The Washington herald., 1916-12-05
THIRD MAJOR MORE
THAN mere RUMOR
Chicago Scribes Believe Third Big
League Is Possibility.

Chicago. ILL.,. Dec. 4.-why has Ban
johnson. president of the sAmerican
League. most progressive man in base
ball and the games greatest fighter,
come out In favor OF third major
league? The reason is that he is big
enough ito see that the formation of such
a league Is inevitable and he knows the
| time now Is opportune for such a circuit
1 to do the game more good
The phenomenal success of baseball un-
der the national agreement is rounded
principally upon the spirited competition
of the American and National League
teams for representation in the world
series. Take away that incentive for the
fans and one would shatter the ideals on
which the games popularity is founded
The principal reason the Federal
League failed was because johnson,
backed by Comiskey, kept II from being
lrecognized and gaining representation in
the world seriesx Another reason was
that the circuit was poorly arranged. To
be a success without teams in Chicago
and New York third major league must
have representation in the world series.
The Federal League had no team in New
York, had no representation In the world
series, had team in st. LouisR which
was thus overcrowded with baseball and
operated In Indianapolis, which hardly
boasts population enought to support a
major club.
Johnson knows the difficulties with
which the national game Is beset, and he
realizes that these obstacles will be over
come by doing now what is bound to
come in few years-developing the
third major.
| s.why Is johnson favoring the new
league idea when he opposed raising the
American Association to the status OF a
big-league organization less than two
years agoT asked a Chicago baseba II
man Of the writer this week.
The answer Is plain. Had the American
Association and International League
been raised to the status of the majors,
1t Is evident that the Pacific Coast League
| and, perhaps, the Southern League, would
have clamored for similar favors. The
abrogation of the draft and other letters
would hardly have made majors of these
circuits, as representation in the worlds
series would have been impracticable.
The writer holds to the. belief that o
league can't graduate ffom minor to
major league rating without representa-
ton in the worlds series. The Class AA
leagues would have been majors in name
only without that representation.
The proposed plan for a major league
embraces a new scheme entirely, and
johnson has wisely refused to name
clubs that might compose the new cir
cult. Joe Villa, proceeding on a tip gain
ed in the East. gave what he believed to
be the proposed circuit. That this list
was nearly right there is little doubt, but
Johr""n has refused to go on record
naming the cities.
The best league that could be formed
for present strength and future growth
would undoubtedly include the cities at
the mouth of the Kaw and the Twin City
team, composed of Minneapolis and st.
Paul.
This league would be composed Of cities
of more than 10000 population with the
single exception Of Toledo. This city
probably has a population in excess of
Soo.00o Is growing five times faster than
Washington, a city of the American
League. In ten years these cities will all
be well on the way toward the three
quarter-million mark and Baltimore will
have a population of nearly a million.