The sun., 1910-01-09
CURRENT SPORTING GOSSIP
BAN JOHNSON SCORES THE I6s
GAME SCHEDULE.
says Baseball Public Dcmands Suitable
weather for the worlds Series
Players Opposed 20 q Twelve Month
Contract-Packy McFariand's Plans.

Opposition to the proposed Ies game
schedule Of the National League Is growing
10 such proportions that some baseball men
say there may be shift In the plan before
the major leagues meet again next month.
President johnson OF the American League.
who says that the championship season
should be reduced from I54 games to 40
instead Of heightened. has just expressed
his views to club owners in this manner:
A short schedule is desirable for several
reasons, the most vital Of which is that the
pennant race can begin In suitable baseball
weather and end in time to play on the
worlds series under conditions acceptable
to the public and harmless to the player.
II would be the height OF folly to abandon
the series and grave mistake for the major
lea CUES to prolong their respective pennant
races to Ies games. thereby curtailing the
chances for good weather in the fall. Dis
continue the worlds series. and the cham
pionship Of the American and National
leagues would be less attractive and OF only
passing interest to the general public.
Patrons in all sections OF the country
are keenly Interested in the progress OF the
American and National League races
under present conditions. because league
championship qualities the victor to par
tlcipate in the worlds series. dependent
for its success as much on sentiment as the
ella S. OF the contenders. The rules gov erning
the worlds series adopted by the major
lea guers and approved by the National
Commission in 1905 require the major lea que
champions TO meet annually. That means
for each year during the life Of the national
agreement and not for one year or a, term
Of years or during period when the desire
to exchange Gamee Is mutual. Any other
construction would be neither logical nor
md ' its strict fuifilment under proper
conditions and on the plane OF true sports
luanship should not be joopardized in any
manner.
There is no popular demand for a. Ies
game schedule. In fact iS4 game sched-
ule Is too long The season even now begins
too soon and closes too late. The weather
during a part OF the worlds series last fall
NHs entirely too cold for comfort and
that the games should be played earlier In
future. But this I6s game idea will prevent
SsyHS OF the % %oTd M SsTleS Teys 1ns a.seT
unpopular. The American lea que will stick
- ~ games and we hope 70 induce the
~ ~, ,onal League TO go along with Us on the
Ball players are growing not only over
'h" proposed loS game schedule but also
c"n'racts instead Of documents covering
VIM have looked into the latter scheme
carefully say that II Is simply a pitfall III
player signs for six months at s2,4O0 he
500, says a leading player advocate. But
he signs for twelve months he gets only
'!'I z month and Is A. the mercy OF a club
uNner who may decide 10 release him after
re has served four months on the payroll.
.nner \ twelve month contract the player
Would get only $500 for his work instead
z! y 800 under the present form of con-
Eaot; N's brace game pure and simple
Tor players who are not stars.
Packey Mcfarland, the Chicago pugilist,
r. decided 10 sail for England next Wednes-
nav 70 get a match with Freddie Welsh, the
new British liRhtwei8hk champion Welsh
K ready TO sign articles and the National
porting Club Of London will stake the
bad Welsh's mum Der as q result oftw0 fights