Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-03
MAY Be CLASH OVER
AL0NGER SEASON
National Leagues 168-Game
Schedule Will Interfere
With Worlds Series.

That there will be some friction be-
tween the National and the American
leagues over the playing schedules Tor
next season now seems certain. IL the
two bodies agree on schedules the CLASH
may still come over the arrangement OF
dates for the worlds championship sea-
son.
The National League, at its recent
meeting, voted to play schedule Oh ioo
games, the season opening on April IA
and closing on October 18. AT the same
time the American League decided 10
stick to the 154game schedule. opening
on April IA and closing on OCTOBER . OF
Ia If the National League finally adopts
q 1SS-eame schedule at its February
mating q worlds series directly after
tho close Of the American League season
viii, of course. be out of the question
That series. if played, will have to begin
after October It, when. the chances are
the weather will be too colo lot pase
hall, It is conceded that this arrange
mont ronld he unfair to the winners OF
the American League pennaht; wno
would have to remain idle While the Nd
tional I.eaguers were playing OUT '"eA
schedule. . ,;oa
Ry some base ball men 1t is ciaimed
that the extended schedule is the result
of a wish on the part OF the CLUBS tna'
do not figure in the pennaht poseiui,
ties to ignore the worlds series anu
thereby increase their bankrolls.
Selfish Magnates.
President Charles H. Ebbetts of the
Brooklyn club who is considered the
king of schedule trainers, recently an
nounced that he had drawn up a lbS-
game schedule and found 1t an easy mat
ter President Barney Dreyfuss OF the
Pittsburg club, another schedule expert,
is drawing up a 16S-game draft to sub
NIT to the Joint schedule committees OF
the two leagues when they meet in Pitts
burg this month. Dreyfuss expresses
himself as hopeful that the American
League may give the longer schedule
one-year trial in view of it's adoption by
the National League.
On the other hand. President Ban
Johnson of the American League has not
given I'D hope that the National League
will eventually outline a schedule calling
for fewer games It is claimed that sew
eral of the National League club owners
are against the stretching OF the season,
in spite Of the vote in favor OF it,
To Johnson's way of thinking, the
longer schedule tends to cheaper the
game, and will prove unpopular with the
public as we'll as the players. Recently
he said: II am strongly opposed 10 the
bargain feature. which will be worse
than ever now that clubs Will be asked
to play 1853 games. It's a we'll known
fact that many games are postponed dur
ing April and in the rainy season Of
May. These postponed games are set
for decision in the midsummer a rule.
There's a likelihood of cold weather spoil
ing the games set for the early part of
October. That's another problem to con-
tend with Take the case of the worlds
series last season. and the year before.
Had the games been ordinary contests of
the pennant race the chances are interest
would have been exhausted.
Americans Stand Pat.
But the fact that the strongest clubs
of the rival leagues were fighting it out
for the worlds title alone served to keep
the interest going, despite the cold wea-
Their One hundred and fifty-four games
round out busy season, and that will be
the limit this year and possibly for all
time to come in the American League.
"Steps will be taken at the schedule
meeting of the American League here in
Chicago In February to outline a sched-
ule that will work in harmony with that
OF the national League out, OF course.
the players of our organization won't be
required to slave from early spring till
almost time for the snow shovelers
Seven months of actual playing is enough
for both the players and game. Many of
those complicated features and the long
jumps usually enforced during the close
of the season will be done away with in
1010."'
President Garry Hermann of the Gin
cinnati club injected a little holiday GIN
ger into the schedule disagreement be-
tween the two leagues last week The
peace loving chairman of the national
commission is quoted as saying regarding
the schedule controversy:
ut Is not absolutely certain that the
National League will play a schedule of
1873 games. though it probably will do so
1t was voted at the National League
meeting that 16S-game schedule should
be drawn up and submitted to the Joint
schedule committee. If the long schedule
can be played without making too many
conflicts with the American League teams
1t will be done. but there is considerable
opposition to 1t in American League
circles