Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-03
EARLY SPRING TRAINING
TRIPS MAY Be ABANDONED
Some OF the Big Minor League Club
Owners Consider Having Athletes
Prepare In tho North.
MAJORS EALKlNG At RULE
Reasons Given Show That Limiting
Roster to Twcnty-Onc Players
! Does Not Give Opportunity to
Build for the Future.

NEW YORK. january Some OF
thc h!E minor league clubs may aban-
In keeping with the rctrcnchmcnt
policy.
1T costs ~ from $1,000 to $4,000
each year 10 take the spring trip, and
past experience mas convinced most of
us that the trip ism; worth the outlay
said one minor lcaEac !I,S.:n:;tc. IF
Ing the training, camp days ii is likely
that our .mem will get into pretty good
shape Ent even at that it doesn't
much bette" shane than they would be
n IT they had remained North and
worked tn" kinks out OF their systems
Eerv often u club hits n spell Of
very bad wealth.. and that means that
me benefits OF the trip are almost nil.
better shape than when they left.
Another thing is this: Players who
train in thu South get used To the warm
North they begin TO hit cold weather.
1 o happens that their muscles have
month before they are ironcd out
men viii work ont in tGe same sort
thcE begin the regular season. If the
weather ~ cold during the first two
weeks We. OF the regular season, II would
not prov" set back. as IL does when
the men train In the South. The men
won't be so liable to get sore arms and
! sim muscles because they will BIZ used
to such weather.
The major league clubs make up
part OF their expenses by playing exhi-
bition games while beating it back to
the North. Tho minor lcaguers are not
much OF an attraction because there
are so many; major league clubs down
south. and II rarely happens that we
divvy."
| II looks just now as IL the big league
Clubs in organized baseball are not GO
| ing to observe the new rule that limits
me roster to twenty-onc men between
MAY -er and September Sa1 l. Most of the
a club can operate for season with
a .wemtyh,o ION, PLAYERS, argue the man
by carrying twenty-one men, and n
successful manager Is one who build
i9r the futurS by keeping lot of cub
regular season. -1
If the twenty player rule had
tSen II s eGrc t, some years ago i Is
for "Rube" would have been tnkins
the place OF 4 man who was more val
Mack probably wouldn't have Rept Ed
die Collins II the. twenty one player
Iha GnT In Fore for Just at the time
ME had a large flock OF veterans, and
he would have given them the prefer
/ ence over Collins IL he had been forced
! TO let some of the excess baggage
| There are n score and more instances
similar to the MarQuard and Collins
cases. and the managers who are
| bowling against the ELECTROMAGNETIC
rule point to them as examples Of the
folly or limiting the roster to twenty
one men. Therefore. il Is more than
| likely that the National League. at its
FEBRUARY meeting, will rcscind its rule
ana place the limit at twcnty-three
The American League, 1t Is said. will
not force the managers to adhere
strictly to the twenty one men rule,
| and the managers will be permitted to
carry about twenty-three men.
II the twenty one-ruic wasn't sun
| posed to be in force i'm the National
League right now. John Mc(iraw
wouldn't waste much time in getting
the signature of Germany" Scha cfer
70 a contract. The funny man from
Washington has been wanted by Me
Graw for a long time. McGraw fig
urcd that Germany" with his rand
fire flow of humor. would do an awful
lot to keep the Giants in good spirits
and that Germany" would keep the
rams amused during the dull moments
; OF the game.
But can't grab Schae fer now" said
McGraw. IF that twenty PLAYER
rule is to hold I'll have II hnrd enough
! job in pruning down my list of regular
PLAYERS keen Nifhip ha limit