The Washington herald., 1915-12-10
mon in FAVOR Of
S0MERS selling
Old Fox Says American
League Owes Indians Pres
ident Consideration.
OTHER SPORTING NEWS
by JOHN A. DUGAN.

Charley SOmerS should not De alOWeu
to go out of the American League. No
man Identified with the organization at
present deserves more financial assistance
than Charley Somers'' This sentiment
was expressed by Clark Griffith when
questioned last night in regard to the sale
OF the Cleveland Indians.
when the American League invaded
the East back In 1901 il was Charley
Somers money that started four OF the
clubs Somers sunk some amount around
the $4,000 marh In the league at that
time and has really done more for the
organization than any other man in the
league at present"
Griffith's sentiments are the same as
those of Ban johnson. president Of the
circuit johnson will make a hard fight
realizes more than anyone else the good
the Cleveland man has done for the
American League and baseball in gen.
eral.
That Somers will battle to keep title to
the club was made plain last night in
Cleveland. following a late conference be-
tween Somers. johnson and John L.
Bruce. secretary of the National Commits
sion and attorney for the American
League.
In a statement given out last night.
j
following to say:
Il want to retain the club and Presi-
dent johnson is with me. However. it is
up to the bankers committee. l am up
against wall, but j will fight to the
limit
Asked about possible purchasers of the
Cleveland club. should it be found neces-
sary for Somers to relinquish his hold
inss. Griffith did not venture a predic-
ton. The Old Fox did. however. declare
himself concerning James McAleer. one
time National manager and later Red
Sox president whom rumor has mention
ed as a likely buyer The Nationals pilot
does not believe that McAleer is finan-
cially able to negotiate the deal, and.
furthermore. he thinks Jimmy has no de-
sire TO again enter the baseball world.
Last year was a poor one financially
for the three leagues, and unless peace
is made. it will resolve itself into a
contest to see whose finances can last
longer. If the battle is waged on this
basis. there may be an unpleasant sur
prise in store for Organized Ball
That the major league clubs have at
last come to realize this is evident. The
announcement from New York that the
American League would not build its
new park, but would continue to play
on the Polo Grounds. shows that Or
ganized Ball Is preparing TO fight the
aggression of the Feds in Manhattan
and will not sink its money into ball
parks.
Pittsburgh has a habit OF supplying
Princeton with football captains. Frank
Click. captain of the 1915 eleven. is a
PittsburSher, and so Is Frank Hogg, the
giant guard who was elected to lead
the 1916 team. Charley Barrett. OF Cor
nell. is also a resident of Pittsburgh.
though he has been credited with being a
Clevelander. because he attended the
University School of the Sixth City.
The postponement of the Mike-Gibbons-
Young Ahern fight because the former
contracted a severe cold was a great
disappointment to a small army of East
ern fistic fans who planned to take in
the battle. The remarkable improvement
shown by Ahcarn In the last year may
have caused Gibbons to contract the cold
and it may not have settled n his lungs.
as reports indicate.
Another intcrsectional football game
has been scheduled for 1916. Colgate has
closed negotiations with the University
OF Illinois for a game In the West. This
will he the first game between Illinois
and an Eastern eleven in years, and
it will give the critics a chance to COM
pare the teams OF the East with those
of the Western Conference. This has
not been possible since Michigan
dropped out OF the Western body.