The Baseball Times
October 12, 1898
Louisville Captains Return to Philadelphia
The Louisville Captains are packing their bags and heading back to their roots in Philadelphia, where they will once again become the Philadelphia Stallions.
Fans in Louisville, who have long awaited a resurgence of the team’s glory days, may feel mixed emotions about the move. Ownership expressed optimism that the relocation, coupled with the construction of a new stadium, will help reinvigorate the franchise.
“We are hoping this will turn the club's fortunes around and bring back the glory days of the 1870s,” said team ownership. “A new stadium will also allow us to bring in more fans to support the team.”
The move must still be approved by the league at the upcoming winter meeting, but insiders believe there’s no reason it won’t be ratified.
St. Louis Roughnecks Dismiss Manager Billy Arnold
The St. Louis Roughnecks announced today that manager Billy Arnold has been relieved of his duties. The decision was revealed at a quickly arranged press conference, with general manager Fleet Walker citing the need for new leadership.
“He did the best he could, but we just did not see the improvement needed to get our team in the upper echelon in this league,” Walker explained. “The time was right for us to part company.”
Arnold, who managed the Roughnecks for nine seasons with a record of 603-657, expressed hope for the future, saying, “It is never nice to be let go, but I will look to the future and see if I can find another management job.”
The team has not yet announced a replacement, but sources say the candidate list is short.
Cleveland Royals Fire Manager Al Barker
The Cleveland Royals made it official today: Al Barker is no longer their manager. After weeks of speculation, the decision was confirmed, with the team announcing plans to use an interim manager while they conduct a search for Barker’s replacement.
Barker, who helmed the Royals for eight years with a 561-559 record, also led the team to the 1896 World Series. Despite his departure, he is already being mentioned as a candidate for managerial vacancies across the league.
Barker was unavailable for comment.
Empire State League Teams Relocated
As part of the league’s aggressive expansion of feeder league presence, significant changes are coming to the Empire State League.
Several teams will be relocated, with professional baseball returning to Troy for the first time since 1872. The following changes have been announced:
• Oswego Governors become the Troy Sycamores.
• Lyons Lagers become the Schenectady Acorns.
• Auburn Tomahawks become the Binghamton Loggers.
• Canandaigua Rawhide become the Elmira Pelicans.
• Palmyra Thunderbirds become the Utica Winter Hawks.
These changes aim to revitalize the league and grow the sport’s presence in key markets.
League Honors Retiring Legends
As another season concludes, the league bids farewell to a number of storied players who have decided to hang up their cleats. Some of these legends were honored by having their jersey numbers retired by their respective teams:
• Pud Galvin (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Lew Brown (St. Louis Sox)
• Fred Dunlap (Boston Rebels)
• Bill Wise (Boston Bears)
The full list of retirees includes:
San Barkley, Lew Brown, Buttercup Dickerson, Fred Dunlap, Buster Hoover, Lefty Marr, Wilbert Robinson, Ed Whiting, Jersey Bakely, John Coleman, Pud Galvin, Charlie Geggus, Pete Meegan, Abner Powell, Alex Voss, and Bill Wise.
These players leave behind a legacy that will be remembered for years to come.