The Washington times., 1913-11-03
AMERICAN LEAGUERS
MEET ON THURSDAY
Baseball Players Fraternity
and FederaIs Will Be Dis
cussed BY MogulS.
INCREASE BANS POWER
Will Be Allowed to Deal With
Big Questions in Any Way
Suiting Himself.
INCREASE BANS POWER

NEW YORK, Nov. 3.-American
League baseball men will hold their
annual fall meeting in Chicago on
Thursday, one month earlier than Gus
tomary. and from all accounts the con-
ference will be one of the busiest since
the Ban johnson circuit first was organ
lied. Here are few of the topics that
will come up for discussion:
Players Fraternity.
Federal League
Worlds series reforms.
Revision of playing rules.
Election of directors.
Lynch and his enemies.
Various deals for players.
Athletics victory.
The demands framed by the fraternity
will be formally read to the club own
ers, who will empower President Ban
johnson, as a member of the National
Commission, to act in accordance with
his best Judgment. 1t is expected that
a number of agents who have been in
ycsti2ating the Federal League will re-
port that no real money was posted at
Indianapolis on Saturday; that the out
law clubs in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Chi
cago and st. Louis lost money last sea-
son in spite of low salaries and limited
expenses; that the Federals' strongholds
are in Kansas City and Indianapolis;
that the promoters of a new club in
Buffalo have poor financial backing, and
that few. If any, major league players
so far have signed Federal League con-
tracts
President johnson will place before
the delegates his plan to increase the
worlds series to nine games to reduce
the prices of admission and to abolish
Tie National Commissions 10 per cent
rakeoff, provided the two ma jor leagues
will agree to stand for yearly assess
mcnts to pay the expenses of the COM
n ission.
johnson, it Is expected. will advocate
the appointment of a new rules COM
mittee to be composed OF six members,
cre club owner and one manager from
each major league and two delegates
from the Baseball Writer'S Association
Of America 1t will be shown that at
le9st three reforms are necessary, d
uniform rule covering the accidental
dropping of a ball by a pitcher when in
the act of delivering ii to the batsman
and another rule interpreting more
clearly the definition of an infield fly.
Still another rule seems necessary, in
view of the play that came up in a
game between the Athletics and the
New Yorks here last season when the
field umpire was struck by a thrown
ball after a batsman had made an in
field hit which scored q runner from
third
While the American League will take
no official action regarding the at
tempt In the National League to over
throw President Lynch. il seems GER
tain that the delegates will privately
support Johnson in the contention that
Lynch has acted with eminent fairness
as member of the commission, and
that the American League is satisfied
10 have him remain in his present
berth.
II remains to be seen whether the
many rumors of trades materialize. The
New York club may secure Outfielder
James Walsh from the Athletics, but
nobody is able to say whether Cobb will
be traded to the Red Sox in a three
cernered deal that would bring iris
Speaker to this city. The great victory
of the Athletics in the worlds series
doubtless viii be celebrated. and Con-
ME Mack will come in for more we'll
deserved praise.