Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-28
BASEBALL BATTLE.
The American League Is Proving q
 Worthy Foe of the National.

Worthy Foe of the National
 The American league of profession- al baseball clubs Will hold an import ant meeting at Chicago to-day. Ac- cording to President Ban Johnson, q schedule will be adopted, new officers will be elected, amendments to the constitution and bylaws will be made and several radical changes in the playing rules will be effected For the past six weeks the American league people have been keeping their plans secret, to such an extent that the National league and American. as sociation men have been sorely pug zled. But details have now been com- Dleted and Johnson sends the follow ing official statement.
 The American league circuit in the East will be Boston. Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington The western four will be selected from Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Cleve- land and Buffalo, q final decision to be reached at our coming meeting. At Boston we have leased the finest ball grounds in that city. We have award ed the contracts for grlndstands, fences and bleachers and work will begin at once. The Boston Americans will be a powerful combinat tion of players, a majority of whom have been S'ttAf D III lHC 4Nallolltl ltdS ue. 1uelE names, including that of the team manager. will be announced at the proper time. Boston people will have the best article of ball that it is pos sible to provide for a twenty-five-cen tariff. c. W. Somers of Cleveland will have money in the Boston club but it will only be a temporary investment. At Philadelphia we have leased the grounds located between Twenty nj inth oy,1 N1, ,i,.f;o ;o{l,
 umbia avenue and Oxford street. A. H. Koch had an option on them for an Association club, but when John I. Rogers insisted that Fl. Niles should have the Association franchise and that the games must be played on the National leagues grounds. Koch, of course, withdrew his option. That was just what we were waiting for and Mack jumped in with a ten years lease. We have let out a contract to James Foster to build stands and fences. amounting to $35, GOO and work has already been started. Mack will have some of the crack players of last years Philadelphia team and they will play twenty-five-cent ball. Baltimore is another stronghold. Me Graw and Robinson have organized a strong stock company and have leased grounds on the old York road, JuSl bC.N oINI CAioI lue Olll lIO1IlC of the Baltimore National league club. About $2OOOO will be spent in putting up the necessary stands and buildings. So far as Washington is concerned, I may say that James Manning has per manently located there. Manning has money himself and also a wealthy partner. Fred Postal of Detroit, who will help. They will lease .brounds in | a day or two and will spend $25, ,O9e in eroffjnp thinUS in e transfer his Kansas City team entire | to Washington. It is needless to say that we are solid in the west. The Chicago Americans under Charles Comiskey's management have already 1 won popular support in the Windy | City and are there to- stay. The De troit club, owned by Burns and Stall ings, has always been true to the 1 American league. Burns and Stall | ings resigned the American leagues | ten-year agreement weeks ago and | turned over their lease to me as q I guarantee of good faith. At Mill
 waullee- Matt Killifen- does not fear Quin and Havenor, the alleged; Asso- citation packers. When it comes to q
 fight the Quin crowd won't spend q dollar, because they know they are in
 the wrong. Hugh Duffy will be the l Milwaukee manager. The GevelandS l did a fine business last year and were
 so we'll appreciated that they will
 probably remain if c. w. Somers says
 so. If that proves to be the case ] Buffalo will go back into the Eastern
 league. Tn all cities the twenty five cent tariff will be maintained. The
 rules will be changed so that the bunt
 hit will be abolished. The games have | become too scientific of late and for
 that reason have lost their former at
 tractiveness. By doing away with the
 bunt or limiting the times when it may 1 be used Comiskey, Mack and others say that there will be added interest. l The chief aim in making new rules
 will be to increase the action of the l game, thereby satisfying the demand
 of the public. I would like to say that
 the American league stands for clean
 baseball and honest dealings. In eX-
 banding our circuit we ask no favor. kIf the American league fails to make
 good it's promises to the public then it
 does not deserve to exist, he Ameri- can league has granted the demands of the Ball Players Protective associa- tion, which mean tliat if the National
 league again ignofeS- the players we
 will get the cream of the talent. Our league has gone nbout this plan with d.deliberation and care. We have not
 been blind at all @Au of .us have had
 experience in the 6asebaIl business st and have little to learn.'
 rhe RsSteclive assesla at!og through ssssSs M S:s s