The morning times., 1896-11-12

Chicago, Nov. 11.-Baseball was the
theme Of the crowd OF men In the
Auditorium Hotel rotunda today. They
were interested In the annual meeting of
the National League and American Base
ball Clubs, which began this afternoon.
1t was preceded in the morning by
meeting of the board of directors.
The directors audited the accounts OF
the league and awarded the championship
pennant TO Baltimore. The annual ousi-
ness to he presented to the league Tor lls
consideration was arranged Inc Cihciii-
natl Club asked the Board to straiShteh OUT
the old baseball park trouble In that city
Won der Abe of st. Louis claims an SS.-
600 interest In the field and has attached
the gate receipts from time to time
The board decided that ii did not care
to reopen the case, and as the dispute is
in court the Cincinnati Club was advised
TO fight out its battles there. The meet
ing was brief one
BIG GUNS PRESENT.
The baseball magnates who attended
ton, A. 81. Soden of Boston, Harry V on der
Horst of Baltimore, j. Earl Wagner OF
Washington, James Hart OF Chicago, T. II.
S,ucky of Louisville, and p. l.. Auten of
Pittsburg.
AT the leagues annual meeting, which
began at 2 o'clock, there were present
in addition To those mentioned, Andrew
Freedman, Walter Spaulding, New York;
John T. Brush, Cincinnati; Chris Won der
Ahe, ST. Louis; w. IL. Couant. Boston; A.
j. Reach, John 1. Rogers, Philadelphia;
Charles Byrne, F. a. AbeIls, William Barnie,
Brooklyn; and F. de II. Robson. Cieve-
land. Others prominent in baseball circles
and on the diamond were at the hotel to
keep in touch with the meeting.
The league adjourned after three hours
deliberalion, To meet tomorrow morning at
IL O'Clock. The members tonight Attending
the theater.
1t was decided to change the opening
and closing lime of the season SO that all
games will commence April 10, and end
October Is. Formerly the season closed
about October /.
PLAYING RULES COMMITTEE.
The president of the league and the act
ing chairman We're authorized 10 appoint
4 committee on aging rules, not 10 eN
ceed three III number. which committee is
to be instructed to make a report tf its
work, and any suggestion and alteration
it deems proper i'll the playing rules, to
the secretary or the league at least thirty
days prior 10 the spring or schedule meet
ing.
copies of this report are to he forwarded
by the secretary to the respective club
members at his earliest convenience, so
as 10 enable all TO bc prepared to discuss
the amendments made at the schedule
meeting.
The constitution was read section by
section III urder that any s:Ianges
deemed advisable by members might be
offered The section providing for the
meeting Of the board Of directors was
changed So THAI future meetings will be
held on the first Tuesday after .hc second
Monday in November, instead OF the first
Wednesday after the second Tuesday.
Section was stricken out. 1t provided
for the filming of an umpire S25 for the
first offense and $50 for the sec oid
ofrenSc for not reporting trouble with a
player.
MAY ABOLISH COACHING
Among oiher matters talked of to come
before the league are a proposition TO
abolish coaching, an effort to abolish the
Temple Cup games, which have folio wed
the regular championship series and may
be an attempt to put through deal
whereby st. Louis will have a club with
an even winning chance, instead nf Con-
testing for tail-end place, as for the last
two seasons.
There is plenty of gossip about deals for
transfer Of Individual players. one deal
in that line was accomplished i'll the sale
of outfielder Tom Bannon of the New
Yorks, TO Kansas City. The amount
paid by the Missouri Club is said to be
merely nominal the terms being Kept
private. There is talk that Philadelphia
will lie strengthened by the acquisition
of third haseman McGraw, Of Baltimore,
and Rusie, OF New York.
WHAT MIR. YOUNG SAYS.
In an interview President Young said:
The talk about a cutting down of the
circuit. or n change in ii, l think, is
without foundation. The league has lived
five years under the agreement made when
the National League and the American AS
sociation united. 1t still has five years
to live under this agreement, and SO far
as l know there will be no change in the
circuit until the ten years have passed.
The purchase of some of the st. Louis
Club stock by the Baltimore Club? Yes.
have heard this reported, but go not know
that 1T is true. 1t is d common thing for
some clubs 10 hold stock i'll other cluf s,
however. and if Baltimore does own some
of the st. Louis Club it may be "A good
thing for the latter. st. Louis is a first
class baseball city and a good club there
is desired by every league member.
THE RUsIE MATTER.
-"If anything is done in the RuSie matter
it will be done outside of the meeting.
The board of directors passed upon it
s'i4AN ei.tAS 's' shN shio otSiSAoh seshiiAo
as final So far as the league as a body
is concerned. As to changes in rules,
i am of the opinion that they will be
small, if any"
f. II. Abel, Of Brooklyn, has scheme
which he thinks woulda add to the patronage
Of the game.
My idea," said he, "is 10 release all
the players January /, and not allow any
of them to be signed till March l. Then
let there be scramble and a competition,
with fixed Salary limit, however.
This would produce such frequent and
exciting changes in the clubs that the
patrons in every city would be continu-
ally on the jump, uncertain what to expect,
whom they would see in their uniforms,
or how the games would so''
Speaking Of his own club, Mr. Abel said
that there was not a man on the team
who was not open for sale or exchange