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Show Federals Come to Stay n n n n n n n Newhouse on Situation FRANK NEWHOTJSB, Umpire, Union Association. I By Frank Newhouse. T AST year, when T was an umpire -'- tho last two months In the Federal Fed-eral leagTie, many fans told me that tho Federals would not exist long, us they could not compete with the two big1 leagues, namely, the National and American leagues, but you could not convince tho heads of tho Federals that way. In 1913 Secretary Ulckert and Acting Act-ing President Gllmore, who owned tho Chlfeds, only wanted to finish the season and play their schedule out, which they did with a big loss and many players that could not hold a berth in the Union association. The Kansas City team, being tho weakest, sent mo through Ohio and Pennsylvania to secure enough players play-ers from tho Interstate league, which busted up, to fill out their team. Their slogan was, "Get them at any price, so we can say we played our schedule out." They did that and each team lost nearly 525,000. but they never stopped at that. They began to get a half-dozen players for each team who were drawing fabulous salaries, and today they have good class AA teams. '"pHERE is room for a third big league and the Federals aro bound to be successful, as tho baseball base-ball fan is always with the underdog, under-dog, and so far they have outdrawn the organized opposition two to one, with tho exception of Pittsburg. Tho weakness ot the Pittsburg team is the "outlaw's" poor stands and grounds and a team at the bottom, while tho Pirates aro up In tho race. It will come In time. In a year or two we will see another "outlaw" organization. or-ganization. If not. tho organized ball clubs of today will -put teams in the cities where the Feds liavo not entered. en-tered. Just as tho Cleveland club put the Toledo club In. so the fans could have continuous baseball. base-ball. "We are bound to seo continuous con-tinuous baseball In all of the large cities, such as Detroit, Cincinnati, "Washington, Milwaukee. Jersey City. Providence and many other places. 1 cannot sec why these cities cannot have everyday baseball, as Salt Lake, Portland. San Francisco and Los Angeles An-geles have, and most of them nave had It for the past five years. .nd they are not losing any money, buf are making plenty of tho world's goods. fTHE baseball fans throughout the Federal territory have extended a welcome to them, and have come to tho rescue of the youthful organization with a largo attendance at each opening game, even going so far as to outdraw the older organizations on their openings. At Indianapolis and Kansas City tho Federals havo been outdrawing tho American association clubs four to one. and they are today to-day realizing that the Federals aro some shucks. Of course, the crowds will not attend at-tend that way every day, but In most of the cities where the Federals are operating, they regard the Independents Independ-ents as a major league, and expect first-class baseball every day. and the way the scores are showing on tho boards, the Feds arc playing airtight air-tight ball, and that Is what the fans like. HPHIS promises to be one of the ban- ner years In baseball in the attendance at-tendance lino. Tho two majors and tho younger organization will have some enormous crowds, but the three big leagues won't have a very largo profit at tho end of this year, as the two majors have Increased the salaries sal-aries of their players from 15 to 40 per cent above those ever before paid. The Feds are doing little worrying-From worrying-From reports they aro all Jubilant over the opening days, as well as tho ddTly attendance, and they have today to-day the third big league franchises that did not cost Uiem a cent. They arc getting the fans to attend, apd In two or three years they will get good returns for their Investments. They nre today without a doubt looked upon as a third big league. That was tho result of tho hard work of Secretary RIckcrt and President Gllmore In keeping their league going their full schedule of 1013. Many of the magnates of the Infant In-fant organization have .gambled on the chance that the Feds would he a success to the extent of 250.000 for baseball parks, and they have gone so far as to put money In escrow es-crow In banks to the extent of $100.-000 $100.-000 in guaranteeing players their salaries sal-aries after they did tho frog act. By doing so. the fans havo been willing will-ing to donate their money to help them out, The biggest .loser? will bo the International In-ternational and American association associa-tion clubs of the minors, for in Baltimore. Balti-more. Buffalo. Indianapolis and Kansas Kan-sas City the Feds have been out-drawing out-drawing them 4 to 1. and the war Is likely to cause tho loss of many dollars to the AA magnates. AT Indianapolis. Buffalo. Baltimore. St. Louis and Pittsburg the Kcds have hall parks that are within walking walk-ing distance, and the loyal fans of the older organizations in going to their grounds will havo to pass tho Federal league parks. And you can Imagine a fan on a car going past a ball park where there Is any cheering cheer-ing without getting off and seeing and getting into the fray themselves. However, many of tho fans who have been patronizing the Feds, will not forsake the two big leagues, as thcro aro enough fans, as I have written writ-ten In another part of mv story, to keep up continuous baseball In nil the large cities. |
