The Washington herald., 1915-12-12
National Circuit and Interna-
tionals Are Also Slated for
Important Gatherings.
OTHER SPORTING GOSSIP
Richmond and Harrisburg May Both
Lose Franchises in Barrow
Circuit.
BY WILLIAM PEET.

of big doings on the sport card for thi
week.
Organized baseball. magnates. player
and satalites will assemble during tn,
next six days for the annual mid-winte
pow-wows.
National Leaguers. the Internationa
circuit. with Fed scouts lowering nea
will conclave in New York starting to
morrow.
The American League will be outside
the war zone. but close enough to heal
the booming of any big guns that ar,
fired off. Chicago is the place selected
for this conclave and the Washington
club will he represented by Manager
Clark Griffith and President Ben Minor
IT is rumored that Griff will offeI
Pitcher Boehling First Baseman ChicL
Gandil and Second Sacker Ray Morgan
for trade, but the Old Fox has little
to say on The subject. and it is impossible
TO say just what will be pulled of.
Grif states that he will trade or sell
any member of his ball club if by so do
ing he can strengthen his forces for next
season. Other than this he will not dis.
cuss the subject.
There are two guesses being taken as
regards what may happen at the Ma
uonal League gathering. One is that
the foundation for peace with the Fed
eral will be laid by some of the club
owners of that organization purchasing
stock in the National League clubs.
The other guess is that the two fac
tons Will not get any nearer together
not even via the telephone-than two
big hotels which are separated by a
mile of big buildings.
No one not on the inside of the nego-
tiations really knows how strong or
how weak is the bridge which certain
magnates have been endeavoring to
construct between the Federals and Or
Sanized baseball. The structure may
b" as flimsy as a Welsh rarebit fiend's
dream or as solidly constructed as
modern Grandstand.
-At the same time that the big gather
iu= is being held at New York the
American League will be holding its
lnnuaI meeting at Chicago. Ban John
son probably decided not to call his
club owners together at New York. be-
cause he didn't want the American
League to get mixed up with any
peacr talk with the Federals. johnson
iS apparently much against recog-
nizing the independents as he ever
MS. He is still in favor of letting the
tUrnstiles decide the issue between the
warning factions.
Vt the same time Ban is keeping his
car close to the ground. He has his
agents near the firing line and gather
in=s information. One of these agents
reported to Ban at Cleveland this week
and undoubtedly put the American
League executive wise to what has
been going on and what the outcome
is likely to be.
If there is Il baseball Henry Ford to get
the masnates out of the trenches before
christmas we will soon know his iden-
titN.
The International League has the
toughest Job on its hands as President
Barrow and the board of directors must
again redrrange the crippled circuit. Har-
risbUr2. which took the Newark fran
,hiSe. j. not enthusiastic about the pros-
poets aud there seems TO be no doubt
but that thP franchise will again be
transferred There is also danger of
Richmond dropping out. II those cities
do fall it is Mr.. Barrow's purpose to
D.acc teams in Hartford. Conn. and
Springfield. Mass. or other New England
cities. Several have made application, but
those two are the most favored.
The International League has suffered
more heavily from the invasion of the
Feds than haT, the American and Ma
lional. and this. too. in face of the fact
that the Feds started out after the big
game. TIL" Feds put both Baltimore and
Newark urt Of business. and still have
plenty Of ammunition for cunning at
others.
one of the important topics to be dis
CuSsed at the National and American
League meetings next week is new
form of contract TO control the players.
Some Of the progressive magnates be-
heve that the time for long term con-
tracts has passed. in view of the fact
that valuable players no longer show
tendency to jump to the Federal Lea
que. Other club owners seem to thin. !
that the players contracts should cover |
period of twelve months. so that the |
stars of the diamond will be able to draw |
salary all the year round |
Many Of the long term. ironclad con-
tracts. which majority of the players |
in organized baseball obtained when the 1
Feds began their raids two years ago, |
have expired. 1t is admitted by the 1
magnates that these contracts resulted
in heavy financial losses and that the |
players. sure of their money. became in
different to the success of their teams.
To avoid further deficits and force the
PLAYERS TO show greater energy on the
ball field. a movement is on foot to have
the rival major leagues adopt what Is /
known as the short contract" con-
tanning the ten days release notice and
the bption clause. which were considered
necessary evils before the Feds took
the field.
If this radical move is adopted the mag
mates, who favor the plan. say that
the players will not desert them: that
the players already realize the harm
done to the national psstime by the
baseball war and that the diamond ex-
perts are free to admit that old con-
ditions must be restored before the sport |,
can be operated again on a paying basis n
The magnates, who advocate the short
contract. insist that the players know
that they have been overpaid and that
they are willing TO accept reduced SAL
aries.
The adoption of twelve months con-
tract is also advocated as a check on
the players who. during the Off season, /,
take part in football. basketball and
hockey games at the risk Of receiving in
iuries which may permanently cripple
them. The club owners also feel thatli
should be done to prevent ball 4
players from sauandering their money Ii
dufihg the summer |,