Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-14
MAJOR LEAGUES IN
SESSION THIS WEEK
Will Decide important Cases
and Adopt Schedules
for 1910.


BOARD of directors of the National League
met at n am. today at the Waldorf-As-
toria it meant the rising of the curtain
on the last week the base ball magnates
will hold the stage until next fall. BY
next Saturday, when the National and
American leagues have finished their
spring business, base ball in the hotel
corridors will cease and the attention of
the fans will be focused on the players,
as they play the game on the field.
In the meantime the club owners will
he busy. At today's meeting two i'm
portant cases were handled by the league
directors. The Philadelphia club is most
interested in both. The claim of ex-
Manager William ]. Murray was taken
up. Murray, claims to have a two-year
contract with the Philadelphia club and
also that the club owes him S1,JU on
last years salary. II Is expected that
the directors will advise the Philadelphia
club TO make satisfactory settlement
with Murray to save the washing of dirty
National League linen in the law courts.
This was done in the case of Joe Kelley.
a year ago, when his similar claim
against the Boston club was settled by
the late President George 3. Dewey of
the Boston club.
New York Wants Damages.
The directors will also take up the
claim of the New York club against the
Philadelphia club for FORGETTING the last
game Of last season at the Polo Grounds.
The penalty for this, at the discretion of
the directors, is the infection of a fine not
10 exceed $1,000, the non-offending club
10 be reimbursed for any loss 1t may
have incurred. The Philadelphia man.
agement, 1t Is understood, will contest the
claim.
Tomorrow both the National and
portant business of adopting the playing
schedules for the coming season. The
Americans will meet in Chicago and
will adopt their schedule. calling for
season of 154 games, without any fric-
ton. The Nationals will meet in the
Waldorf-Astoria and fight 1t out on the
schedule question. President Charles II.
Ebbets Of the BROOKLYN club, who Is
chairman of the schedule committee, Will
present two schedules for the considera-
lion of the magnates. One of them calls
for 16S games and the other for 154
for the season. Both have been drawn
10 dovetaii with the American League
schedule
The opponents of the long schedule,
led by President Garry Hermann of
Cincinnati and President Barney Drey-
freely of late to the effect that the league
will stick to the one-hundred-and-fifty
four game schedule. From Cincinnati
comes the news that at a conference
Dreyfuss and Charles w. Murphy the
Chicago magnate has agreed to stand for
the short schedule. A few weeks ago
he was strong in favor of the one-hun-
dred-and-sixty-eisht game draft.
Murphy's Sudden Conversion.
The alleged reason for Murphy's con-
&c hnt he fS-S 60 -
Catcher Johnny Killing reinstated by the
national commission that he is willing
10 concede almost anything to carry that
point. The Chicago fans are up In arms
demanding that the great catcher be re-
instated and allowed to play with the
Cubs. 1t is even strongly intimated that
President Ban Johnson of the American
League, who has been /Outspoken in his
opposition to Killing, Is weakening, and
that he will vote to have the hold-out
Cub put in good standing on the payment
of a large fine.
With several of the magnates the pos
sibility that the adoption of the long
schedule may mean interference with
the worlds series cuts a big figure.
THAT angle of it had not occurred to
me when l partially agreed to the ex-
tension of the schedule" said Mr.. Herr
mann yesterday. Il have always been
in favor of playing as many games as
possible during the contract season. but
I realize that the worlds series must
be played under any conditions, and
am not In favor of any plan which will
jeopardize that great event. Playing
fourteen extra games would not begin
to make up for the abolition of the
series. You cannot blame the American
League for declining to enter their team
in a big contest after said team had
been lying idle for ten days or so. This
point must be given the most careful
consideration. So far as l know there
is no great public demand for 1873 games.
while there is tremendous interest in
the worlds series, which must be pre-
served"