The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-03-09

WRITTEN o THE SUNDAY RE?UEI-c-
The American League:S at Detroit guard
ed their pet secrets we'll. bat sufficient in
dications of the trend toward The expansion
policy appeared on the surface. EXPANSION
in the sense of an enlarged circuit i NOT
favored by the powers. rs through all The
ups and downs of league baseball an eight
club circuit has proven the happy medium.
The American has Class = teams. and in
cidentally. top-nofch prices. hut i; does
not include all the best baseball cities in
the country. The change 4 headquarters
TO New York means that the American has
officially adop;eG the process of benevolent
assimilation by easy stages. ami If there are
cities now in the circuit that cannot stand
the gait they Will be cast loose. for Ban
johnson and his colleagues have determined
TO place their league on the top rung /:
personal effort and clean ball will run the
elevator.
When the magnates went into session
Wednesday they established = precedent by
adopting 4 schedule with little parley or de-
lay. The following day. however. their
progress was slow, and It is practically Ger
tain that hours Were spent in serious study
OF the proposed siege of New York While
not the greatest baseball town on the map
of late years-due to the fact that winning
teams have been few and far betyeen-New
York has always been considered a sine qua
non of any top-notch baseball organization.
The National League seems 10 be holding
the metropolis as its one truInp-card city.
but In view of the present chaotic state OF
affairs in that august body the American
has more or less OF an opening in which 10
pry with the wedge of expansion.
At the Detroit meeting the magnates were
not the only ones who Were asked for their
opinions Stockholders in the different clubs
who were present gave their opinions. and
the managers We're also asked for their
views. The younger element seemed to ia
EOr a ward nDliNs.- pf ag-or,SSt-s
campaigning, while the Older heads coun-
seled patience, and preferred to wait and
let the cards play into their hands. Had
not the coming season been so close at
hand, IL is doubtful whether the matter
would not have been pushed by the agrees
sive element. johnson left the question 10
the club owners. taking Il neutral position.
With so short a time in which TO work, it
was at last decided to leave the planning of
the campaign in the presidents hands. with
the understanding that the active opera
tions would not begin until after the close
of the season.
While Ban Johnson assigns other motives
as his reasons for wishing TO move the
headquarters of the league to New. York.
such a move will give him great aid in that
he Will be on the ground constantly. and
when the first gun IS fired n. will know
the ground over which he will lead the ad-
vance.
He declared at the Detroit meeting that
he had never consulted, with John T. Brush
OF MI freedman. but there are several VINO
declare that there is a tac!t UNDERSTANDING
between the American League and the anti
Spaldfilg faction OF the National League. In
case the iide Of battle goes against Freed
man it is believed that the negotiations for
a New York club in the American League
Will be put through. with Messrs. Brush and
extent.
The presence of four Cincinnati uewsr,- |
per men at the Detroit meeting was Sig
nihcant- Cincinnati is not talked OF as an
American possibility this year. but the pa !
rrnnG nf tho on mo "a, H. Al.- "a
orfng Tor a good team in "A league that is
not divided against itself. Some writers
held the view that the Cleveland club might
De transferred 10 Cincinnati in case a re-
modelling of the circuit was voted on ar
the schedule meeting.
In an address at the GriswoId House bar
Guet Friday night President Fred Postal Of
the Washington club made several signin-
can't remarks. winding up with the state |
ment that the American looked upon Pork |
opolis as desirable territory. and that. if |
wishing could avail. that city would be I'M
other year.
TIL resolution adopted giving Johnson
full sway in the transfer of the headquar- |
tefs TO New York was not the least impor-
tant development at the meeting. While the /
date has not been set, Johnson says he CON
templates making the change as soon as h.
gets the season fairly started.
The movement for the adoption of n new !
scale OF admission prices waa led bv Charlie |
Comiskey and the officials of the st. Louis !
club. Comiskey was so sure thai this meas |
uie "Ouih We put through mat he let con- !
Tracts for the construction of .'payflions'
or covered bleacherS, before he left Chicago. !
The ST: Louis management also antici- |
pated this action. as in the plans adonte,J |
by the local club there are provisions for /
pavflions on either side the grand stand !
washington. Baltimore and PhiIadslphia in |
the East and Detroit in the West. are apprc- !
hensiVe, but If the action had not been |
taken the American might have found itself |
swamped by high salaries. Philadelphia |
VIII continue TO play under the old scale,
Says Connie Mack:
The change will not cut much figure with |
the Athletics, for we will pay only I2i. cents |
a mead to all visiting teams and receive the 1
same on the road. If the average attend
ance over the circuit is reduced we will get
none OF the worst of Il. as none of the
extra coin will flow in our Golfers"
10 a large extent the success of this ven
lure in prices will hinge on the future of the |
NatioEat League. and for the next two
weeks the course pursued by SpaldinC in |
MS wreck-or-rule policy will be intentIy
watched The Detroit fans do nor TAX.
kindly to the change and it is possible thar
q compromise may be effected if a revolt /
threatens.
Inc Browns have not yet been booked for
sxhinltion games. and if the inclinations of
Sdanager McAieer are followed but few will /
pc played i don't believs the public takes
very mucn interest in these anteseason
games, quoth James, and it has been my
that the general attendance dc
ereases each year. In one way it is a good !