Clipping:Trouble finding a city to take the AA franchise
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| Date | Wednesday, December 21, 1887 |
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| Text | “I am asked to urge the home club to joint the American Association,” said a reporter of one of the local [Buffalo] papers as he sat down over against a leading director of the local base ball club; at which the said leading stockholder delivered himself about in this wise:--”Did the party who sent the urgent request send along any money to help us out with? No, you can bet he didn't. But it would take $40,000 to start in the Association, for Cleveland lost at least $20,000 last season. I tell you it's just the fellows who don't want to risk a cent who talk “Association” to us. It would take three days to talk a Buffalo man into taking a $20 share of base ball stock, and he would expect to have the whole say of the games and dictate the appointment of all the players. I've been there and I know. No, sir; butter to be the head of a mouse than the tail of a rat.” From which it may be inferred that Buffalo will stay in the new International Association. The Sporting Life December 21, 1887 [from the Baltimore correspondent's column] Who, now, who ever before saw such a spectacle as an Association franchise going a-begging? … Even Kansas City, though geographically undesirable, hints that it would actually have to be paid to accept the franchise. The almost absolute certainty of bringing up the rear of the championship procession is the drawback. So the franchise proves to be worthless. The Sporting Life December 21, 1887 [from Frank Brunell's column] The eighth club question is the question to Association men, and one that none of them seems able to answer. Of course it was discussed at Cincinnati—everything from whisky to a future state was discussed there—but the discussion was indefinite. Kansas City was at the meeting, but there was a chain on Menges and he didn't care, he told me, to leave the Western League. At any rate he made no bid with a $17,000 bonus attachment, all of which proves that Menges is growing in experience and wisdom. Columbus, O., was in with a sort of feeler. It would like the place if it didn't cost too much. Buffalo didn't show up, the Pittsburg scheme was framed in violation of the National Agreement, Jim Hart was too busy in California to bring Milwaukee into line, and some of the sages merely hinted that Hartford, Conn., ought to be a good tow. So it went, and Chairman Vonderhorst and Presidents Robinson, of Cleveland, and Abell, of the visionary Mets, are at present a committee to fill the gap. The Sporting Life December 21, 1887 [from a letter from Jim Hart, manager of the Milwaukee Club] ...i had a telegram from Mr. Byrne, of the American Association, which implied that the franchise could be had for Milwaukee if I desired it. I gave the matter sober thought and concluded that it would be an unwise move to make, for the following reasons:--My desire is to give Milwaukee a team that will win a fair share of games, thereby being a credit to the city. To take a place in the Association simply meant that Milwaukee would be at the tail end of the race, and that at an increased expense, while the quality of ball would be no better to witness than the article I propose to offer the patrons next season, with the Western Association teams. Mr. Byrne assured me that all clubs desired to help the new member. I know exactly what the help is. It is simply to give the new club a chance to buy the players that they have not further use for, at bonuses that would make the tail-end team cost as much, or more, than the winning team. The Sporting Life January 11, 1888 |
| Source | Sporting Life |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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