[SelzShoes]

Charles Rowland was near tears; it appeared the votes would allow Las Vegas to enter the league. All of his pleading, arm twisting and invocation of the sacred rule of baseball—thou shall not gamble—fell to mostly deaf ears. The money was too good to pass by. Portland, Sacramento and San Diego would be able meet payroll for an entire year with the check Siegel would cut to the league. Only Seattle and Hollywood, announced their opposition to expanding into the barely there city. Seattle wanted the Salt Lake City group to be awarded a team, just to even out the north/south balance of the league. Hollywood, and Rowland, felt the admittance of Siegel could undo all of the agreements forged with Connie Mack’s Continental League. “Men who lived through the Black Sox scandal have no interest in allowing such men into their fold,” Rowland implored the owners before the vote. “Admitting Vegas would be the final step in dooming the Pacific League to serial mediocrity.”

“Please announce your preferred bid when I call your club. Seattle?”

“Salt Lake.”

“Portland?”

“Las Vegas. We need that money to compete, and anyone who says otherwise is a liar.”

“Please, no politicking. I think the stance of Portland on matters financial is well known. Sacramento?”

“Las Vegas.”

“Oakland?”

“Salt Lake.”

“Could you please repeat?” Oakland had long been chalked up to the Las Vegas camp. This switch at least added some drama to the proceedings.

“I said Salt Lake. After talking with Casey, I don’t see how we can turn a team over to someone who owns a casino. It just; I don’t think we can do this and feel the games are 100% clean.”

”Hollywood,” Rowland moved quickly before Portland could object.

”Hollywood proudly backs the Salt Lake bid.”

“San Diego?”

“Vegas.”

All eyes turned to Phoenix. The poor expansion club, surely they would go the money and the natural rival Vegas could provide. “Phoenix?”

“Salt Lake City.”

Portland exploded as the vote was made. “You goddamned fool! How can you turn your back on so much money, you’ll ruin us all?”

“Phoenix, as per our entrance agreement, does not receive any of the expansion monies. That was a clause you sponsored I believe. So, why should I hand more money over to you, when you went to great lengths to keep us poor?”

“We can work something out, we can do something,” the Portland owner was gasping like a drowning man. “A share of everyone’s cut, we can work this out.”

“I’m sorry, but now is not the time for new business. We have settled the matter, Salt Lake is the newest PCL member,” the anxiety of the vote was now passing. The owners, Rowland felt, had done the right thing, barely.