Omaha daily bee., 1914-03-22
MAY REORGGNIZE BASE BALL
Federals Likely TO Be Embraced in
Arms Of Organized Sport.
RESULT WILL BENEFIT GAME
Many Major League Clubs Already
FacinE n Losing season ON Ae-
count OF the New FOrms-
tion of the Feds.

dim and distant future-unless the pres
ent dope is wrong-Organized base pail
viii clutch the heckling Federal league
20 It's bosom, and peace will reign again
in the land And, unless the signs point
wrongly. the consolidation VIII result IN
the formation OF two twelve club leagues.
the American league absorbing four OF
the Federal leagues clubs. and the Ma
tionaI league tscking on to its circuit
the other four Federal clubs.
Looking at Il from any angle you wish'
It seems that the ending Of war no
matter what the compromise Will cost
every ono involved. will be for the best
interest OF the magnatee. And because
the Federal league will insist that lts
clubs retain a major league status ana
because the Organized base ball persons
now maintain there Is not room Tor three
major league organizations the dith-
Guilty will be overcome by forming Two
twelve club leagues.
Financial Outlook.
disastrous financial season races
most OF the organized major league ciups
this season. and IT'S possible that the dry
spell. an far as income is concerned
win continue for two or three seasons.
An this Is the result Of the activity OF
EcCnTnlH.
for nlavers. forced the Organized clubs
20 boost salaries 10 the highest notch IN
bistory-to a point where II seemed al
most runious. But the ORGANIZED peope'
facing the alternative OF having their
clubs wrecked by the invading Feds OF
OF making their pay rolls top heavy in
the extreme. chose the latter ana "iSes'
course.
H.I~
.oy,e Of the cities that had to go the
limit 70 hold their players VIII cause
emitting Of patronage, and, OF course
win reduce the income OF the orsamSeh
clubs affected. other Organized clubs
whose cities were not invaded by tne
Feds with a franchise will feel the effect
through the fact that the Feds grabbed
or some Of their stars. The Philadelphia
nationals are one sample. The Feds
SHARED Knable, Doolan, seaton. Brennan
.nd aiso Law claim 10 Rillifer. No club
can lose five Of It's best players and not
feel the effect.
The Feds also raided the Class Al
seams Of orEanlEed base ball and did i
40 effectualiy that they almost have
,yr.cked some OF the clubs. This has
caused the Class "A clubs to shrek for
tbe orRnnized majors are bound. under
me ruling of the National agreement, 10
do something to protect the minors
FederaIn no Joke.
les almost time for the Organized mo-
uuls Ia cease their foolish shouts that
stbe Federaia are a Joke" They aren't
and no one knows II better than do the
t)reAnlxed people When any new base
ri nm
,hfkk months time wheedle away from
rlraahlzed Base Ball sixty players Of ma
a1f league caiiber-one-sixth or the
Strcngth OF the Organized majors-its no
laughing matter.
The reds win open the season and they
will finish the season and be prepared TO
yeopen In isfE-and with a stronger lineup
than they have at present. That's just
about as safe a bet as anyone can make.
The Federal magnates have invested
sonething like Sa.ooO.ooo In players. stands,
grounds and equipment. and IT'S a clnch
when anyone Is so deeply involved In a
venture that there win be no backing
cut
The Feds refused 70 sign up any play
ers who were under contract this spring,
although many OF the contracted Or
sanized players. dissatisfied. begged for
a Job IN the Federal ranks. Many other
Organized players, held only by the re-
serve clause. decided TO stick 10 their
old clubs because they were a bit skcptl-
cal about the Feds and their bank rolls,
Rut at the end OF the 1914 season, when
they have discovered that the Feds
weathered the storm. those players will
be falling over themselves in their efforts
10 sign up with the FeSs-provided, OF
course that the Feds continue their Doi-
10y Of outbiddins the Organized Base Ball
people.
May wreck Minors.
The Federsls have the power 70 peao
tically wreck the minor leagues at the
close OF the 1914 season. and its GER
tainty that II Organized base ball doesn'
make peace overtures they will proceed
70 do 30. The minor leaguers make theil
profits not through gate receipts. bu
through selling their stars 20 the mRio'
ieaguers In this way some OF the clas
"A teams have cleaned up from $500
TO 10000 a year.
But at the end OF the 1914 season, ~
certainty that the Feds viii offer tn
star minor ieaguers a mighty husky look
irg salary. The Feds don't have to pa,
minors. The Organized majors do. N
minor league club viii let star playe
30 20 the majors for any price less thai
sA0o 20 $1,000. Suppose the Feds com
along and offer that player s7,0o0 a yea
for three years. That means the tota
they Will have to pay will be only SCI. 90,
whereas. the total the Organized majo
would have TO pay would be bid In eN
cess OF t7Oe0 for three years IN Rddito
70 the 5000 or $1,000. And that means
also that the minor league magnate vii
be out the market value OF each star tina
jumps from his club TO the Feds.
In face OF these facts does anyone thin
that Organized base bail win be force
70 do anything else within the next twelv
months or so than TO recognize the Fed
as major leaguers and offer them tn
chance 10 become part and parcel Q
Organized base ball2
TSeIve-CIub Leagues.
Many base ball sharps contend there
70 room for third big league. Perhap
there is-and perhaps there isn't. tn
lsi4 season ought 10 solve the problem
II there - COON for the third big leagu
the Federal league can continue 70 OF
crate as a separate circuit even after
is taken into Organized base ball An
IL there isn't room the solution Of N