Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-06

ings. The dele
gates are pledged to secrecy, and the presi-
dent. who is also secretary, is instructed to
give to the reporters at the end OF the meet
ing just such things as may be decided
wise and beneficial to the national game.
The most important business transacted
at these meetings is thus often suppressed,
and only leaks out and reaches the col
umns Of newspapers weeks and some
times months afterward.
The Late annual meeting seems to have
been no exception to the general rule. The
magnates were in session two days and
part OF one evening, and yet the amount of
their execution, as announced through
President Young, was not enough to keep
wide awake men Of average intelligence
busy two hours. Is 10 admitted. however,
by many Of the delegates In tacit way
that good deal Of the meetings. work Is
to be for q time kept secret.
AS soon as the meeting adjourned a ru-
NOR prevailed that the magnates had fixed
salary limit for 1893 Of $4,000. President
Young would neither affirm nor deny"
the news, but Mr.. Young's reticence there
on means nothing. Nick Is SO devilish sly
that joey Bagstock was never in it with
him.
do not believe that any salary limit rule
was agreed to. Such plan was proposed
at the special meeting in New York at the
close of last season and was promptly re-
jected. ST. Louis wanted the limit fixed
at 81, O,000 and Robson, of Cleveland, even
advocated a maximum total Of SIS, 900 for
each club. Boston and Brooklyn would
not listen to any such suggestion. Brook
lyn will not under any circumstance be
hoy1 nd bu o1orv hfrrh
low. This I know officially, and if any
salary limit plan was proposed at the Chi
cago meeting the Brooklyn club refused to
discuss it or be bound thereby, just as they
refused to be party to the June salary re-
duction scheme. They, however, are In IA
vor of radical reduction in salaries, but
propose to do the work themselves with
out the aid Of marked lines.
A salary limit rule amounts to little
practically. though it may be used theo-
retically to bring players to terms 1t was
tried once before by the League and was
evaded at pleasure by paying certain play
ers additional salaries in excess of the
limit for some technical service-such as
captain, assistant captain, assistant secre-
tary or dressing room superintendent.
The rule became such farce that it was
repealed after one short season OF misuse.
There y no doubt whatever that the
League means to drag salaries down radi-
cally for next year. This year the clubs
averaged over $4,000 in their team pay
rolls. The average next year will not be
over $4,000. That means a cut of nearly
40 per cent, yet it will not force salaries
much, II any, below the sums paid to play
ers in 1888 and 1889, when the game was at
the height OF its prosperity. The two re-
bellfens Of 1850 and 1901 ran salaries up to
false proportions, and the tumble was sure
to come That the players at last realize
the false measure Of their recent compen-
sations and are ready to descend to busi-
ness basis Is shown by the willing manner
In which nearly all of the Pittsburg play
ers signed for next year at reductions aver
aging SO per cent.
As l predicted, the pentagonal diamond
idiocy was scarcely noticed by the mag
mates 1t was not even honored with men
tion In President YOuDg's bulletin to the
reporters. The playing rules have been
referred to a committee for revision, and
the committee will report at the spring
schedule meeting. This course has pre-
vailed in the League for years. The COM
mittee consists Of Brush, Byrne and Won
der Horst This indicates that an aboli-
tion Of the fat bat may be suggested by
the committee. Brush and Byrne both
have expert bunters with the regulation
round bat in their teams, and these play
ers Look with much disgust upon the use
Of the fat bat In practice which once re-
quired skill. Mr.. Byrne is great tinker
OF rules and many changes will be sug-
gested.
The abolition of the schedule committee
and the placing Of the work in the hands
of President Young was the best piece of
work Of the meeting. Mr. Young can be
trusted to make schedule with perfect
fairness and entire impartiality. Schedule
committees have been noted for the prod
igalty they practiced in dividing up
among other clubs all the good dates
which the mem bers of the committee could
not get away with themselves.
OF course the double season monstrosity
was laid away for all time. That was ex-
pected. Its fate was determined before the
meeting was convened. Next year there
VIII be but one championship, and it will
be q fight to a finish without series of
fnalg in October.
1t IL rather remarkable fact, which has
net often been discussed, that very seldom
does a professional baseball player attempt
to play football. Second Baseman Dowd,
OF this years Washington team, is playing
ON the Georgetown football team, and so
far as l know he Is the only professional
OF the National league teams of 1899 who
Is taking any part In the now prevailing
game. Baseball players would excel at
football II they saw ft to take it up at the
end OF the baseball season. AS a rule they
are physically fit, are swift runners, active
on their feet, endowed with great strength
and are quick to accept an advantage. 1
believe that some of the League teams
with very little training could defeat
either the Yale. Harvard or Princeton
sleveAs.
Some years ago the Boston baseball team
took up cricket at the end OF tic saas.p,
went to England and easily defeated tee
best cricket team in Creat Drifain, mueh
to the surprise and disgust of onr Iaxli-,
couslns. q C4vIAr
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