The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-31
NO SCHLAFLY TRADE
Milwaukee Has Not Obtained
Nationals Infielder.
DEALS AT COMING MEETING
Manager CantiIIOn Expects to Make
Some Swaps at the League COnfab
Trouble over Date for Major
League OpenIngS-Training Trips.

The report that is being widely circu-
lated throughout the West TO the effect
that Harry Schahy, the Nationals sec
Ond baseman. and has been turned over TO
Milwaukee was denied yesterday by an
official of the Washington club.
Whether Schlafy will wear local uni
form next season has not been decided,
and nothing definite in the matter will
be known until after the meeting of the
American League in February. Manager
Joe CantillOn has under consideration a
number Of deals by which he hopes to
strengthen the Nationals, but none of
these swaps is likely to be made until
the coming confab OF managers. The
new manager, who is now in the West, is
keeping the local board of strategy well
Informed Of his moves, and it was init
mated by an official yesterday that there
are likely to be some interesting develop
ments when the league moguls get to-
gether.
Early last spring Schla1y made a most
favorable impression. but. while his field
ing was always fairly reliable, his batting
slumped, and he was unable to clout the
ball at a satisfactory clip. Efforts are
being made to land a better batting in
fielder. but Canullon will insist upon get
ting a thoroughly tried player to guard
the second corner before letting the
young Californian go
AS yet none of the local players have
received their contracts for next year
but within the next month President
Noyes viii send out the papers, and he
does not anticipate any trouble in get
ting all Of the men TO sign.
The idea of sending the Philadelphia
Athletics TO Texas by water on its train
ing trip has been abandoned. and the
aggregation will travel by train, thereby
saving much time and avoiding the risk
Of nal de mer. The team Will leave Phila-
delphia about March l. and viii return
early in april for an early series with
the Phillies. the details Of which will be
arranged later.
The Athletics will do all their training
at Dallas and Marlin Springs. leaving In
time 10 play a special series with the
New York Giants at New Orleans. the
first game being slated for March q.
Five games Will be played against Nc
Graw's men. Aside from this series no
games have been definitely arranged, but
negotiations are proceeding rapidly. and
the Athletics expect 10 have an ambitious
list of ante-season games before the regu-
/ lar season opens.
There appears to be a disposition in
/ baseball circles 10 place the National
League in the position of desiring to die
tate to the American League in regard
/ to schedules. because the former has an
nounced its intention TO adhere 10 the
/ 154-game schedule for 1907 and 10 open
on April IL In many cities, especially
where the younger organization alone is
represented, the resolution TO continue
playing the long schedule adopted by the
National League at the Victoria Hotel
meeting In New York a few weeks ago
has raised criticism hostile to the old
league. Trying to break the peace agree
ment is the least onense charged.
Little ground exists on which to base
the assertion frequently made that ad-
/ herence to the long schedule by the Ma
tional League viii force the Americans
to follow suit It is a well-known fact
that the younger body prefers to shorten
the playing season in order that post
season games may be played IN good
weather. The National League men. from
( long experience, consider it case OF
/ touch and CO." In ether words, that the
weather cannot be depended on, and that
/ there IS an equal chance Of experiencing
good baseball conditions in mid-October,
or at the end Of September.
/ This belief about the weather being
variable is also largely responsible for
/ the decision to open the season about the
middle Of April rather than two weeks
/ later. as desired by the American League
/ magnates. It is asserted that a search
/ Of the records for years past viii show
/ that in a majority of cases conditions for
/ baseball were more favorable IN the mid
/ die of April than around May l.
] President Johnson bases his desire foT
/ a later opening date on the ground that
! the American League has three Lake
/ cities in the West-ChicagO, Cleveland
and Detroit-in which the weather Is unfa-
vorable for early baseball. Last year the
/ younger organization opened its season
/ half a week later than its rival, having
| found a way to compress the 154 games
/ into a shorter space Of time. The records
/ do not show that the dttenddnCeS were
materially reduced because Of the Ma
/ tionaTs early games. nor is It likely thai
it would have made any particular diff
/ ference had the American Leagues open
ing contests been played two weeks later
/ Admirers Of the national pasti1ne are not
so tickle as to lose interest because of th'
playing of a few games previously in on,
city or another.
As a matter Of fact, the peace agree
ment carries no hard and fast condition.
compelling the two leagues to open OF
the same day. In regard to schedules, 2
Is desired simply to avoid conflicting
dates, and the number Of these would b.
reduced rather than increased were tn,
American League to postpone its opening
games until two weeks after the Ma
tionai got under way. Johnson is quoted
as saying that If the National League
has already made up its mind as TO th'
opening date and other details there i
little use Of a meeting Of the schedule
committees. But why should the fac
that the National League has decidet
upon April II as a good day for It's open
ing precipitate a crisis? The old leagu
has been opening about that date 70
years past
| O'NEILL WILL LEAVE YORK.