The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-06
BASEBALL PROBLEM
 IN MINOR LEAGUES
Managers Unable to Keep Close Tab on Prospects Because of Drafting
 of Players To Big Leagues.

Each year in baseball upsets the calculations of the minor league man. agers to a large extent, owing to the sale of good players and the exercise of the draft rule by the major leagues. says an exchange.
 Baseball is more of problem to them than it Is to the managers of the major leagues. who at least have the advantage of knowing that whatever players they desire to retain may not be taken away from them. It Is quite needless to say that without such a safeguard 1t would be out of the ques- tion to induce promoters to invest heavily in placing first class clubs in the larger cities. and while 1t may seem hardship that the minors must lose their players they receive recom- pense in that they are paid rather handsomely for the development of good men. and are frequently able to make both ends meet by the sums which they receive at the end of a season for releases of players services.
 The Eastern League Is a minor or ganization, which almost invariably is blessed with an interesting champion ship race. This year more than orr dinary interest will be attached to it.. because oS the changes which have been made In managers, as well as in play CTS.
 In the American Association Billy" Clymer. with his Columbus champions Ol l5UO, WILL pc luo target TOT every ambitious manager on the circuit.
 Changes have been made in manag- erial positions in the league. Jack" Doyle. once Giant, will be at the head of the Milwaukee club, and Billy" Ar mour, who has been manager of both the Cleveland and Detroit clubs. has bought the Toledo franchise, and will handle the affairs of that organization.
 Peitz was to have been manager of the Louisville club. but owing to O Htca Jor nounced in Cincinnati that he intended to retire permanently from baseball and purchase a cafe which ne intends to conduct in the future.
 The outlook for a successful season in the Association Is better than it was in 1906. for some of the quarrels which beset the organization have abated, and a better spirit prevails among the club owners than was the case in the past. It Is rather difficult to get line on the possible outcome of the race, owing to the shifts on the part of the players, but 1t Is the general impression that Columbus will be compelled to fight harder to win this year than was the case in 1906, and if such results, the race will be one of the most exciting. in all probability, in the history of the organization.
 The Tri-State League will make its first appearance as an organization be- longing to the national agreement. The owners of the clubs have given up the a%ht. which they waged for three years against organized baseball, and are at last in the fold where they no longer make trouble for clubs under protec- ton.
 Many of the old players of the league wer retained by It's owners when the settlement was made with the National Association. and there is strength enough In the circuit to provide a very pretty race for the championship All of the minor leagues in the West start the season with a better outlook than they have had in years. Some of