The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-22
SPORTING NEWS.
President Ban Johnson Talks of
Minor Leagues.
Complies Figures Showing Cost
OF Drafted Players.
OVER $4,000 is SPENT.
May Submit Statistics at the
mission Meeting.
Tayl0r-Hart Controversy Dis
cussed by Comiskey.

Chicago, Dec. 22-President Ban John
l son, of the American league spent part
| of yesterday afternoon compiling sta
tisties of the dealings of his organiza-
| ton with the minor baseball leagues,
which doubtless he will use when the
representatives of the three leagues in
| terested meet to discuss proposed
changes in the national agreement.
81 fnd,'' said President Johnson,
| that the American league last year re-
tanned Ii of the players purchased in
the fall of 1908. and paid the minor
| league $20S00 for them. OF the drafted
players six were retained. two being
from class A leagues and the others
from leagues of a lower grade. Thirteen
purchased players and eight who were
drafted were returned after trials. These
figures do not indicate that we have
been niggardly in our dealings with the
minor leagues
President Comiskey and Secretary
F'redericks of the White Sox and Man
ager Joe Cantillon of the Milwaukee
American association team, who have
been hunting quail and ducks in south
ern Illinois for a week, have returned
to the city. Talking of the recent phases
of the Taylor-Hart controversy, Co
miSkey yesterday said: Il fail to see
why Mr.. Hart should treat the matter
so lightly. The statements made by
Taylor reflect on the conduct of base
ball, and 1 think it is either UP to Mr..
Hart to get out of the game himself or
see that Taylor is forced out of it.
Charges of throwing games are too ser
ious to be ignored, and for the good OF
the game I think the matter should be
Investigated. If Taylor is the kind of
man he is represented to be Mr. Hart
did not treat his business associates OF
the St. Louis National club right in dis
posing of Taylor to them"
President Hart said there was no rea-
son for him to attend the next meeting
of the national commission, and that
there was nothing new in the Taylor
case as far as he was concerned. Re
garding the probability of a post-season
series between the two local clubs Mr..
Hart said the time to decide that would
be later on. while 1 am heartily in
favor of the worlds championship ser
les, I do not think the public is intense
ly interested over post-season games
between opposition clubs in the same
city" said he. This inference make
from the financial returns of the last
series between the White SOx and the
Chicago team.
Regarding the management of the
worlds championship series, believe
the general desire is to leave the whole
matter in the hands of the national
commission, letting it deduct a small
percentage of the receipts from which
the umpires' fees and other expenses
will come. AS far as the games between
other teams are concerned, bel1eVe
it to be the best policy to leave the fin
ancial arrangements to the club inter-
ested. 7 do not think the argument
against bad weather early in october
holds good, as statistics prove the
weather in that time of the year is
generally better than in September.
Seven games are enough to decide the
worlds championship. and it is posi-
BILE that the series might not last longer
than five days.