The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-10
BASEBALL BOSSES
 MEET NEXT WEEK New York City Will Be Center of Interest TWO CLUBS ON MARKET Capitalists Now Will Have Chance To Purchase Clubs-Champion Baseball Fan Is Found-Never Will Be a Perfect Bat
TWO CLUBS ON MARKET
Rv MANHATTAN


 New York will hold the center of the baseball stage next week all the magnates. nearly all the managers and Rhope- be managers and many of the players will be on hand for the annual meetings of the big leagues which be- Kin Monday and will last practically all the week.
 The question of widest general inter- lest to be passed upon is the creation of the Class A leagues, including the Eastern and Pacific Coast leagues and the American association.
 It will be remembered at the recent meeting of the minor leagues at San Antonio this new class was agreed, upon.
 There seems to be d general impress sion that the San Antonio action creates the A A class. This is not so. To make the action operative the national agree ment must be changed. There are three parties to this, and both National and American leagues must vote favorably on the national proposition before the Instrument can be amended. It is said that if amending starts the majors will do little switching on draft prices that Will cause u fOdT lroHi .tilS A A trio. It seems improbable that the American league will accept the new order as it reads, for the Western league has remained in Class only Through President Johnson's influence and he will be appealed to in this case Western and Three I made the fight against the change.
 l Nearly 1O,000000 people paid to see big league baseball during the past season, and probably good many more will give up hard coin to see the games next season.
 The exact figures of the attendance was 5,SO8173 for the National league games and 3,7O5,574 for the American league.
 Anxious capitalists who have been seeking an opportunity to break into big league baseball can get their wish this winter without much persuasion If they will bid on the stock and fixtures of the two tail end teams in the Ma .Ipnal and American leagues. The 1death of President Russell of Boston puts that club on the market and the chances more than even that Col R. L. Hedges would not turn down a fair proposition if it were made to him in good faith for the down trodden Browns.
 Both clubs are able to break better than even, for the big leagues have passed the stage when they have losing seasons. However, the dividend stage would be some little distance ahead, but the prospects are so rosy that the standing of the teams could be i'm proved that it would be well worth the risk Strenuous efforts have been made Eto build up these teams in the last year, but the successful point has not been Preached yet. When big league team Fl gets down it is hard thing to build up again, for there is no way to get star players except by developing them.
 The Boston club has spent lot of good money the past year in purchasing and drafting new material for a good start has been made toward the top. Young pitchers are being developed that promise much for next year, but there are many spots in the team that need Strengthening.
 hear that John King, catcher for the Boston Nationals is negotiating for the interest in the club of the late Will liam Hepburn Russell.
 King, it is said, has received offers of finacial assistance from Kansas City, his home.
 King was traded to the Boston club a year ago and is very popular with the Boston fans.
 Because it could not be determined whether Keeler had seen his best days or not, the New York Americans three wears ago lost a chance to sell the lit tle right fielder to the Cincinnati club for $15,000 cash. Keeler had slowed up but it was thought that illness had been a serious handicap. Keeler in- Existed that he would "come back" as fast as ever. when Garry Hermann offered $15,000 for the crack players release the New York club was afraid to accept 1t. The following spring it quickly developed that Keeler had seen his best days and as nobody wanted him he was released outright. Pres- dent Farrell told this story the other day for the first time.
 There are champions in all branches of baseball and the latest is the cham pion baseball fan, He is J. J. Lawres of Milwaukee. He has the records of IT, 900 baseball players. It takes him three hours each day to keep the rec ords up to date. One may ask Lawres any question in reference to baseball for the past 17 years and he can give the information He has 42 volumes of statistics on baseball.
 The Pittsburg club in 1911 spent more money for ball players than any other two clubs The outlay of each club m the major leagues were as follows: Nattonal--Pfttsburg, $46,000; Boston, e6950; Brooklyn. $16,9S0; Philadelphia, e8450; St. Louis $9750; Cincinnati, $at- 300; New York, s10.75O Chicago. $15.- 0O0. Amercan--Chicago $25,7S0. St Louis, $14.450; Philadelphia, $13,75G; Zpetroit, s7850; Cleveland $20.S50; Washington, $13,90O; New York, s25,- 600; Boston, $25,s00
 Baseball in tub is going to be the big thing on the Pacific coast The Baseball subject is getting so hot that game is being arranged between oil men from BakersfieldA and Kern yiyer districts. They are going to play against each other in a 5O0,O00 barrel eil reservoir.
 "A perfect bat has never been made and never will be-" says Hans Wag- ger. -.I have had bats break when met the ball squarely, break after months of faithful service, and a grounder would trickle to an infield when the force I put into my swing vas enough for three base hit Tire Nearest perfect bat I ever saw was owned by kid in small Kentucky town where I once played i'll an ex- Atbftion game. I gave the boy 90 cents for il. Everybody on our club used the bat the first day I got 1t and we made 2s hits
 z Agitation Ito cut salaries of ball players applies only to those, holding positions;, in the minor leagues. The Elainr league contingent will not be