First Practice Will Be Held On That Day For Home Players.

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FIVE LOCAL PLAYERS

ARE NEEDED ON TEAM

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Mert Meixel Will Be Here

To Coach Young Talent

In Art Of Baseball.

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New Ulm boys who desire to try out for the New Ulm Baseball team this year will be interested to know that the officers of the New Ulm Baseball Association have made arrangements whereby Mert Meixell, well-known outfielder of Lake Crystal, will be in New Ulm every Sunday afternoon and every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights for the purpose of coaching the local boys in the art of baseball. The Sunday practices will start at three o’clock and the first practice will take place on Sunday, April 19. The evening practices will be from 5 to 7 on the week days named.

Need Five Local Players.

All boys who are able to play ball are urged to come out and try for the team as the local ball club needs at least five local players on the team. Three of these men will play with the team regularly and a few extra men are needed for emergency cases. All that you need is your glove and shoes; the ball club furnishes the rest.

Collections Coming Good.

The collections being solicited from the business men of the city for the purposes of financing the ball club are coming along fine and are nearing the goal of $2000 set by the association as the amount needed to run the club. Nothing has been done so far about hiring players as the management is waiting for further developments. However, several good applications have been received to date but, outside of Meixell, no one has been engaged.

Schedule Meet Soon.

No doubt the directors of the league will meet in the near future to arrange for the season’s schedule. They are at present awaiting developments regarding the eighth team in the league. Reports have it that Rochester is trying to find its way clear to enter the league and if this should come to pass it would mean a circuit composed of good live baseball towns. The towns then in the league would be Mankato, Rochester, Albert Lea, St. James, Owatonna, Blue Earth,Faribault and New Ulm.

Notes On League Towns.

Owatonna, Minn., Candidates for places in the lineup of the Braves, local Southern Minnesota league club had their first tryouts at Dartt’s park here Sunday, when at least 20 men were expected to report to Manager “Widey” Weidell of Minneapolis, star shortstop of last season’s team. Included in the list were expected to be at least two other Minneapolitans, Cleary Larson, pitcher, and “Pete” Peters, catcher.

Most of the remaining men will be players from this vicinity, who were members of last season’s club or are anxious to gain a place this year. A number of graduates from the city’s two leading independent amateur teams, the Cubs and the Owls, are expected to make a strong showing for infield and outfield berths.

Owens To Mankato

Mankato, Minn., Frank Owens of Minneapolis, veteran catcher, for years with the Millers after several seasons in the major leagues, Monday was appointed playing manager of the Mankato club in the Southern Minnesota league at a meeting of the board of directors. Mankato had been dickering for several weeks for Owens’ services.

Owens will receive for the Soxers as well as manage, and will devote his entire time to the interests of the Mankato entry in the Southern Minnesota loop after his arrival in the city April 15. The initial gathering of prospective wearers of Mankato uniforms will probably be held the evening following his arrival, April 16.

Desire to develop home material in Mankato and community was one of the biggest considerations in bringing the well-known former Miller into the city for the season. Altho the amount of money that a man of his caliber can command is large, the local moguls felt that the expenditure was worth while if it would result in a supply of native talent as well as produce a rattling good ball club during the season.

Comes From Majors

The new pilot formerly performed in the majors and spent a number of years with the Millers, leaving Minneapolis three seasons ago to manage the St. Louis, Mo., club in the Western League, property and training farm of the Minneapolis club. Two years ago he left the St. Joe outfit and went on the road as a traveling salesman for a motion picture house, but is deserting that position to take over the reins of the Blue Sox.

New Wrinkle Arises

The latest wrinkle in Southern Minnesota circles so far as organization is concerned is the possibility of organizing a ten club circuit. With Mankato, St. James, Owatonna, New Ulm, Faribault, and Blue Earth already in, Albert Lea as good as in since an eighth club is assured, Austin on record as favoring league entrance, Mason City making a strong bid, and Rochester favorable and expected to take definite action Wednesday evening, either a ten club loop must be formed or two clubs fall by the wayside.

Mankato Favors Rochester

Mankato will oppose extension into a ten club loop, it is known and will boost for Rochester as against Austin for the one remaining franchise provided the Mayo City fans take favorable final action Wednesday. The ten club affair is out of the question, in the opinion of Mankato directors, because of the distance between Mankato, New Ulm and Mason City. This opinion is also prevalent in New Ulm.

Rochester will get the local vote for the remaining berth because the Queen City is a better baseball town than Austin. The question of enlarging the alliance and its membership will be taken up shortly, very probably this week, by the league board of directors. Wednesday evening President Tom Quinn met with Rochester followers and it is expected that he will call a meeting very soon thereafter.

Sale of books to raise funds with which to finance the Soxers will take place early next week. Last season $1,800 was put in the club treasury by this method, which gives ten game tickets for $5. About twice as many books will have to be sold this year as last to finance the outfit successfully, it is estimated.

New Ulm Review,

April 8, 1925