[chucksabr]

New Brighton Tower Resign, Wind Up

In a move that should probably shock no one but which reverberates through the English baseball world, the New Brighton Tower club resigned their position in the Baseball League and subsequently wound up operations this week after a confusing period of indecision regarding the general future of the company, who are embroiled in a lawsuit claiming non-payment for work performed on the Tower itself.

This action will have substantial effect on the other clubs. First of all, NBT cannot play in the First Division in 1901 since they will not have a club to field there. That means a second club from the lower level will have to take their place, and fortunately, there is a worthy candidate in the Robins of Bristol City, who finished with a form identical to that of Middlesbrough, at sixty four victories against thirty eight defeats. Secondly, since two clubs are vacating their positions in the Second Division, another club will have to step in to keep the division and League even, and that club will be Clapton Orient. Orient received as many votes to join the League as Fulham had, but lost out in a second ballot. In addition, the Central will have to fill a spot, and the talent at the bottom of that league is already quite thin.

One happy effect of these moves is that two clubs who had felt unjustly passed over given their respective records will now enjoy the desserts they feel they justly deserve. Bristol City were level with Middlesbrough for the second spot of the division, whilst Clapton Orient were level at the top of the Central League table with Fulham.

The third issue at hand is that of the Tower players, of which there are many fine ones, and quite high-priced as well. Included are slugging short stop Brian Kynman, who was on £6/2/- per week; speedy centre fielder Finley Hart, on £6 flat per week; and catcher Philip Bain on £5/17/- per week. All such contracts are how null and void, since the club has wound up. Beyond the mere expense, though, there were other fine players such as right fielder William Walters, third baseman Alfred Edwards, and pitcher Solomon John. All NBT players are freely available to the clubs who will step up and pay them, as many of them can help teams win games and contend for promotions and cups.