Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-26

of the playing season wherein the squad
is restricted to q players. This rule
adopted at the annual meeting Of the
Senior League on December S, and re-
AFFIRMED at the schedule meeting on Feb
ruary 9, will have deciding bearing
on the penant race this summer. Under
the new regulation the total registration
Of the eight clubs will be l6s players be-
tween May ! and September /. At the
beginning of the season the roster Of the
league showed G4 players on contract
so that more than eight players will
have to be dropped before next Saturday
to conform with the new rule.
The average at the opening Of the 1915
penant race was 81 players per club.
In order to be with the limit by May
each club will have to dispense with the
services Of approximately 10 players.
Many of these clubs have already antici-
pated the effect of the rule and began
dropping players before the close of the
spring training trips. A few were given
unconditional releases but the majority
were sent back to the minor league clubs
for further development
In this connection it is the opinion
of big league baseball magnates that
the present crop of recruits has not
been up to the standard OF past years.
in a few isolated cases green players
taken to the training camps have shown
sufficient promise to warrant additional
coaching and attention but the general
average has not encouraged the idea
that there were any Ty Cobbs, Walter
Johnsons or Jake Daubets in the camps.
The American League clubs will have
a five player advantage over those OF
the National League for the Junior
League rule permitting an enrolment of
25 players per club was not rescinded to
conform with the new regulation in
vogue in the National. AS result
there will be a less curtailing of lists
in Ban Johnsons circuit for the eight
Amarican League clubs had but 242
players under contract at the opening
of the baseball year. This gave an aver
age of 80 players per club and necessi-
tated the dropping Of but 40 players in
order to conform with the league code in
this respect
Work has been started on the man.
moth motordrome and sports amphi-
theatre which has been proposed and
discussed for New York for the past
five years. This project which is expect
ed to rival the Brookland track Of
England and The Indianapolis Auto
Speedway will be located on the grounds
of the Old Coney Island Jockey Club
not far from the ocean front in Brook
lyn A two-mile track capable Of per-
hitting auto speeding in excess Of 100
miles per hour and series of stands
to accommodate about 100000 spectators
will be in readiness for the first meet in
autumn.
The new sport centre will not be con-
fined to automobile racing entirely for
the plans call for baseball, polo, football
and aviation fields. Space will also be
allotted to tennis courts and other out
door games. 1t is the intention Of the
promoters. who include in the board of
directors many men prominent in auto
MODELLING and amateur sports. TO provide
sufficient space for both contestants and
spectators for all forms Of athletic COM
petition for years to come. Facilities Of
this type have been lacking for several
years and it is expected that with the
completion Of the new sports field there
will be a revival Of many feature events
in the sporting schedules Of New York
each year.
The English professional association
football season closed this week and
according to late reports from London
the financial status Of the players will be
readjusted before schedule play is re-
sunied. All contracts between clubs and
players will expire before May first and
the 1856 contracts will show the effect
of the war on English sports. The soccer
magnates are drawing up new form
of agreement between player and club
showing sharp reductions in salaries all
along the line. The maximum wage of
about SO a week will be cut to SIS and
SO according to the playing ability OF
the men signed. In addition there will
be no summer allowance except in the
cases Of few stars Of the English Soc
Ger world.
With an entry list Of over 200 amateur
trapshooters, representing clubs from
widely separated points throughout the
United States the tenth annual compe-
tition for the national amateur cham
pionship title which will be decided next
Saturday. May 1. should bring together
the largest field Of contestants ever as
sembled for this. the blue ribbon event
on the gunners' yearly schedule. For
several years past the title has been won
over the four sets of traps at Travis
Island on Long Island Sound and again
the country home Of the New York Ath-
Ietic Club will be the scene OF this years
contest. On Friday, April 30, as has been
the custom In former years. the preiin-
mary shoot at 200 targets will serve as
an introductory to the big event, a. the
same rules will govern both shoots. the
only difference being in the amount OF
entrance fees. For the preliminary each
entrant will be taxed IS. but for the
championship each contestant will have
to pay S. Five prizes will be awarded
to the high guns on the first day while
in the championship event ten prizes will
he distributed Last year Ralph L.