Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-19
Expansion of American Asso-
citation an Idle Tale.
WORK OF SPACE WRITER'S
Many Complications Should War Be
Declared.
MINORS NOT WANTED HERE
Yale Drops Southern Base Ball Trip.
Racing at New Orleans.
Basket Ball.

AS intimated In last nights Star, the
proposed branching out of the American
Association and the launching of new
OUTLAW league in the east was only the
work of the dligent winter space writer.
President O'Brien Of the American Asso-
citation is out with a denial of the story
that club will be put in Chicago next
season. and as that tale now stands Mr.
James Callahan is alone responsible for it
Jimmy is one OF the brightest lads in base
ball, and doubtless saw his way to get
ting into print without harming any one
and at the same time secure line on how
the new venture would be received by the
major league magnates.
AS to Mr. Lawson's Union League, it
can be dismissed in a sentence. as the
Washington people will not patronize a
minor league club.
The major league magnates are not
greatly opposed to the American AsSocl-
alton placing a club in Chicago, but ii IS
the fear of a further expansion that
makes them pull their knives for hght
10 the death with the younger orSanlza-
ton. Once n club is established in Chi
cago and the American Association wakes
wealthy over the result, the young club
owners will begin to make sheep eyes at
Cincinnati. Pittsburg, and eventually To-
cate in cities like Brooklyn Baltimore and
established.
President Johnson of the American
League knows the ropes all the way, as
he carried his organization through just
such an expansion and firmly placed 1t
in the lead in the hearts of the lovers of
base ball in this country. Men posses
sing Mr. Johnson's leadership ability do
not drift into base ball very often. and the
American Association would be greatly
handicapped in this respect, although Mr.
Is small
ments.
Imagine for a few minutes that the
American Association has placed a club
in Chicago and that war has been de-
Clared on the organization by the Amer
lean and National leagues Can You fix
up greater series of complications over
the situation. Right now there is hardly
a club in either of the big leagues which
is not carrying from ten to twenty extra
players who it is expected will be turn
ed back to the minors before the regular
season opens in April. What would be-
come of these extra men? The major
leagues certainly could not afford to carry
such an array of playing talent and
instead of paying for this class of play
ers the American Association would be
able to get them cheap and thereby IN
crease their salaries.
ON fhe other hand. the national commits
sion at Cincinnati holds in its big safe
checks and contracts which will amount
to fully 100000 or possibly more Whlcn
will be given to the American Association
after the LIST of February. These checks
would be Cancelled and the contracts
broken should war be on and it is ques-
ton as to whether the younger organiza-
ton can afford to forfeit such big sum
of money.
Should the American Association cut
loose from the National Association of
Minor Leagues and go it alone there
would be nothing to the fight, as the men
belonging to it would be given to the
Eastern and Tri-State leagues and the
guns of the majors and minors would all
be leveled at the fenturesome organiza-
ton.
--4fl,be American Association could find
backing tyom a couple of multi-million-
aires. f\wbb would not mind taking a
''hyerSTh losing "A half a million so,
their CHANCES of defeat would be lessened,
but at tVe present time no base ball
angels" IRE in fight.
Mr.>-47awson's book was entitled
f''Ilranks" and was published in Boston
Eineteen years ago. 1t was bound in
.twirled sphere" and was printed on the
finest parchment paper. Mr. Lawson be-
gan with definition of the word
"KIsnk." He said:
The krank is a. heterogeneous COM
pound of flesh, bone and base ball. He
came Into existence in the early seventies
He came to stay. The kranl; is purely
American. He is found in no other coun-
try The krank has Il shell into which he
Crawls in the month of November. He
does not emerge from it until April.
While in his si-eil his only article o. food
is stray newspaper articles on deals
During the season from April to Novem-
Der he subsists on air. and wakes strong.
His firsf characteristic is showing it ALL
the second. telling it all "
Time has changed the "krank'' to a
Fan, but it is a change in name only.
In the year 1883, when that little book ap-
peared base ball had reached for the first
time its present status the absorbing
sport diversion and study of the Ameri-
can summer mind In that year Boston
paid Chicago $4,000 for the release of
John G.. Clarkson. the star pitcher of the
time and the days of millionaire" ball
had dawned. To what dizzy heights SAL
aries of ball players might have scared
had it not been for the combinations
which prevented contract jumping can