1/1/40, Syracuse
Syracuse’s Reds faced 1940 as an independent professional basketball club, Business Manager Louis Greenberg today announced officially his withdrawal from the New York State League, carrying out a threat he had made last week. Greenberg said that he no longer is interested in any league activity, but will continue to play an independent schedule, bringing the leading traveling teams to Syracuse. The Reds will play Honey Russell’s New York Yankees Saturday night at the Armory. Withdrawal of Syracuse dashed whatever hopes other club owners had of keeping the league together with a smaller membership than the number of teams that started the season. Seven teams started in the league. Elmira was leading the league, Syracuse, the hub city in the circuit, was in a tie for second place with Buffalo. Binghamton, Albany, Utica and Amsterdam were the other clubs that held franchises in the loop. Greenberg hinted that he was not satisfied with the administration of Frank J. Basloe of Herkimer, president of the league, claiming among other things, that the Amsterdam and Utica clubs were backed by the same interests.
