Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-11
American Leagues
Annual Meeting.

Chicago. Dec. lO-The annual meet
ing Of the American League viii he
he'll at the Annex Wednesday and will
probably be peaceable. There is much
talk of war and rioI, and of plots to
dethrone Ban Johnson, but these will
probably end in Smoke--the smoke OF
good cigars
American League teams will have to
keep abreast with their schedules IN
seasons to come. There will be Ii"
more putting oil postponed games until
a rainy day has a chance to make il
impossible ever 10 play them. Pres.
johnson Will recommend a new rul'.
70 40 away with that complaint.
Post r,o..emtnt5 are Of course Orca-
stoned from time To time by bad wealth
er, but hencriprth the clubs will be
asked ia Play of these games at the
earliest possible moment. 1t has been
shown IN the past that IN Il frenZied
pennaEt race Il club is willing 10 tax:
chances on losing its receipts for
couple ~ pantcS rather than 10 risk
defeat ana use up its best pitchers just
before a crucial series. This angle was
best Illustrated during the last visit OF
the 81. Louis Browns Ia Philadelphia.
The Athletics We're in distress for pitch
ers and scheduled 4 double header with
tile visitors for the last day OF the
series, instead OF the first, in the hope
that rain or something else would pre-
vent the two games, and give their
pitchers n rest before the big series with
the White SoX. Rain did prevent the
games, which was a timely help 10 the
struggling Athletics.
Philadelphia wasn't the only club TO
stall that way, BY any means. Most all
of the eight We're guilty 1t one time or
another While the practice showed
healthy condition in the willingness to
sacrifice money for glory, Pres. john
son contends that an injustice IS often
DONE and viii urge vigorously that the
clHbS play Oh postponed games as eX-
peditiOusly as possible and keep up
with their schedules
Another proposition that Pres. john
son WA advocate III the meeting is
that Of limiting the number Of new
players to be tried out in the flag end
Of q championship race. Teams low in
the standing who are trying to get i'll
line on talent for the coming season
ought to put up their hardest games
against all leading teams who are ms
Ting for I;ennant. i'll order that it
| might not be said that one team had
an easier time against tail end aggre-
cations than one Of its opponents.
That measure is in the nature Of
| safeguard, and the club owners will be
given n chance to say what they think
| in regard to it,.
Trades and deals are likely to be
made ii large numbers. All the teams
| have weak spots they would like to
strengthen. The American League race
is So close every season that one pow
| erful player added to the roster of any
team might give that team more than
a lOOk-in for the flag, and every mag
nate will try To get that much needed
| star for his own aggregation.
| The Sox want some batting strength,
| at least one infielder and an outfield-
! e., while a strong catcher and 4 bur
| ly pitcher are real necessities. COmiS-
| kny will try earnestly to secure these
valuable assets, but it is still an open
| question whether he will be successful.
| At the American League meeting the
| election of a vice president to sue
| coed Charles SOmerS of Cleveland will
| be held. The board of directors will
meet at noon Wednesday, award the
penant officially to Detroit and ad-
| jOurn. The directorate at present is
| made up Of st. Louis, Detroit, Boston
and Philadelphia clubs. The other four
clubs probably will comprise the board
| for 1908.
President johnson will appoint a
| rules committee to confer with the Ma
| tiOnal League rulemakerS. and other
committees will be named. In all prob
ably the club owners will ask Mr..
| Johnson to assume the responsibility
| time comes.
One matter that will concern the
| Chicago fans quite n bit is the report
| from the Detroit club as to whether
it wants Sunday dates assigned to II
for the coming season.
There is some chance for a little
excitement when the American AsSo-
citation committee is heard in it's pray
er for admission to Chicago and for
more liberal drafting laws. Inasmuch
as the American League executive
thinks the association is getting all
that is coming to it now. a deaf ear
probably will be turned to the petl-
TONERS. To turn down a proposition
delicately is always one of the diplo-
matte feats big league has to con-
slider.