El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-15
Players Have Best of Situation
:: +: IL il IL IL
Magnates Meet Terms I his Year
BY E. ". CoCHRANE.

KANSAS CITY. No, Jan. 15.-Until
this year the BASEBALL players
IN would have had little chance to
gain the points they gained in Gin
cinnati. But with the Federal league
as a weapon of defence, the fraternity
committee went into executive ses-
sion with the national commission and
virtually had the powers that be- in
baseball backed up against the wal
and forced to give in.
The players figured they could do
any one of these three things if the
demands were not granted:
Sign against the orders of the fra
ternity
Hold out until the demands were
granted before signing 1914 con-
tracts.
Jump to the Federal league
They did not intend to do the for
mer They might have held out but
the commission could see this result in
advance and therefore figured that the
demands might as well be granted
first as last and the quicker the bet
ter for all concerned. And the COM
mission feared more jumps of play
ers to the Federal league if they
were put off Likely this is the true
answer to the entire problem.
Asked how t is that the Federal
league can afford 20 paw more for
players than the major leagues, a
Federal club official said yesterday
That's easy. The majors are saw
ing up great wad of money this
winter by the free advertising they
are giving US, thus putting US in a
class with the best leagues, so we can
use the coin we might have had to
spend for advertising, in boosting
players salaries and inducing them to
come to our circuit"
One Of the questions up for discus
sion IN the hot stove circuit, is the
possibility of the Western league en-
tering Kansas City.
The latest rumor is that the West
ern viii take in this city, AIinneapo-
lis and Davenport, dropping Denver,
Topeka and Wichita. It is hard to see
how O'NeiIs crowd can throw out
Denver-the best town in the league.
Topeka and Wichita have not made
much money and there has been talk
OF moving the Wichita franchise to
this city.
Asked his views on the subject a few
DAYS ago president George Tebeau of
Il do not think the Western league
can make money here. I was asked
If the league could move the Wichita
club here and told them I would
nave to gain the consent of Amerf-
can Association club owners first.
would willingly rent my park to the
Western league for games when the
DlueS are out OF town, but / do not
think it would pay and told them So"
That seems to settle the PROPOSE
ton entirely.
Some doubt the ability of Federal
league magnates to sign enough play
ers from the majors to make their
teams strong as the old organizations
They have to take about five players
away from each team to do this and
they have made a good start
The American league entered the
field in battle with the National
F1tty-five players jumped to the Amer
lean the first year of the war and 40
the second, making the new league as
strong as the old one. If So jump
to the Federals this year they will
present very good looking lineup
by about April 10, when the umpires
clear their threats for action.
X
While 1t will be a difficult matter
to keep pitchers from walking hard
hitters at critical times, it viii be a
good thing If the baseball rules COM
mittee can stop this practice.
Fans want to see a batter hit in a
pinch. They are not in favor of inten-
tionally passing a dangerous sIugger. |
Umpire ODay's idea is to make the
catcher's box narrower. This may
work to some extent and yet we have
seen catchers many times step out of