AL looks for new club in wake of Americans demise

[Young Drachma]

NEW YORK AMERICANS FOLD, ASSOCIATED LEAGUE SCRAMBLES FOR REPLACEMENT CLUB NEARS

NEW YORK - For eight years, well nine if you include the stunt year where the club announced a move to Seattle and still played in New York and the New York Americans are no more. Fizzling out after three early playoff appearances, but no titles and nary an AL pennant and it seemed that fans just weren't interested in the product.

"We tried everything to try to make a go of it in New York, but in the end, we just weren't enough," said former owner D.C. Marshall, who said that mounting debts prevent the club from returning for a 10th season.

What that means for the Associated League with several months for the league's 10th campaign? No one is quite sure yet. There will obviously be a 4th team in the AL, but where that team will play is not entirely certain.

Reportedly a dozen groups have expressed some "preliminary" interest in the "rights" to the Americans franchise, meaning that all of the players, minor league clubs and contracts will be acquired by a new franchise but that for the purposes of the bankruptcy, the New York Americans have ceased to exist as an entity.

"The Associated League is a strong organization and SLOP as a whole will be fine. This is not a setback, merely a situation that we'll need to deal with and we will have another announcement regarding it shortly," said SLOP Commissioner Darren Campbell-Harris.

[Young Drachma]

SLOP Commissioner Darren Campbell-Harris announced today that the Associated League had accepted the application of California business magnate D. Carter Hampton, as the new owner of an AL expansion franchise for the 1847 season. The team will take the place of the defunct New York Americans starting immediately.

"We cannot stress how excited we are to be joining the top division of baseball," said Hampton, who said that they unveil the team's new location and nickname in "short order."

Campbell-Harris indicated that the move should put the whole "Americans affair to rest." "The league was pleased to find such a strong owner to join our ranks to solidify what we know is already a very strong, viable league. This will just make us better."

[Young Drachma]

WINNEMUCCA CHOO-CHOOS TO JOIN AL
The newest ballclub in the Associated League? The Winnemucca Choo-Choos, named after the famous California Zephyr railroad that rolls through the town daily en route to Chicago. The team serves as the AL's second western franchise, with San Diego.

"We wanted our own market and the people of Winnemucca have been wholly gracious," said D. Carter Hampton of his team's new city. AL officials were opposed to the club setting up shop in Las Vegas and a strong preference against playing in Southern California where the LA Vulcans once played made this unlikely location the home to the smallest city to ever host franchise in SLOP.

"We thought that having a team in a small city was a revolutionary step for the league. It's not something we'd normally want, but in this case, it was evident that Winnemucca and the entire Sierra Nevada region, coupled with the train would give this team enough of a base to draw from. We like having a western team that's not in California, as well." said the SLOP Commissioner.

The Choo-Choos will begin their 1st SLOP season with the identical roster to the now-defunct New York Americans.