Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-28
THE SPORTING NEWS.
THE DIAMOND.
MINOR LEAGUE DIRECTORS
 CONCLUDE THEIR BUSINESS

New York, Oct 2S.-The minor leaguers of base ball, banded together as the National Association of Profess sional Base Ball Leagues, wound up their fourth annual convention here yesterday. The next convention will be in San Francisco on January 6, 1906. Yesterdays proceedings included changing the name National ~ Agree ment to National Agreement Of Pro fessional Base Ball Clubs. This was done to distinguish the agreement that governs the minor leagues from the national agreement that exists between the major and minor leagues.
 On the recommendation of the com
 nittee on the revision of the constitu- ton it was resolved that any player who violates contracted obligation shall be disqualified permanently. Breaking a contract puts the ban OH him for good. so far as the minor leagues are concerned.
 An important step regarding farm ing'' was taken. Hereafter when player is farmed he is to stay the sea- son out or not stay at all. Several
 matters were left over until the meet ing of the national commission in Jan. uary.
 If the national commission approves, the leagues of the National association will be reclassified. A class AA will be created, to consist of the American association. Eastern league and Pacific Coast league, and drafting prices for the respective leagues will be $1 500, $1OO0, $T50, $500 and $400, instead of $75O, $500, $500 and $250 as hereto fore.
 Hereafter National association teams will play exhibition games not only with national agreement clubs, but with i-professional \ and amateur teams.
 GRIFFITH AND HIS PITCHERS.
 Manager Griffith of the New York American league base ball team win leave shortly for his ranch in Montana, where he will put in several weeks riding hard, lodging frostbite and tu- toring young Walter Clarks0n who goes with him. '.CIarkson will be great deal better pitcher next season, says Griff. He's had his baptism of fire and next year will have more con- fdence. He's got everything else He's been up against Lajoie and thN other killers. knows now that they only human and won't be shaking in his shoes when he faces them.
 My pitching staff will be all right with Chesbro, Powell, Orth, Puttmann, CIarkson, Newton and Holycross. HoIycross is new man from the west. Newton's ability is well known. brought him from California, and while there is some hitch over the draft I have a clear case and expect the national commission to award Newton to us Puttmann is no longer an experiment. His work toward the last of the season made his reputation He pitched game in Chicago before an antagonistic crowd that convinced me he was the real stuff.
 T have been criticised for not using more of my pitchers last season in stead of working three of them most of the time. but the fact is Chesbro. Powell and Orth were big, strong fel lows, plenty able to do the work, and they were anxious to do 1t, too. We lost the pennant, not because of the pitchers, but because of errors the last two days. I thought all season we would win the pennant, and we ought to have won it. haven't got over the disappointment yet.
 T guess we'll stand pat on the team. except that we will make any trades that look beneficial I intend to give Chase, the California first baseman we drafted, a thorough trial. Chase was highly recommended by Bill Lange and George Van Haltren. He is six-footer, only 19 years old, and a collegian."
 Griffith declares it is ridiculous to talk about a series for the worlds championship being played in the spring. The time for it, he says, is in the fall, when players are in condition. s'Another thing" said the crack man. ager, 'sthey may talk about the spit ball all they want to. I don't see how they can prevent pitcher from using it. Chesbro is the great master of it and is the only pitcher who can make it both drop and break outwardly. But even without it he is still the white haired boy of all the boxmen."