LIBERTY WINTER LEAGUE 59IP

                          DAVENPORT SAINTS SELECT WILLIE MAYS

The Joplin Miners announced today Willie Mays signed with the Davenport Saints after the Saints made Mays the first selection in the league expansion draft.

Joplin owner Jim Doyle took the podium and made the following statement:

"Willie Mays is the best baseball player in the history of the game and we acknowledged the same by making him the highest paid player in the league.  However, this salary placed a great financial strain on our fiscal plan and we decided we did not want to get in a situation where the Mays-Mantle duo ended up like the Trout-Ohtani situation the Angels faced.  Additionally, the league has a hard cap and we could not go out and take out a 50 million dollar loan like the Padres did in 2023.

We deeply regret losing the best player in baseball but baseball is a team game and our front office is confident if we place our financial resources in a more efficient manner, we will have a better chance of reaching the playoffs and bring a championship to Miner nation.

We look forward to the upcoming free agent draft and keep the goal of a World Series championship as our primary focus. "

Doyle took no follow up questions as Joplin fans still were in a rage at the news Mays is now a Davenport Saint.