleted in time for the 1851
season.
IF the parks are not ready
Shea said, I'VE will play some
where else for q while"
Shea said the leagues owners
had agreed to give two-thirdS
Of the money received for tele-
vising games to the league. with
the other third going to the
home club. The league money